Blencathra

I started this climb up Blencathra from the A66 near Scales. The path was easy to follow, and a fairly easy ascent quickly took me away from the noise of the busy road and gave me some stunning views of the surrounding fells. This first part of the ascent was the steepest, and when the terrain began to level out, I was met with a stunning view of the River Glenderamackin, sitting between the slopes of Blencathra and White Horse Bent. The glacial action of the Ice Age has left an indelible mark on the landscape here, which is just beautiful.

I continued up a shorter ascent, with a lovely waterfall to my left as I headed towards Scales Tarn. To my right, I could see the imposing ridge of rock known as Sharp Edge, which more intrepid walkers use to reach the summit of Blencathra. However, I chose to take a different route up the pathway towards Doddick Fell. There was a final zig-zag path towards the summit, which was marked by a metallic ring on the ground and not by the usual cairn.

The views from the summit of Blencathra were simply breathtaking. The fells of the Lake District were all around, stretching away as far as I could see, in different shades of blue and grey as clouds drifted across the sun.

While there are many routes to descend Blencathra, I chose to retrace my steps, giving me another chance to see Scales Tarn, Sharp Edge and the River Glenderamackin before I returned to my car on the A66.