Blencathra via Hall's Fell Ridge


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6th May 2025

Overview

Ascent:	2,399 Feet - 731 Metres
Wainwrights:	Blencathra
Visiting:	Doddick Fell Top
Weather:	Overcast To Start Turning Brighter By Mid Afternoon. Highs of 22°C Lows of 16°C
Parking:	Threlkeld Village
Area:	Northern
Miles:	4
Walking With:	On My Own
Ordnance Survey:	OL4
Time Taken:	3 Hours 10 Minutes
Route:	Threlkeld - Gategill Farm - Hall's Fell Ridge - Blencathra - Doddick Fell Top - Doddick Fell - Doddick Gill - Gategill Farm - Threlkeld

Parking Details and Map

Nearest Post Code:	CA12 4RY
Grid Reference:	NY 321 825
Notes:	There is room to park in the lovely village of Threlkeld but it's advisable to remember that Threlkeld is quite a small village and parking is premium even for its residents so care must be taken when parking. The ideal place to park is next to the church where you will find room for up to half a dozen cars, My advice is to arrive early to secure a place to leave your car due to the alternative routes you can ascend Blencathra by, the most popular being The Halls Ridge where most would start from Threlkeld.

Map and Photo Gallery

Blencathra seen over Gategill Farm 11:30am 16°C

Despite my late arrival I've been on the road since 06:45am due to having to collect my new company car from Ellesmere Port on a exercise that should only take about fifty minutes but due to traffic on the M6, M56 & M53 it was more like an hour and a half and I had to drive through the same traffic heading back which kinda took the shine off the morning not to mention the frustration. It would have been a good idea to walk in Snowdonia but my late arrival and parking would have then been an issue and I don't have the Plan B's in Wales like I have in Lakeland.

Anyway...I had no issue parking in Threlkeld where I arrived in late morning sunshine only to find that Blencathra was the only fell for miles around that had a huge cloud hanging over it, everywhere else was bathed in sunshine. I was pretty optimistic the cloud would move on but if anything, more cloud was gathering. Flipping eck (or words to that effect) I thow't. I left my car in Threlkeld and walked up the lane towards Gategill Farm my nerves and frustration of he morning ebbing away once I heard the bleat from the lambs coming from a nearby field before turning left onto the dusty track towards Gategill Farm.

Views across Gate Gill towards Gategill Fell.

The track began to rise towards the farmyard where I noticed my breathing was starting to labour which I put down to the frustrations of the morning not forgetting that while bored sat in traffic I decided to eat my dinner for breakfast, yeah that's not gonna help especially when I'd only eaten breakfast an hour earlier. The heat of the midday sunshine was warm on my skin this, despite the huge bloody cloud hanging over Blencathra's summit. I passed through the damaged gate which was only hanging on by one post, the other (latch side) had been forced forward somehow.

Extended views over Threlkeld.

Towards High Rigg, Low Rigg, Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell and High Seat to name a few.

The unmistakable Clough Head.

With White Pike just coming into view on the north east flank.

Gategill Fell, Knott Halloo and Gategill Fell Top.

I could see that there was a couple well ahead of me who disappeared from view once the ridge line was reached leaving me thinking it wasn't so busy after all, how wrong I'd be.

Hall's Fell Fell Top (Blencathra) from Hall's Fell Ridge.

I knuckled into the climb bridging the gap between me and the couple who were only about a hundred yards ahead by which time I'd spotted more walkers both ascending and descending the ridge.

The surveyor of her land,

It's not very often you see a sheep on the ridge itself this one looking quite at home surveying all who pass her.

The turn in the ridge.

Was the bottle neck where a very nice couple decided they didn't want to scramble and head back down for the path seen to the right (their left) It was there first time on the ridge and the husband looked a tad out of his depth so his wife asked me "was this the only way up" That's the couple over on the left who I've just overtaken who were clipping at my heels during the final scramble towards the summit.

Gategill Fell Top and Skiddaw from Blencathra summit.

Despite the lack of sunshine it was mild enough to finish what I had left of my lunch which consisted of a couple of Cathedral City mini cheeses and half a Lion Bar.

Doddick Fell Top, Doddick Fell and Scales Fell.

The plan is to descend via Doddick Fell seen foreground, access to the ridge can be found on the other side of the summit top.

Who switched the lights off!

A few takers on Sharp Edge this afternoon.

Doddick Fell.

It's been a while since I was last here and back then I'd ascended the ridge not descended. I'm going to enjoy this.

The views back to Hall's Fell Top (Blencathra) were epic.

There's a few rock steps to negotiate but other than that it's a pretty straight forward descent.

Come September these ridges come alive in rich heather.

Is...is that the sun peeking through.

Yup just my luck!

Here I look back up the ridge with Scales Fell coming in to view on the right.

Views back to Blencathra.

I had only passed one couple on Doddick Fell who asked me if the summit was busy "there was only six when I was there" I replied. The woman smiled and thanked me "not like the weekend then" Not at all I replied. I bid them to enjoy the rest of their walk before continuing my descent with the mass of Gategill Fell in view taking care not to slide on the dust layered narrow path which at time narrowed through gorse, not the best time to be wearing shorts! The sun was back with a vengeance which I soaked up like a human solar panel. My horizon was drenched in sunshine while extended views across to Clough Head saw me spot half a dozen paragliders through a slight haze. Life is good I thought.

I was surprised to find myself at ground level before the track descended into Doddick Gill via a steep narrow path, alternatively you could follow a path into, and then out of the gill which is just what I did while peering back up towards the summit just blue skies beyond. Heart filled with content I joined the grassy track flanked by shoots of young bracken stopping now and then to survey the land whilst the A66 rattled on below.