29 September: Harter Fell

Harter Fell is new to me and Geoff - but unlike Geoff, I haven't wanted to get up it for the last 3 years! Apparently it's the last in a collection of Lakeland 2000'ers he's been collecting in his summits album - but it's only a short walk, and we've never found an excuse to spend a day in the Lakes doing a short walk before.

Today is the day though, and a drive over the Wrynose and Harkdknott passes takes us to the Jubilee Bridge in Eskdale and a rather sunnier outlook than what we had yesterday.

Harter Fell turns out to be rather nice, with great views of the cloud-strewn hills around upper Eskdale, and a wonderful peace and quiet. Or at least it is peaceful and quiet until the local Angry Shepherd gets to work taking in. He's got quite a loud voice for shouting! Whatever the soundtrack, the fell itself makes a lovely easy climb to a rocky dome of a summit, and it's thoroughly enjoyable. On top, we wonder what to do next, and decide on visiting the Woolpack Hotel further down the valley on the way to Boot. This could involve either a short walk back to the car and a drive, or a rather longer walk. I vote for the walk, which how we come to be contouring an overgrown brackeny hillside and diving in and out of becks on a shortcut to the path. Rather surprisingly, we meet a couple coming the other way, who are clutching a guidebook, and asking us how to get to where we've just come from. I'm sure our route isn't in their book, but they went the way we told them anyway.

We meet up with the Angry Shepherd and his friends and ALL their dogs at Penny Farm. The pub itself turns out to be excellent, with its own brewery. Well worth a visit. The short walk back up the valley leaves me feeling like I've had more than enough of mountains (about 11000' worth) for one long weekend, so after a quick bit of shopping in Grasmere, it's time to go home again. Surely I've done enough hill training now?