East Martindale Fells – 100 and counting.

Day 19 – Monday 6 April. With the weather forecast to be wet and windy, it was very brave of David & Dorothy Hepworth and John & Helen Rushton to get up early enough to meet me at Howtown (Ullswater) at 9.30 am. Still, it turned out to be dry, and the kind proprietor of the hotel allowed us to park our cars there. The plan was for me to start off with my ‘guests’ who would then leave me to it (I’d 10 fells on the agenda) before joining up later for a swift half – all very civilised!


The approach to Bonscale Pike (1718’) was extremely steep – even vertiginous – which had everyone puffing and panting. I left the party and headed for Arthur’s Pike (1747’), meeting up again (and departing again) on the path to Loadpot Hill (2201’) – Fell Number 100 so I celebrated by having a Twix (it’s an exciting life...).

On to Wether Hill (2210’), and then I met a mountain biker with a seriously defunct mike – he’d smashed the disc brakes. As there are no disc brakes on proper road bikes I couldn’t really do much to help so pressed on to High Raise (2634’) which was followed in quick succession by Kidsty Pike (2560’), Rampsgill Head (2581’) and The Knott (2423’). The amazing thing was that all this time, the weather stayed fine, with clear views all around – I could hardly believe my luck.

After a steep descent there was a corresponding rise to the summit of Rest Dodd (2278’), after which I was fully expecting to become a trespasser as The Nab (1887’) is supposed to be private, a part of the Martindale Deer Sanctuary. But there was a stile in the fence, with a notice asking you to keep your dog on a lead to protect the deer, which seemed to me to be an implicit acceptance of a right of way, so on I went, across peat hags which must be absolutely dire in wet conditions, over the summit and down the extremely steep north face, past The Bungalow (a strange green-walled building with a red tin roof, formerly a shooting lodge and now a holiday cottage) before arriving at the public road just after 3 o’clock. I must be speeding up!

David and John saved me a trudge along the road by picking me up and the promised pint was duly quaffed at the Howtown Hotel before we went home our separate ways. With 10 fells in one day the total now stands at a healthy 106 – nearly half way!

Photos: 1. David, Dorothy, John and Helen before the start; 2. The summit of Bonscale Pike; 3. At the top of Kidsty Pike, courtesy of passing walker; 4. High Street from Rampsgill Head.