Yorkshire Dales Walks
Wild Boar Fell
Date: 14th March 2007
Distance: 8.2 miles
Ascent: 1865 feet
Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
With: On my own
Start Grid Ref: NY734005
Walk Summary:
A climb up to Wild Boar Fell including a visit to Little Fell and an exploration of the limestone outcrops of Fell End Clouds.
Route Summary: Street - Cow Bank - High Dolphinsty- Little Fell - High Dolphinsty Wild Boar Fell - Sand Tarn - Stennerskeugh Clouds - Fell End Clouds - Street
Pictures:
1. Scandal Beck
2. The top of Little Fell
3. Middleark Scar on Little Fell
4. Wild Boar Fell from Little Fell
5. Looking back to Little Fell
6. Wild Boar Fell
7. Sand Tarn
8. Looking across to the Howgill Fells
9. The top of Stennerskeugh Clouds
10. The top of Fell End Clouds looking north to Stennerskeugh Clouds
11. Harter Fell
Walk Detail: The walk along the Stennerskeugh to Mallerstang bridleway was very easy and pleasant, the real interest started though when I arrived at High Dolphinsty and began the walk along the ridge to Litte Fell all the while enjoying good (though overcast) views down into Mallerstang.
Little Fell proved to be an excellent viewpoint even for the cloudy conditions and I could clearly see the Nine Standards and Nateby Common plus all the Mallerstang heights and of course the Howgills (minus The Calf which stayed in the cloud all day). After a brief descent north to get a better view of Middleark Scar I sat for a short break by the line of cairns just south east of the summit.
It was such a peaceful, happy few minutes I could happily have stayed longer. Especially delightful were the numerous skylarks whose singing was completely uninterrupted by any other sound. Unfortunately though I began to get a bit chilly so I reluctantly left and headed back to High Dolphinsty.
As I descended off Little Fell for the first time the cloud cleared off Wild Boar Fell’s Nab. It was the first time I had seen this particular aspect of the fell and it really was impressive. From the northern approach it even made the top look like a peak rather than the flat plateau it is in reality.
Unfortunately, by the time I got up to the top, it was completely enshrouded in cloud so after visiting the cairn I headed straight for the trig point. After deciding not to loiter on the top I dropped down to Sand Tarn which I was lucky enough to get a look at thanks to some temporary patches of higher cloud.
Generally though the cloud had got lower and it was not until I got to High Greenrigg that I got back under the cloud level. Once I could see everything clearly I was able to get my bearings and make a beeline for Stennerskeugh Clouds. Ironically as soon as I touched the summit cairn on the latter the cloud temporarily cleared over Wild Boar Fell.
The limestone escarpment that makes up Stennerskeugh and Fell End Clouds was quite interesting and both were quite different in character with the limestone on the latter being much more haphazard. I sat by the cairn on Fell End Clouds and ate my soup and enjoyed the improving weather before making the final descent back to The Street and thence back to the car.
Wild Boar Fell is undoubtedly one of my favourite mountains while if I could bottle up how peaceful I felt on Little Fell and retrieve when needed I would have fewer worries.
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