After having to take a forced three week break due to needing some work done to the car it was great to get back out on the trails.
My patience and positivity paid off and I was treated to an amazing day in the Howgill Fells. It is November so it wasn’t the warmest, which was more noticeable when in the shade, but without any clouds for most of the day and with very little wind it was some of the better conditions I have had this year.
The Route
This route has been on my list for a while, wanting to reach the highest point in the Yorkshire Dales, the Calf and ticking off a few other Nuttall summits along the way.
A cold and frosty day meant that this route which was mostly grassy paths was great to navigate. I’ll admit I don’t think I would have enjoyed this hike so much on a wet day. I don’t mind the mud. I’m not a fair weather only hiker. I do feel that these paths would quickly turn muddy pretty quickly.
The clear skies meant that I was able to take in some excellent views.
I love getting an early start on my hikes and catching the sunrise from behind the mountains. It does work as an excellent energy boost at the begging of the day.
The first ascent on this route is the main climb. It took me up onto the ridge path that I followed for most of the day.
I had originally planned more of a circular route for this hike. However once I was up on the ridge I didn’t really want to come down. I spent the day taking a there and back again approach.
Staying wrapped up
The day was sunny, dry and not with a lot of wind but it was pretty cold over 2000ft. I know a lot of people enjoy winter hikes in insulated jackets, but I find warmth in the layered approach.
On the colder days on the trails I will wear four layers up top, a workout vest, a long sleeved base layer, a T-shirt and one my favourite Rab fleeces. It also all fits nicely under my waterproof jacket if the clouds do come in.
It was awesome to be able to see the Lake District fells in all there glory. I know I’ve got a lot of Nuttalls to take on in both these National Parks. It was pretty amazing to get a good view of them from this perspective.
Near the end of the hike I also got a good view of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, which I took on back in September.
The Trigs
The final descent from the last trig point may not have been my wisest of route choices. Speaking to a fellow hiker on the way down I learnt that this quite steep path was starting to fall away. It didn’t take much investigating to see that it was a wild pony that had slid down and ripped through what once was a reasonably accessible path.
As always though I just took my time. I was in now rush, so considering each step and keeping my balance was more important than ever.
It was one of those paths that seemed like it would be easier to go up than it was to come down. Thankfully it was all pretty flat from there on.
Along with a couple of trig points, I managed to bag four new Nuttalls, the Calders, the Calf, Bush Howe and Fell Head.
I will definitely be returning to the area to complete more of the list of Mountains in England and Wales.