Place Fell and Hallins Fell

Saturday 14 February

Finally a good weather day! We got views not just from one summit, but from two – and we got to see, from a distance, the tops of all of the hills we’ve visited this week. We even got a bit of sunshine.

All was quiet as we made our way up our first objective: Place Fell. A couple of chaps, out with their dogs, were the only people we saw between Patterdale and the summit, and only one more chap (and his dog) was seen between there and Martindale.

The first big chunks of blue appear as we head up the south flank of Place Fell

Hallin Fell was a different matter, but even though quite a few people came and went as we picnicked on its summit, it deserves to be far more popular considering the fantastic views it boasts.

Either I shrank in all of that rain yesterday, or that’s an obelisk atop Hallin Fell, rather than a trig point!

Lunchtime view looking to our right

Lunchtime view looking to our left

From Hallin Fell I had come up with two contenders for the return route: up Boredale to Boredale Hause, or along the side of Ullswater. Both routes were identical in length and in ascent, the only real difference (other than terrain, views and popularity) being that the waterside route was undulating, whereas Boredale would have one significant climb. After a small amount of indecision, it was the waterside route that won the toss and after a steep bit of descent to get there, we joined the dozens of other people who had also opted to stroll along the lakeside. We only gained solitude when we took the up-and-down option at Silver Point, rather than going around the outside.

That decision bumped our ascent for the day up over 3500’, with 11.2 miles covered, and (much to Mick’s approval) we were back in Patterdale in good time for kick-off in the rugby.