KYQ4: Sale Fell, Ling Fell and Binsey

Thursday, 29 February 2024

Sale Fell, Ling Fell and Binsey

Bassenthwaite from Binsey

Wednesday, 28 February 2024

Sale Fell 359m 21mins 39mins

Ling Fell 373m 24mins 43mins

Binsey. 447m. 20mins 36mins

After yesterday's wind and rain and a similar forecast for late morning today, we decided to minimise getting soaked again and climb a couple smaller Wainwrights on the way back to Scotland. We left the Keswick Hostel at 9:00am, Keith had unusually decided to give the hills a miss, he was feeling quite unwell and discovered after a weekend with his walking club that there was a COVID alert. John and I headed to Sale Fell and Ling Fell which are located behind the Pheasant Inn at the head of Bassenthwaite. It was a place we visited for Saturday lunch over many years at the start of our Langdale week when the children were young and a Lakeland pub lunch was a treat for us all.

We parked at Brumston Bridge and climbed Sale Fell first, the clouds were scudding in over Skiddaw and the Northern Fells at a rapid pace but we figured we would be safe from rain for a quick up and down. The strong westerly wind made the descent almost as long as the ascent. The short sheep-shorn grass was a delight to walk on, providing a bounce and having none of the bogginess of yesterday. Skiddaw was topped by clouds as were the fells down to Grasmoor.

On arriving back at the car, I swapped my windproof jacket for a waterproof one. We walked across to the start of the Ling Fell path and kept to the Corpse Road for the ascent so that we could get a view over to Cockermouth and the coast. We hit the wind head on and it took our breath away. The summit trig point was no place to linger so we made a direct descent down another grassy path. It had barely gone 11 a.m. when we arrived back at the car. What now? After a drink, we decided to pop over to Binsey, a mere 4 miles away to claim a bonus hill.

Binsey is the most northerly Wainwright and a gentle plod up from Binsey Cottage on the Ireby Road. There were three cars there already. Even in February, the Lakes are a magnet for hillwalkers. It was another simple walk and a jog down, by noon, we had completed three Wainwrights and avoided the rain, just. There was a road closure at Ireby that added about 10 minutes to the journey home but I dropped John in Selkirk and was home before 5pm despite the traffic delays on the Edinburgh Southern bypass.