Middle Fell

Middle Fell

Western Lake District

Route: Middle Fell

Area: Western Lake District

Date of walk: 16th July 2022

Walkers: Andrew and Gilly

Distance: 4.2 miles

Ascent: 1,700 feet

Weather: Dull at first, skies gradually clearing

Middle Fell stands by the western shore of Wastwater and enjoys some of the best views of the Scafells. We parked on the roadside verge just beyond the small hamlet of Greendale in Wasdale and followed the grassy path leading gently uphill. After a short distance we passed a fork in the path to the right, which would be our return route at the end of the walk

We continued to follow the path, which stays close the the bank of Greendale Gill. The gill tumbles down the fellside from Greendale Tarn in a succession of small cascades. The path is sometimes rocky, and sometimes disappears, but the way is never in doubt as long as the gill is kept on the left

Eventually we reached Greendale Tarn and followed a faint and rough path around its right hand side. Beyond the tarn we continued climbing, and after a short distance turned sharp right to climb up the ridge to the summit of Middle Fell. It was easy going all the way. The weather had been dull and uninspiring up to this point, but by a stroke of good fortune the clouds gradually cleared and although it was rather hazy the views of the Scafells were superb

We followed the easy path down the ridge, enjoying good views of the Wastwater Screes along the way. We made our way across to Greendale Gill, where we picked up our original ascent path and retraced our steps back to the start

It was a superb short walk, one that seems much longer than it is, and which is ideal for anyone who visits Wasdale with insufficient time or energy to tackle one of the nearby giants

For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box

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