Get Lost Mountaineering

Souther Fell from Mungrisdale Village

Start/Finish

Mungrisdale village which is on the minor road to Caldbeck about 2 m north from the A66.  From the A66 Keswick to Penrith road, the minor road for Caldbeck and Mungrisdale is about 7 miles east of Keswick and about 10 miles west of Penrith.  There is car parking opposite the village hall and down the lane by the phone box but you must park on the opposite side of the lane to the phone box.  In 2014, it was £2 a day in both spots.

Distance/Time

7 km      About 3 hours

Peaks         

Souther Fell, 522 m, NY 355 291.

OS 1:50 000, Sheet 90.  OL5 North Eastern Lakes

Introduction

This is a fine walk and has excellent views on a clear day especially to Blencathra, Bannerdale Crags and Bowscale Fell.  Cross Fell may also be seen to the east as well as the Lakeland fells south of the A66.  The closest of these is Great Mell Fell but Clough Head is also obvious, as is more of the Helvellyn range on a clear day.  Navigation is fairly straightforward, even in mist.  The outward route follows a path/track by the River Glenderamackin and is easy to follow but has a few boggy sections.  There is an access issue on the final part of the return which is described below.

Route

(1) Walk up the telephone box lane and continue past the houses.  Follow the track to the footbridge across Bullfell Beck then take the path, leaving the track, up the side of the main river.  This is boggy in places.  Reach Bannerdale Beck where there is no bridge but it is usually easy to cross.  This is at the foot of the E ridge off Bannerdale Crags.  Continue, following the River Glenderamackin which curves around the S flank of Bannerdale Crags.  Just before the river turns NW, a path slants back down to a flat wooden bridge over the river.  Cross over and follow an obvious path which slants up, almost due E, to soon reach the crest of Souther Fell at its S end to join the main path from Mousthwaite Comb.  Walk N along the crest.  There is a cairn to the N of the first top (495) which seems to have no significance other than perhaps being a view point.  Continue over another easy top then on to the third top which is the highest but, on 2/3/15, there was no cairn.  However, this is the summit of Souther Fell, 522 m.

(2) Continue along the crest, initially descending gently on an obvious path.  This steepens lower down the nose and can be slippery when wet or under snow.  There are some very small crags but these are easily avoided.  Eventually reach a wall about 100 m from the road and the Mill Inn.  The wall is topped with barbed wire and there is a notice saying there is no public access across the short field and “Please Keep Out”.  The adjacent field, to the right, is similarly “guarded” but has no notice so either enter this field and exit by the gate near the houses or walk along the wall for some distance until it meets the road.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 2^nd March, 2015, in winter conditions.