Lake District Hotel in Grasmere - Bridge House Hotel - Blencathra
Blencathra is situated near Threlkeld on the A66 between Penrith and Keswick in England's Lake District. The name Blencathra is from the ancient British language and not ancient Norse, as is usual in the Lake District. Blencathra is referred to by local people as "Saddleback" and it is a favourite mountain for view-baggers and walkers alike. Click this link if you want to see a photograph of a "Mountain Spectre" or "Brocken Spectre" - this was seen near Blencathra summit on another cold winter day.
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| Above you can see the task before us. We parked in Threlkeld village and set on our way up this magic Lake District mountain |
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We opted for the Halls Fell Ridge ascent which meant we were accompanied on our right by Doddick Fell and Scales Fell pictured above |
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| Pictured above is the Gatesgill Fell - another route to the top of Bencathra. The mountain summit can be seen on the right of this picture - it is the pinnacle shape |
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| In the panorama above you can see a good portion of this massive mountain - the climb was a bit nerve racking at this point, especially to someone who has a fear of heights. The ground drops away steeply on both sides and this Skiddaw slate is a bit more slippery than the Borrowdale Volcanic rock found further South in the Lake District |
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| Upon reaching the summit of Blencathra we looked back at the ridge we had just ascended - Halls Fell is not as severe as Sharp Edge but it is no mean feat - no wonder I was a bit unnerved |
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| At the summit we paused for lunch and looked at the views as two ravens flew overhead. Pictured above is the main South facing ridge stretching Westwards towards Keswick |
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| Above, you can see two walkers looking down on Sharp Edge. This route is not for the feint hearted - either up or down! To the right, hundreds of feet below, is Scales Tarn |
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| Above you can see Sharp edge in profile. We didn't like the idea of descending by this route for obvious reasons. Also, the temperature was minus 3 degrees with a wind-chill down to minus 12. And it really felt like it! Taking photographs made fingers freeze! |
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To the North, behind Blencathra, is a breathtaking moorland wilderness. Here we watched a pair of Peregrines above us as the sun started to lower in the West. From this view you begin to see why this mountain is known as Saddleback! From the A66 facing West you can see the saddle profile even more clearly - the left shoulder being Halls Fell and the right one Sharp Edge. For more Blencathra pictures click here here here or here.
All these Lake District Photographs © Bridge House Hotel Grasmere |
