Route: Little Mell Fell
Area: Eastern Lake District
Date of walk: 14th February 2014
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 0.8 miles
Ascent: 400 feet
Having set myself the task of including all the Wainwright Fells on this site (140 out of 214 since January 2013 so far), sooner or later Little Mell Fell had to be ticked off. It’s one of those fells that lacks the allure of most of the others – no-one has ever marched into the pub boasting ‘Guess what? I climbed Little Mell Fell today’
Rainstorms were forecast to hit the district mid morning, so this was a good chance to climb Little Mell Fell before they arrived. Having studied the OS map I couldn’t see a way to include the fell in a proper walk, so I consulted the oracle, Wainwright, who says it’s probably ‘best to get the job done without frills’
Who am I to argue with AW? I parked the car at The Hause, which gave me a leg up, and started up the southern flank of the fell. Navigation is not an issue, and I was at the summit cairn in 10 minutes flat. The weather was overcast, but there were good views of the snow-covered eastern fells. I came back down the same way feeling a bit of a cheat for having gained a summit so easily
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
The Hause, where I parked the car
Little Mell Fell, summit out of sight
First glimpse of Ullswater from the start of the climb
Ullswater again
Just follow the footprints
Looking back down to The Hause
Summit cairn of Little Mell Fell at 1,657 feet
Looking towards the eastern fells
Little Mell Fell’s big sister, Great Mell Fell
I retraced my steps back down
Almost back down to The Hause
On the way back home I took this photo of Ullswater from Pooley Bridge Pier
