~Great Cockup~
8th April 2011
The start of a potentially great weekend in Lakeland. The amusingly titled Great Cockup is the main objective here and it will complete my collection of Northern Fells' Summits.
Orthwaite Hall
Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk....
Binsey from Orthwaite
I travelled up from home in good time and put up the tent at Chapel House Farm, Stonethwaite. My start time for Great Cockup from Orthwaite is 15:20. Wainwright lists two points of interest - Brockle Crag and "The Boulder".
Uldale Commons
The start of the walk goes through this gate and beyond the distressed tree, the Skiddaw Massif forms the backdrop.
The Bridleway
The route is up to the left on a Public Bridleway and along the top of Brockle Crag.
Bakestall
A look along Dash Beck to the Falls (just visible white bit). Bakestall is on the right of the valley, a dark shadow over Dead Crags.
The Boulder (Burn Tod behind)
This is "The Boulder", read up on the reason for its mention in the Northern Fells by A.Wainwright.
Man on Great Cockup
My hope of a completely solitary walk was gone once the man left the summit and headed in my direction. We had a chat and he was also completing the Northern Fells - 2nd time around, mind you. I thought I'd tell this man about a great website on fellwalking, but when I asked him if he used the internet he said "Not really found any use for it..." Quite so. We went our separate ways.
Great Cockup Summit
Not quite the highest point, but who's all that concerned with such detail? Binsey further away.
Me on top of Great Cockup
I packed a mini-tripod for this purpose and when I was stood up, it didn't work. Four books completed, three to go.
Great Cockup
This is the highest point and further away are Knott & Burn Tod, then a little bit of Blencathra and more of Great Calva. I walked down to Trusmadoor and then up onto Meal Fell.
Meal Fell
Binsey and Over Water are in view. There is just 300ft of ascent up to the top of Meal Fell.
Meal Fell Summit
Great Sca Fell is over there to the left. The rocky top of Meal Fell has provided the material for a sturdy shetler. My second time up here and much more memorable than the first visit on a blowy, grey day a couple of years ago. Sunshine, no wind, no one about, rucksac off, feet up, 20 minutes time-out.
Landslip
My route down was along Burntod Gill where I found evidence of this landslip and a look back for the last view of Meal Fell for a while.
Burntod Gill and Meal Fell
Bakestall
This is something else I'd come to see. At the foot of Dead Crags is a "Protalus Rampart", just below the wall. It is thought that rockfall debris will have bounced or rolled down and over a steeply-inclined snowbed to rest just as seen here. No glaciation would have been present nor will have occured later, as this would have taken the rampart away. The wall came at a later date.
Dash Falls
Sheep and Bassenthwaite
I shouted "Oi" to get the horned beast to look up and it worked.
Bakestall
The walk is coming to an end with a walk back along the top of Brockle Crag and back down the bridleway.
Walkers: Just Me.
Time taken: 3 hours of a distance of about 5.5 miles.
Route: Orthwaite, SE direction onto the bridleway and along to The Boulder, up to Great Cockup, down to Trusmadoor, up to Meal Fell; off Meal Fell to Burntod Gill and down the gill to the bridleway and along such back to Orthwaite.
Weather and conditions: Sunny and warm, no wind.
Greetings Count: One : the man who doesn't use the internet.
Richard's Refreshment Review: Nothing to report today.
Chapel House Farm Campsite, Stonethwaite
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2011 ©
Take me back to the start ....