Part two of the weekend saw David, Jennifer and I on another low level walk following Birketts route of Ling and Sale fell starting from Brumstone Bridge. Birkett devised the walk into not collecting just the two summits but also added Burthwaite Heights, Lothwaite and Rivings making a total of five summits to a walk that can be covered in a little over than three and a half hours.
Dawn had just broke but the light was still very low and moody, it had started to rain lightly as we crossed Brumstone Bridge and it didn't stop until we were below Ling summit. In the distance between a tangle of cloud Criffle could be seen while closer to home, Binsey's summit poked out above the valley mist. We descended easterly from LIng Fell and picked up the track which lead us along the outskirts of Wythop Moss which was nothing more than a tad wet underfoot. We gained Burthwaite Heights easily and feasted upon the Lord's Seat fells and a snow capped,cloud topped Skiddaw which still looked inviting. We descended north easterly and passed through the hamlet of Old Scales before passing through the fields sign posted Chapel Wood. Dead ahead Sale Fell below Chapel Wood and further right, our next summits of Lothwaite and Rivings, not before taking the half mile through Chapel Wood before a steady ascent which brought us out between our next two summits.
Lothwaite was recommended as an "out an back" so we went there first and upon reaching the summit Jennifer took her seat at 'Jennifers seat' a bench with a view over Bassenthwaite to die for. We back tracked after snacks and made our way to Rivings encountering fast approaching cloud from the north and by the time Rivings was reached the cloud had started to scatter revealing Sale Fell up ahead. We left Rivings passing a couple with a dog and smiles were exchanged. Earlier Sale had looked packed but with numbers having just left we found the summit to ourselves. Between breaks of cloud we descended the summit making for Dodd Crag where care had to be taken due to mud underfoot, with views of Ling and Burthwaite we dropped onto the path below sighting our cars through the trees at Brumstone Bridge which by now, was much more busier than we had left it earlier. |