Hall’s Fell, Blencathra
1 NY318255 From the car park, take a path up to the left of Blease Gill’s lower stream, to reach open fell at the foot of the Blease Gill hollow. A path runs to the right, above a wall, for 800m, to the foot of the next stream slot, Gate Gill. (Or from the east end of Threlkeld village, take the lane up left, north-east, for 400m, then the bridleway track uphill past Gategill farm.)
2 NY324262 Cross Gate Gill’s stream, and take a path straight up the steep, heathery nose ahead. After a stiff climb to 600m, the ridgeline levels off and sharpens up. As the ridge steepens again, stay close to the crest for the easiest and safest going, and the finest situations. There’s a notable rocky crest to sidle along, not long before the ridge top, where it suddenly arrives at Blencathra summit.
3 NY323277 Given time, amble along the ridgeline south-west, over the slight rise of Gategill Top, to the slightly lower slight rise at the top of Blease Fell. Return to Blencathra’s main summit. Descend north-east for 50m, then head north on a path along the top of the big drops above Scales Tarn. After 500m, rejecting the turn down right for the thrilling descent of Sharp Edge (very serious if wintery), ease up left to the cairn on Atkinson Pike.
4 NY324283 Descend just west of north, quite steeply at first, then as the ridgeline eases, bending round right, with views across to Sharp Edge. The path leads down to the major col at the top of River Glenderamackin. Take the path down to the left of the stream. It’s scrappy and eroded at first, then a good, wide path just left of the stream. After 2km, as the valley bends left, fork right to a footbridge over the stream.
5 NY343279 The path slants up left, to the col at the head of Mousthwaite Comb. Turn right, following the ridgeline up towards Scales Fell for 300m. As the ridge starts to steepen ahead, turn left on a crossing path. It runs round Mousthwaite Comb’s rim, then down the steepish slope to its right. With the fell-foot wall below, the path bears down to the right, slanting to pass well above the buildings around the White Horse Inn to a point just above the A66. road, but keep ahead along the foot of the fell above the fell wall. After 400m the path turns down into the hollow of Scales Beck, with a scramble up bare well-used rocks out again. In another 400m, fork right, on a path that rises gradually to rejoin the wall at a higher level. The path fords the beck of Doddick Gill, and then the beck of Gate Gill. Here for Threlkeld village take the path down left under trees, right of the beck, or else keep ahead retracing the outward route to the car park.