The Arenig Fach Anomaly

A hillwalking friend of mine often decries the fact that Arenig Fach is on the TRAIL 100 list as one of the finest mountains in the land.  Arenig Fawr, fair enough, but he can't see why this lesser neighbour should be included.  To those who look closely, the list has its flaws, and my friend is adamant that this is one of them.

But, it's on the list so it needed to be ticked, whether or not its inclusion is deserved.

Starting from the large lay-by on the north shore of Llyn Celyn it was a short walk to the track that led up through the forest to open country.  The track made for quick progress as I skirted the slopes of Foel-boeth.  I walked up the slope of Brottos under the shadow of a red kite, quartering the ground systematically looking for prey.

I left the track just below Carnedd y Filiast's summit to follow the fenceline over peat hags to Waun Garnedd-y-Filiast.  Retracing my steps, I crossed paths with a walker and wondered if he was on my route for the day, but I never saw him, or anybody else, on the hills for the rest of the day.

From the summit of Carnedd y Filiast, Arenig Fach looked a long way away, particularly under the sun and blue skies of an Easter Monday that would break temperature records.

Carnedd y Filiast summit - Arenig Fach in the distance

I started to follow the fenceline downhill – today was not going to be much of a navigational challenge – and soon discovered that although the ground was reasonably dry following the recent spell of good weather, this area was basically a big sponge.  I had to stray from the fence to tick Carnedd Llechwedd-llyfn, taking in a few minor bumps to ensure that I had reached the highest point.

The clear skies gave an appreciation of what would otherwise be a bleak moorland landscape as I disturbed the local residents – three times my steps prompted a lizard to scatter into the heather undergrowth – but the intrusive signs of humanity were perhaps inevitable.  Discarded fence poles and rolls of wire were a constant as I descended but at two separate points I removed a deflated helium balloon that had ended its journey trapped against the wire of the fence.  One celebrated a 65th birthday and the other had a generic "Happy Birthday" exclamation; I wondered if they were for the same person?  It's a reminder that litter can travel, arriving at places other than where the items are discarded.

when the helium escapes!

At the low point between the two biggest mountains of the day, I crossed the Afon Gelyn and followed it to where its tributary, Trinant, flowed into it.  At this point the uphill started again, heading through heathery tussocks before a very vague track came and went up the steep heather of the north-east ridge of Arenig Fach.

The summit was more interesting than the ascent with a rocky plateau making a welcome change from miles of bog and heather.  But, as enjoyable as the top was, I'm sure that the mountain doesn't deserve the exalted status as one of the country's finest!

Arenig Fach summit

An Amended Ticklist

As I approached completing my rounds of Wainwrights and Outlying Fells, my thoughts were turning to what my next walking objectives should be.  I had been logging my ascents of Nuttall and TRAIL 100 summits so it was obvious that these two lists were to form the backbone of my future time on the hills.

After my completions I registered with the Long Distance Walkers Association to mark the achievements – the certificates they issued appealed to my vanity!  I noticed that the LDWA also registered completions of the England and Wales 2000-foot summits and completing the Nuttalls is within the criteria that allow an addition to the register.  At the time I looked at the completer's register and although most of those listed had completed the Nuttalls, there was a significant number of people who had completed other lists at the same time.  The most prominent of those lists were those compiled by Bridge and Buxton & Lewis.

These three lists (Nuttall, Bridge, Buxton & Lewis) became the bulk of my post-Wainwright ticklist.  The Simpsons had already been included because they were first published in a Wayfarers’ Club journal and I was a Wayfarer.  But after a couple of years I started to wonder whether the completion of all of the LDWA's qualifying lists was a possibility.  Browsing the register of completers, there was only one person who had completed all of the England & Wales 2000-foot lists and I thought it would be a good idea to do the same.  So after quite a few hours of research and spreadsheet manipulation, I had an expanded my ticklist that included lists compiled by Dawson, Dewey, Moss and Wright.

Dawson's list is a subset of the Nuttalls so it was, by default, already included in my list.  After checking the summits of Dewey's list I discovered that these were also included in my original list.  The lists compiled by Moss, Wright and Simpson resulted in the addition of 181 summits to my list.  So now, with the administrative exercise done, was the time to start ticking.

