Day 3: Late Start, Two Fells, and a Thwarted Third
My plan was to head west to do the relatively modest Sale and Ling Fells – two hills over the far side of Whinlatter.
I slept a bit later than usual—blame the beer quota from last night. The hotel has reverted to a buffet-style “cold” breakfast plus cooked items on request. It seems a sound waste-saving strategy for quiet days.
I left the hotel about 9:10, car fully charged at their free charger. It took roughly fifty minutes to reach the western side. I considered a tiny road parking spot between Sale and Ling, but flicked that idea when I saw the road from Wythop. I’d had enough of narrow lanes after yesterday. So I parked at Wythop Church and planned to do Sale Fell first. The weather was dubious. Cloud drifted intermittently over all heights. But it felt too decent a window to waste.
Sale Fell
I rose across mostly grassy slopes to the summit of Sale Fell. The climb was quite gentle and pleasant. About two thirds of the way up I met a lady who had done all the Wainwrights at least five times. That alone deserves respect (and a flag). She kindly took a windswept cloudy photo of me at the top of the fell.
At the summit, the ground is grassy with a modest cairn marking the top. The summit is not dramatic — there’s no rock tower or grand ridge — but the views are surprisingly broad. Or at least they would be, if you could see them. To the east lies Bassenthwaite Lake, and across to the Skiddaw massif. To the north and west, on a clear day, you can just glimpse parts of the Solway Firth and the hills of Galloway in Scotland. On a cloudy October day you can see the insides of clouds. That’s what I got.
I lingered long enough to inspect the summit, chase off a gusty swirl of cloud, and polish off a snack. The experienced hill walking ladt disappeared off towards Broom Fell but advised that Ling would probably be fine – it’s not that high and we could actually see the routes up from across the valley.
Ling Fell via the Corpse Road
Feeling decent, I decided to include Ling Fell without relocating the car. I dropped back down and then climbed via the “Corpse Road” route. Thankfully, the summit remained mostly clear. Some cloud drifted over Sale, but didn’t engulf me. The route is grassy to heather; the top is smooth and rounded, with a trig point marking the summit.
From the summit you get fine views. To the north, Cockermouth and the Vale beyond. To the west you can see distant hills and, if lucky, parts of the Solway coast. The ascent is moderate; nothing too fearsome. The descent I chose was a more direct line: steeper, a bit slippy in places, but fast. I got down in about ten minutes.
The Return Route and Missed Raven Crag
To return to my car I had two options: walk round via the road, or cross over the base of Sale Fell. I chose the latter. The first section was rather steep. I had to lean in and use my hands a couple of times. It wasn’t long, fortunately.
I reached the car before 2 pm and thought there was still time for Raven Crag. I even stopped in Keswick to refuel. Alas, the Thirlmere Dam road was closed — no access to the foot of Raven Crag. I can’t say why. Disappointed, I drove back to Glenridding and parked at the charger station again. I considered climbing Glenridding Dodd, but it was getting late and I’d reached my quota. So I did a couple of geocaches in the village and called it a day.
