Читать книгу Great Mountain Days in the Pennines. 50 classic hillwalking routes онлайн

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In spite of its unappealing summit and the high incidence of clouds which bedevil the mountain, Cross Fell is a superb viewpoint, taking in the fells of Lakeland, dotting the horizon beyond the Eden valley, and extending far across the northern countryside into Scotland, and east to the North York Moors.

From the church at Kirkland, walk to the nearby road junction and turn left to follow a road and later a good track along Kirkland Beck, leading out onto the moors and gradually curving north to skirt High Cap, a prominent bump due west of Cross Fell’s summit. A little further on the route swings eastwards above Ardale Beck and starts the climb to the plateau above. The gradient, nowhere unduly steep, is eased by a few bends, and on reaching gentler ground a few old pits might be found.

Within sight of the summit plateau, the corpse road bears sharply left. Here leave it and continue ascending eastwards on a cairned and grassy path, passing ultimately around the northern scree slopes of Cross Fell to intercept the Pennine Way (NY684352) on its descent to Garrigill. On a clear day it is possible to make for the summit as soon as you feel happy about it, although this entails negotiating a broad stretch of loose scree and some wet ground. But the line taken by the Pennine Way to the summit is clear enough, although very wet underfoot as it climbs away from the descent to Garrigill. It soon dries out, and a line of cairns leads uneventfully to the summit of Cross Fell, with its shelter-cairn and trig point.