Advertisement
Published: February 19th 2007
Not a bad start
Bridge across the river on the way to RookingPatterdale isn't quite the Lake District mecca in the same way as the Lake Windermere towns or Keswick but it does pack a punch with some decent mountains and is a worthy addition to any Lake District trip. Arguably one of the most famous routes up Helvellyn via Striding edge starts from nearby Glenridding, and the proximity of Ullswater makes it all rather splendid.
On a decent February day I would noramlly be drawn towards Helvellyn (finishing off with St Sunday Crag), but I decided to give Place Fell a try for a bit of exploration in area I've never vsisited before and the temptation of the views to the bigger peaks seemed like an ideal compromise.
The car park in Patterdale (opposite the Patterdale Hotel - big white building) charges £3 for all day, but is not huge so be early on the more popular days to avoid disappointment/general annoyance.
From the car park Place Fell ( 650m ish) looms large, but without the threat/intimidation of the bigger peaks. However, it retains a glint that says 'I might not be massive but I'm still gonna make your legs hurt'!
The route starts behind the hamlet of
Helvellyn
Helvellyn and Catseycam loom into view Rooking and ascends steadily to Boredale Hause, providing decent views of Red Scree in the distance and starting to hint at the forthcoming view of Helvellyn and St Sunday Crag. The path is clear and the unseasonably warm weather left me a little red faced by the time i reached the hause (nothing to do with being unfit).
The Hause could be quite tricky in bad weather but the blue sky allowed me to select my path off to the left which increased in gradient till reaching the edge that led up to the summit. The word edge is a little strong - all but the most nervous of vertigo sufferers would feel relaxed.
The steepness terminates at Round How not far short of th summit in effort terms and by this point some of the Lake District's finest are on offer. The view of the ridges leading to Helvellyn were excellent and St Sunday crag was flashing its meanest grin. Further afield Red Scree glistened and High Street lurked into view.
As I stopped to take pictures and have a well earned breather (only marginally sore legs) the weather did a bit of a classic. The
St Sunday and Helvellyn
St Sunday Crag (on left) and Helvellyn give a good impression of why they're so popular cloud rolled in to hide the sun, add some wind and the temperature dropped nicely. Just a quick reminder that it was still February and that complacency is not tolerated in these parts.
I stopped for my butties before place fell in order to have a bit of peace and quiet. Its fair to say that the wild explorers out there would find the route chaotic.
Once sufficiently cold I completed the last few metres to the summit and headed off on the main path which snakes down to Ullswater. Place Fell is a good location to get a feel for this huge lake which seems to go on forever snaking between the peaks that get in its way. The route down offers little trouble from a navigation or technical perspective and before long you'll be down at the lake shore (just make sure you stick to the left of High Dodd).
The path back to Patterdale follows the Lake shore winding in and out and taking in very small amounts of ups and downs along the way. At Side Farm take a right to bring you back onto the main road.
The route along the
Place Fell
Final push to the summit shore is very pleasant with sufficient picinic spots available for all so don't worry about arriving early to put your towel down. Although the path isn't dramatically exciting, both Wordsworth and Wainwright believe it to be an absolute classic so I'll leave you to make up your own mind.
Overall it took less than 4 hours and I'd recommend it as a good half day if you have had a touch too much local brew the night before. Alternatively if you've been on Helvellyn the day before do this as an easy day to allow you to gloat over your previous triumphs.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.113s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 9; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0812s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
