Yorkshire Dales Walks
Dodd Fell & Wether Fell
Date: 3rd June 2006
Distance: 11 miles
Ascent: 1850 feet
Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
With: Lisa
Start Grid Ref: SD875898
Walk Summary:
A return visit to two of the highest fells overlooking Wensleydale with a nice detour to visit the tarns on Ten End.
Route Summary: Hawes - Gayle - Pennine Way - Ten End - Dodd Fell Hill - Northgate - Cam High Road - Wether Fell - Burtersett - Hawes
Pictures:
1. Gayle Beck
2. Looking across the meadows to Great Shunner Fell
3. Dodd Fell from one of the tarns on Ten End
4. Snaizeholme Fell from the Pennine Way
5. A macro shot of a flower on the Pennine Way
6. Looking back at Ten End
7. Lisa on the top of Dodd Fell
8. Trying to look cool in my sunglasses
9. Wether Fell from Dodd Fell
10. Lisa sat amongst some scattered limestone
11. Looking back at Dodd Fell from Wether Fell
12. Addleborough and Semer Water
13. On the top of Wether Fell
14. High Clint from the meadows above Burtersett
Walk Detail: This was essentially the same walk but anti-clockwise that Matt and I had done nearly two years before. That the experience could not have been as different was due to the weather. Whereas the last time I had visited these fells the weather was fairly awful this time it was probably the hottest, sunniest day of the year so far.
While this meant that any kind of uphill walking was quite hard in the sun the views were excellent and went some way to making up for both my last walk in this area and the fairly poor weather that had cast a shadow over most of May’s walking. Of particular beauty was the buttercup covered meadows which provided a fine foreground to the long distance views of Lovely Seat, Great Shunner Fell and Little Fell.
A highlight of the walk was the detour from the Pennine Way to visit the numerous tarns on Ten End, a real delight and given the dry conditions a joy to explore though I imagine it could get quite wet up there.
The climb from the Pennine Way on to the top of Dodd Fell was quite tough in the heat but we had the summit all to ourselves. Another surprise was how dry the ground was between Dodd Fell and the Cam Road. Again my previous experience was partly due to the weather where we found this area quite wet and boggy.
The walk from Dodd Fell to Wether Fell is really quite easy. There were a few paragliders on the flank of Wether Fell, the first I had seen close up since the multitude on Mam Tor. Another treat was the unexpected glimpse of Semer Water nestling in Raydale below back by Addleborough.
We also had the summit of Wether Fell to ourselves which was a surprise considering how nice a day it was. Perhaps it was just too hot for most people. The descent was quite pleasant but by this time my feet were getting a bit sore in my new boots (this was my first time out in my Brashers). However the succession of fields from Burtersett to Hawes was as delightful as I last remembered it.
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