UKC

Far to the west, in the mythic lands beyond Duddon Bridge, the Wasdale- or Eskdale-bound traveller must surmount the pass of Birker Fell. But this doesn’t follow the pattern of Lakeland passes: there is no airy crest but instead a vast, windswept moor. If the weather is fair, the mountaineer’s eye is drawn to Pillar, Gable and the Scafells. The seafarer’s eye will be drawn further, to the Isle of Man and the tip of Galloway. With all this inducement to strive for the horizon, it’s easy to overlook your immediate environs. Scattered around this high plateau is a series of craggy knobbles: a Lakeland version of the tors of Dartmoor. Collecting them all is a pleasant dot-to-dot excursion, even if it involves crossing large tracts of sodden and ankle-twisting terrain. You could try waiting for dry weather, but I suspect it would take a summer-long drought to drain these moors. Waiting for frost might work, but suitable conditions may also make the road impassable without snow-tyres. Best to resign yourself to a little squelchiness.

6 miles, 9.66 km, 381m ascent, 1:15 – 3:30 hours. Gosforth

Read more