Birketts to the South of Ullswater

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Sleet Fell (2.2 km, 191 m)

   Climb of about 191 m over 2.2 km (around 9% average).

   From the quiet valley lanes near Sandwick, pass through the fell gate and immediately attack the steep, bracken-covered lower slopes. The route heads generally south-west, climbing a trackless, broad grassy spur that slowly elevates you above the shoreline of Ullswater to reach the modest, gently rounded summit of Sleet Fell

   Waypoints

   Sandwick (vicinity/start), lower intake walls, Sleet Fell summit (378m)

   Decision point

   The glittering expanse of Ullswater directly behind you provides a massive, unmistakable rear-reference point. Keep the intake walls of the valley to your left (east) as a boundary funneling you onto the correct spur

   Easy to get wrong

   As with many of the lower far-eastern fells, summer bracken is your primary enemy here. It grows chest-high on these lower slopes, completely obliterating any faint sheep trods, hiding uneven ground, and acting as a haven for ticks. The lack of a defined path means the 9% gradient feels much harder as you fight through the vegetation

   If you need to get off

   Simply turn 180 degrees and march straight back down the grassy spur. You have continuous line-of-sight to the valley floor, providing a foolproof, immediate retreat to the starting lanes

2. 2

   Sleet Fell → Low Birk Fell (2.2 km, 181 m)

   Climb of about 181 m over 2.2 km (around 8% average).

   Continue south-west along the high ground, leaving the pure grass of Sleet Fell for increasingly rugged, heathery terrain. The route undulates heavily, requiring you to weave through trackless bogs, minor rocky outcrops, and deep heather to grind up the broad shoulder leading to Low Birk Fell

   Waypoints

   Sleet Fell descent, Birk Fell shoulder, Low Birk Fell

   Decision point

   Keep the precipitous drop into Ullswater well to your right (west). The higher, craggy bulk of the main Birk Fell summit looms directly ahead to the south, serving as your primary forward aiming point

   Easy to get wrong

   The ground becomes notoriously lumpy and awkward. The heather conceals deep holes and loose rocks, making for slow, ankle-twisting going. Establishing a rhythm is impossible as you are forced to constantly detour around saturated peat hags and hidden drainage channels

   If you need to get off

   Reversing your route back to Sleet Fell and descending to Sandwick is the safest bailout. Do not attempt to bail west towards the lake, as the terrain rapidly turns into sheer, impassable crags

3. 3

   Low Birk Fell → Birk Fell (Bleaberry Knott - Birk Fell) (1.5 km, 129 m)

   Climb of about 129 m over 1.5 km (around 9% average).

   Push south from Low Birk Fell, tackling a steeper, rockier series of shelves and craglets. You will need to pick a careful line through blocky volcanic rock and steep heather to finally break out onto the exposed, high-level plateau of Birk Fell, marked by a scattering of minor rocky tops including Bleaberry Knott

   Waypoints

   Low Birk Fell, Bleaberry Knott, Birk Fell plateau (524m)

   Decision point

   The western edge of the plateau drops vertically into the lake; use this sheer boundary as a hard handrail, but maintain a safe distance from the edge, particularly in high winds

   Easy to get wrong

   This section may require brief, hands-on scrambling over rocky steps that become highly treacherous when coated in wet lichen. Once you crest the plateau, you lose the shelter of the lower slopes and are fully exposed to the prevailing westerly winds blasting across Ullswater

   If you need to get off

   Retreating north down your ascent path is the only viable escape. Dropping west is fatal, and bailing east drops you into complex, pathless ravines above Boredale

4. 4

   Birk Fell (Bleaberry Knott - Birk Fell) → The Knight (0.8 km, 18 m)

   Undulating section of about 0.8 km.

   Traverse south-east across the broad, undulating, and often saturated high plateau of the Place Fell massif. Navigate the confusing network of peat hags, tarns, and grassy hummocks to locate the very minor, rocky bump known as The Knight, sitting quietly on the expansive moor

   Waypoints

   Birk Fell plateau, The Knight (approx 510m)

   Decision point

   Rely heavily on strict compass bearings and pacing if visibility drops. The massive, towering bulk of Place Fell to the south acts as a huge, unavoidable backstop if you drift too far

   Easy to get wrong

   This plateau is a micro-navigation nightmare in thick hill fog. The Knight is an incredibly subtle Birkett, barely distinguishable from a dozen other identical rocky outcrops. The ground is a sponge, guaranteeing wet boots if you fail to carefully link the drier, rocky sections

   If you need to get off

   There are no immediate lateral escapes from the center of this plateau. You must either push forward towards High Dodd or fall back to the known ground of Birk Fell

5. 5

   The Knight → High Dodd (1.6 km, 51 m)

   Undulating section of about 1.6 km.

   Continue tracking east/south-east across the high ground, linking faint sheep trods over a wide, marshy saddle. Leave the rocky outcrops behind as the terrain transitions back to thick grass, making a gentle, dragging pull up to the smooth, domed summit of High Dodd

   Waypoints

   The Knight, connecting saddle, High Dodd summit (501m)

   Decision point

   The steep drops into the Boredale and Martindale valleys to your east and north-east provide a broad, unmistakable visual handrail. Keep to the high, domed ground and avoid straying too close to the steepening eastern flanks

   Easy to get wrong

   The wet underfoot conditions persist, and the lack of a distinct path means energy is continuously sapped fighting through tussock grass and reeds. The 51 meters of ascent is negligible on paper but feels like a heavy drag on tired legs across this spongy terrain

   If you need to get off

   From the saddle before High Dodd, you could theoretically drop east into Boredale, but it is a punishingly steep, trackless, and bracken-infested descent. The safest route is to stick to the high ground and complete the stage

6. High Dodd → Finish (3.1 km, 94 m)

   Climb of about 94 m over 3.1 km (around 3% average).

   Plunge north/north-east off the steep, grassy flanks of High Dodd, picking up intermittent zig-zags through the bracken to reach the lower farm intake walls. Once off the open fell, follow the undulating, enclosed valley-bottom paths and quiet country lanes back to your starting point near Sandwick

   Waypoints

   High Dodd northern descent, Martindale/Boredale intake walls, valley floor tracks, Sandwick (finish)

   Decision point

   The valley floor, the boundary walls, and the glittering expanse of Ullswater ahead are massive, inescapable visual targets. Aim directly for the distinct line of the intake walls at the base of the fell, which will seamlessly funnel you onto the farm tracks

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial descent off High Dodd is aggressively steep on wet grass, posing a massive slip hazard that demands walking poles or careful zig-zagging. Lower down, the summer bracken completely swallows the faint paths, turning the final drop to the boundary walls into a frustrating, tick-ridden bushwhack

   If you need to get off

   You are on the final escape route. Simply maintain a steady downhill trajectory, avoid any obvious craggy bluffs, and you will inevitably intersect the valley road network that leads back to your car