Looking at the list, it was obvious that the summits classified by Moss, Wright and Simpson that were not also in any of the more popular lists had small prominence values.  But they were on my list so they were targets to be ticked.

Although, on the ground, some of them had some merit it quickly became apparent that many more of them were either insignificant or non-existent.  Probably the first of them was Gragareth North Top but at the time it didn't set any alarm bells ringing.  Manod Mawr Subsidary Top was impossible to find as there was no (even slightly) prominent ground in the area.  Y Lliwedd West Top was similarly elusive!  It is completely possible that their inclusion was due to a review of inaccurate (old!) maps rather than any active fieldwork which resulted in various spot heights being added.

It was my walks on Ingleborough and the Howgills that finally prompted me to change my approach.  I wasn't enjoying chasing these minor tops and they were distracting me from the relaxation that I sought when walking.  Which meant more time on the spreadsheets to remove the Moss, Wright and Simpson summits.  My ticklist decreased by 146.

I did some analysis of the LDWA's completion register and now there were only 2 who had ticked all of the qualifying lists – it's not a popular pastime!  There were 262 named completers who between them had registered the completion of 360 qualifying lists (not including Dawson's as it is a subset of the Nuttall list and not including Dewey's list as it quite doesn't have many summits that aren't included in other lists).  By far the most popular list to complete is the Nuttalls.  Next, with about half the number of Nuttall completions was the Bridge list and then came Buxton & Lewis with about half the amount of Bridge completions.  The number of Moss, Wright and Simpson completions totalled less than the number of Buxton & Lewis completions.

It was clear that the Nuttall, Bridge and Buxton & Lewis lists were those that completers targeted, to a greater or lesser degree.  And it was glaring that the Moss, Wright and Simpson lists didn't really capture the imagination of many.  I felt satisfied that the numbers backed up my feeling that these summits aren't really that worthwhile.

So now I have a ticklist that I'm happy with.  There are few lesser lists that contribute to it and they are there to satisfy my urge to visit different parts of the country but it is the Nuttall and TRAIL 100 summits that are my major goals for the future.

On the Howgills again

Having previously ticked six of the seven Howgill Nuttalls, the addition of the Moss and Wright summits to my ticklist gave me an opportunity to traverse the main ridge to claim the extra six summits.

I parked at Sedbergh and over three miles of tarmac lanes took me past Howgill to Beck House where I turned off and started uphill on more traditional hillwalking ground.  The path rose around the head of the small Whins End valley to the south-west(-ish!) ridge of Fell Head, where the slope steepened but led easily to the first summit of the day – Fell Head West Top.  This is the best place on the fell for views but it isn't the highpoint; that being Fell Head which sits at an unremarkable point further along the broad ridge.

Fell Head

What remained now was a straightforward promenade in calm air and under a blue sky along the watershed ridge all the way to Calders.

I ticked Bush Howe again from where the next four minor summits could be seen undulating toward The Calf.  Each of the four – Bush Howe South Top, Bush Howe Far South top, White Fell and White Head Fell South-East Top – was little more than a bump with their highest points being subject to some debate, so broad and flat each of them was.  Not too troubling in fine weather, in poor visibility it would be challenging to be sure of standing on the true summits.

At this stretch of the walk, I realised that I wasn't enjoying chasing such insignificant and trifling points on the map.  This would turn out to be my last walk that had Moss and Wright summits as objectives.  This was, in its own way, a hillwalking epiphany.

Being a weekday on a less popular range of hills, I saw only a few people all day, and most of them were in the distance.  Once again, the value of choosing areas away from the more popular honeypots rewarded me with the solitude that enriched the day spent away from busy city life.

The Calf summit

I strolled over The Calf and Bram Rigg Top before taking in the final minor top of the day – Great Dummacks.  After this summit, all of my future objectives would be more prominent summits on more worthwhile hill-lists.

Calders came and went before the start of the long descent back into Sedbergh.  I walked over the top of Arant Haw and dropped down to the col linking it to Winder but as it had been a long day under the sun, I decided to forego its attractions and head for home.

