KYQ4: Great Mell Fell

Sunday, 7 July 2024

Great Mell Fell

Saturday, 6 July 2024

Ascent: 280 metres
Distance: 4 kilometres
Time: 54 minites

Great Mell Fell 537m 32mins

We have to leave before 10am on the last day at Langdale. It would give us the time for a final swim or run before breakfast and packing but this year we were away just after 9am. The forecast was for rain by 11am. I decided to climb Great Mell Fell which I had intended to climb on the arrival day but rain and the desire to watch the Euros had scuppered the plan. Gregor wanted a run so I dropped him at Scales so he had an 8-mile run via Walthwaite and Troutbeck whilst I drove onto Great Mell and parked by Brownrigg Farm.

There were a dozen or so cars already parked by 10am. There is an initial quarter of a mile up a track before crossing a stile to the start of an obvious path that increases in steepness as it twists up the southeast ridge towards the gentler slopes and wooded area before reaching the summit. It was quite busy with two families walking their 2-year-olds up the hill. The flat summit is a good observation point with Blencathra, the Helvellyn and High Street ranges enticing the endorphins to more serious pursuits. Alas, the week was over but there are another 70 or so Wainwrights to complete before I can retire my collection of trail shoes.

I made a descent down a path not shown on the map, it was good going at first until it reached the lower slopes that involved a kilometre of bog trotting. This year the ground conditions have been the wettest I can remember in July and it will take a few days to dry out my two pairs of shoes that have perpetually immersed in mud and peat. Gregor had already arrived so we changed out of our footwear and began the journey back to the M6 and M74. It was relatively quiet and we were back in Glasgow by 1:15pm. It had been a strange year at Langdale, we spent the whole week dodging the bad weather for a few hours on the hills and watching football, tennis and cycling.