Perhaps my favorite fell in the Lake District and one that I’ve probably spent most time on over the years. Tall, imposing, and remote. Blencathra includes the finest route up to any summit in the Lake District - the joyous scramble up along Halls Fell Ridge (which features a good deal here) along with the gnarly Sharp Edge, the ridge line that sits high above Scales Tarn which is also a fantastic scramble (but also an accident blackspot). The Bad Step here catches a few people out each year but in dry conditions there is little to really worry about.

Blencathra is great fell for hikers, fell runners, and mountain bikers, although there’s little in the way of rock climbing here. Most hikers make their way up from the villages of Scales or Threlkeld, with the hike often being linked with Bannerdale Crags, Mungrisdale Common, or Souther Fell. Parking is rarely an issue, especially if you head to Threlkeld Cricket Club (about £3 per day). This spot is also great if you want to head up to Skiddaw, Latrigg, and Lonscale Fell and avoid the crowds from Keswick, although it does add a little bit of distance. About 20km there and back again.

Blencathra is also the final fell on Leg One of the Bob Graham Round, so if you are hanging around at the summit, and three fell runners zoom past you, give them a thought and your best wishes as at least one of them will probably have another 39 peaks to hit in around 20 hours time. What fun!

 

A Collection of Images of Blencathra in the Northern Fells of the Lake District. Most images here do not make my main life and landscape galleries, but they give the viewer a strong sense of the fell, its terrain, and its character. Cameras used: Nikon Z6 | Fujifilm X-T3 | Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Fujifilm XF10.

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