Ingleborough’s Minor Summits

The addition of the Moss and Wright summits to my ticklist meant returning to previously visited mountains in order to mop up the tops that I had never considered collecting.  Ingleborough had 4 of them.

The path from Clapham soon led to the cairn on top of Long Scar with impressive views north.  I followed the Dales High Way towards Nick Pot before stopping for lunch at the derelict shooting hut below the slopes of Simon Fell.  That it is an obvious point for rest was reinforced by the amount of litter discarded, probably by many walkers accepting the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge who succumb to fatigue on the final leg to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Pen-y-ghent

My first target of the day, Simon Fell South-East Top, was easily found but the next one – Simon Fell East Top – was a challenge despite the excellent visibility.  It could have been any of a number of peat hags, but I'm sure that I found the highest one.  Poor visibility would have made ticking the summit a significant task with the risk of missing the top altogether.  It's got to be said that this "summit" is not very worthwhile.

Simon Fell North Top was easier to be sure about but which side of the wall the highpoint resides is open to debate.  This was another summit that makes you think whether such minor summits are worth the effort; do Mosses and Wrights deserve my attention?  And although Ingleborough East Top is a reasonable point to enjoy the view, it is ultimately just a tiny point on the north slope of its parent mountain.

Pendle Hill

I sauntered on to the top of Ingleborough which I had been up a couple of times before.  A few people were enjoying the summit plateau and I took the time to appreciate the view south towards Pendle Hill.  I made my way down to Little Ingleborough from where Gaping Gill was clearly in view.  At the famous cave I walked around the depression, marvelling at the fact that such a small entrance that swallows the stream can lead to a cavern of cathedral-sized proportions.

Ingleborough summit - shelter, cairn & trig point

The path now led through Trow Gill and past Ingleborough Cave for an easy finish into Clapham.

Listening to the radio on the way home, reporters were announcing that the day was the hottest February day ever recorded, indeed it was the hottest winter day ever recorded.  So good was the current spell of weather that the record only lasted one day!

Pendle Hill

It's not always the highest hill in a county that becomes its touchstone.  Gragareth is the highest point in the post-1974 Lancashire and many Lancastrians don't even know the fact, let alone visit the summit.  Before the county boundary was redrawn the highest in Lancashire was The Old Man of Coniston which is far more popular and a more fitting mountain to have such status.  But possibly more famous than either is Pendle Hill, which in the public consciousness is obviously Lancastrian.  Wreathed in mystery and legend it is, probably more than any other, Lancashire's hill.

A popular day out, Pendle Hill is within easy reach of the M65 corridor from Preston to Colne Burnley as well as the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Lancaster and even Bradford.  It is prominent but has a modest height, just 173 feet short of "mountain" status.

I stopped at Newchurch in Pendle at "Witches Galore", a shop making the most of the local history, however gruesome.  I didn't succumb to the themed miscellanea but I did buy a large scale map of Pendle Hill which was shortly to be put to good use.

I parked the car in the parish council car park in Barley and started on the Witches Trail up to and past Lower Ogden Reservoir.  The path is quiet as it is the "back way" onto Pendle Hill and a good view of the lower reservoir can be gained from Upper Ogden Reservoir.  At Boar Clough the path turns and heads steadfastly uphill on an eroded sandy path to the summit plateau.

Upper Ogden Reservoir dam

the big sky at Pendle Hill summit

The trig point stands in the middle of a cobbled circle and the summit's isolation from other high ground ensures good views.  I walked north to a stone shelter – it looked like a fairly recent construction – before heading south on the pitched path that cuts diagonally across the escarpment towards Pendle House, before following the Pendle Way back to a full car park in Barley.

On my descent I passed a lot of people heading uphill on what was the most obvious route to the summit, enjoying the sunny half-term afternoon.  Most were not what you would call hillwalkers with assorted families and groups of friends heading skywards.  In one group of teenagers a girl in goth makeup was slowly making her way up in shoes with 4-inch thick soles.  One young boy was powering his way up the path bemoaning the incline with the comment of "man, I'm diabetic!"  Obviously a hill for the people, it was good to see all ages and ethnicities enjoying the outdoors.