Scafell from Middle Fell

Middle Fell

Western Lake District

Route: Middle Fell

Area: Western Lake District

Date of walk: 31st March 2016

Walkers: Andrew and Gilly

Distance: 4.2 miles

Ascent: 1,700 feet

Weather: sunny

We parked on the roadside verge just beyond the small hamlet of Greendale in Wasdale and followed the grassy path leading gently uphill. The path steepened as we gained height and gradually became rockier as we traced a course along the bank of Greendale Gill, which tumbles down the fellside from Greendale Tarn in a succession of small cascades

Eventually we reached the tarn and followed a faint path above it, turning sharp right to climb up the ridge to the summit of Middle Fell. It was easy going all the way

The views from the top were wonderful, particularly looking towards the Scafells. After a picnic near the top we followed the line of the ridge back down to Greendale Gill, where we picked up our original ascent path and retraced our steps back to the start, enjoying dramatic views of the Wastwater Screes as we did so

This is a superb short walk, one that seems much longer than it is, and 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

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)

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