Route: Grange Fell
Area: Central Lake District
Date of walk: 21st October 2016
Walkers: Andrew James and Jason
Distance: 3.7 miles
Weather: Light cloud and some weak sun, no wind at all
Grange Fell is one of my favourite places, consisting of three separate summits – Brund Fell, King’s How and Ether Knott. Today’s objective was the best known of the trio, King’s How
We parked in the Bowderstone car park and set off along a narrow path through the woodland. Wainwright describes the ascent as ‘exquisitely lovely (in autumn a golden ladder to heaven) and simply must not be missed. Sacrifice any other walk, if need be, but not this!’
As usual, his description is perfect. We climbed uphill, quite steeply at times, stopping often to admire the autumn colours all around us, and eventually emerging above the tree line at the marshy area known as Long Moss
From here it’s a short rocky climb to the summit, from where there are spectacular views over Derwent Water to the north and Borrowdale to the south – we agreed that this would be a good place for our picnic. Suitably refuelled we followed a path towards Borrowdale (a direct descent back to the start is out of the question thanks to the steep crags which encircle the fell)
Eventually we arrived at the Borrowdale road which we followed for a short distance before following a path through the woods back to the start. It was a wonderful walk and I hope that the photos which follow do it some justice…
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
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
Red squirrel in the garden before we set off this morning
On the way to Borrowdale, we stopped the car at the head of Crummock Water - for obvious reasons…
As I was busy snapping away at the lake, James managed to grab this shot - well done son
A short while later we arrive at the Bowderstone car park and follow this path through the woods
The start of ‘a golden ladder to heaven’…
Grange Fell is protected by steep crags from this aspect and we need to walk round these and sneak in through the back door
Looking across Borrowdale at its narrowest point towards the foot of the Maiden Moor to High Spy ridge
It’s a gentle climb in the early stages, gradually becoming steeper
Looking up to Greatend Crag - our route will take us round the back of the crag
Black Crag
As we ascend the steep section via a rocky staircase, Skiddaw and Derwent Water come into view
Looking up to the northern end of Grange Fell
Climbing up to Long Moss
A view north along the crags
James and Jason marching across Long Moss, just below the summit
A view back to Jopplety How, part of Grange Fell, on the last section of the climb
Derwent Water and Skiddaw from King’s How
A couple of summit photos - James and Bonnie…
…and James’s pal Jason bagging another Wainwright
Borrowdale from our picnic spot
As we descend from King’s How, which is one of the ‘Jaws of Borrowdale’, we look across to the other - Castle Crag
High Doat and the River Derwent
Rosthwaite
Castle Crag again as we snake round the fellside, gradually descending back into the valley
Fly Agaric mushroom - poisonous
We emerge onto the Borrowdale road and follow the path on the left, but not for long
Bonnie performs The Shake after a swim in the River Derwent
The end result
Jason climbs the Bowderstone - it’s not known whether this was left when the ice melted, or whether it tumbled from the crags above
We follow this path through the woods back to the start
Skiddaw from the disused Quayfoot Quarry next to the car park, marking the end of a wonderful short walk
An aeroplane trail and countless stars over Lorton Vale at the end of the day
