Blake Fell, Gavel Fell, Hen Comb

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Burnbank Fell (3.8 km, 396 m)

   Climb of about 396 m over 3.8 km (around 10% average).

   From the starting point near Loweswater, take the woodland tracks and then the old corpse road to the base of the fells. Leave the trees for a long, sustained, grassy pull up the broad north-eastern spur, climbing over rolling pasture to the modest, unmarked summit of Burnbank Fell.

   Waypoints

   Loweswater (Maggie's Bridge), Holme Wood, Burnbank Fell summit (475m).

   Decision point

   The edge of Holme Wood is a clear handrail at first. On the open fell, a wire fence runs up the spine of the spur; keep it in sight up to the high ground of the summit plateau.

   Easy to get wrong

   The lower slopes are often churned into deep mud and choked with thick bracken in summer, which hides the faint sheep trods and harbors ticks. The gradient is a relentless, calf-burning drag over thick tussock grass.

   If you need to get off

   Turn round and follow the grassy spur back downhill. The vast expanse of Loweswater and the dark block of Holme Wood provide a visual target to guide you back to the valley tracks.

2. 2

   Burnbank Fell → Blake Fell (1.3 km, 111 m)

   Climb of about 111 m over 1.3 km (around 9% average).

   Leave Burnbank Fell and head south along the broad ridge. The route dips slightly into a shallow saddle, then grass gives way to stonier ground for a steady, rocky climb to the summit and wind shelter of Blake Fell.

   Waypoints

   Burnbank Fell, connecting saddle, Blake Fell summit (573m).

   Decision point

   A boundary fence runs along this ridge, a navigational lifeline in thick hill fog. It leads almost directly to the summit, where a substantial stone wind shelter provides a distinctive waypoint.

   Easy to get wrong

   This high ridge is exposed to the prevailing westerly weather blowing in from the Irish Sea, with no shelter until you reach the summit cairn. The final pull is heavily eroded, with loose, blocky stones that need careful foot placement.

   If you need to get off

   Reversing your route back to Burnbank Fell and descending the ascent path is the better option. Dropping east into the upper reaches of Holme Beck is steep and heavily forested lower down, making it a very poor emergency exit.

3. 3

   Blake Fell → Gavel Fell (1.4 km, 73 m)

   Descent of about 119 m, then a climb of about 73 m, over 1.4 km.

   Descend south/south-east from the rocky crown of Blake Fell, back onto thick grass, to cross the boggy saddle of Fothergill Head. From the depression, a rolling ascent over saturated moorland reaches the subtle grassy mound of Gavel Fell.

   Waypoints

   Blake Fell southern descent, Fothergill Head, Gavel Fell summit (524m).

   Decision point

   Keep the steep drops plunging into the Highnook Beck valley clearly to your left (east) as a broad directional boundary. The dilapidated fence crosses the saddle again and runs near the high point, a critical handrail through the bogs.

   Easy to get wrong

   The saddle at Fothergill Head is a massive sponge; expect wide detours around deep peat groughs and hidden pools of black water. Gavel Fell is one of the most featureless summits in the western Lakes, so disorientation is likely if the cloud base drops.

   If you need to get off

   Do not attempt to drop blindly east into the Highnook Beck valley from this high ridge, as the slopes are aggressively steep and craggy in places. The best retreat is to fall back to Blake Fell or push forward to the bridleway by Floutern Tarn.

4. 4

   Gavel Fell → Hen Comb (3.2 km, 150 m)

   Descent of about 165 m, then a climb of about 150 m, over 3.2 km.

   This stage leaves the high horseshoe. Follow the path south off Gavel Fell, past the bog of Whiteoak Moss on your left, to the public bridleway by Floutern Tarn. Leave the bridleway where a path heads east to the col at the foot of Hen Comb, then climb Hen Comb's steep south-south-west ridge on a path to its narrow summit. No beck is crossed on this stage. The line fords Mosedale Beck later, at about 12 km: if it is running high after rain, decide before you drop off Gavel Fell, while going back is still easy.

   Waypoints

   Gavel Fell south ridge, Whiteoak Moss, the bridleway by Floutern Tarn, the col below Hen Comb, Hen Comb summit (506m).

   Decision point

   Paths run the whole way: the ridge path off Gavel Fell, the bridleway, and the path up Hen Comb's ridge. In mist, the fence beside the ridge path is a handrail, and from the col the skyline ridge of Hen Comb is your aiming point.

   Easy to get wrong

   This is a long, awkward transition. Whiteoak Moss, beside the path, is an atrocious, boot-swallowing swamp, and the path crosses boggy ground near Floutern. The climb up Hen Comb is steep, through heather and bracken, on a punishing gradient, sapping whatever energy you have left.

   If you need to get off

   The Mosedale bridleway offers the obvious bailout. Instead of climbing Hen Comb, stay on the bridleway: it crosses Mosedale Beck by a bridge and runs north down the valley all the way back to Loweswater.

5. 5

   Hen Comb → Little Dodd (Loweswater) (1.2 km, 8 m)

   Descent of about 152 m over 1.2 km.

   Turn north and follow the narrow, grassy spine of Hen Comb's descending ridge. The path rolls downhill over short turf, a fast and easy traverse to the minor grassy bump of Little Dodd.

   Waypoints

   Hen Comb northern ridge, Little Dodd (Loweswater) summit.

   Decision point

   The ridge is sharply defined. Keep the Whiteoak Beck valley to your left (west) and the deep trench of Mosedale to your right (east), letting the topography naturally funnel you northwards.

   Easy to get wrong

   After the bogs, this ridge is a welcome, dry relief. However, the short grass turns very slick after a rain shower, and the ridge is exposed to crosswinds. The summit of Little Dodd is barely perceptible and easily missed without careful pacing.

   If you need to get off

   You are fully committed to the descent ridge and already heading off the mountain. Keep your northerly bearing to drop towards the farm tracks at the base of the fell.

6. Little Dodd (Loweswater) → Finish (3.1 km, 25 m)

   Descent of about 222 m over 3.1 km.

   Drop off the final, steep grassy nose of Little Dodd on faint, zig-zagging trods through the bracken to the boundary walls at the base of the fell. Ford Mosedale Beck to join the main Mosedale valley track (if the beck is running high after rain, do not wade it), and follow the mostly gently descending track through the farm fields back to the starting point near Maggie's Bridge.

   Waypoints

   Little Dodd descent, valley intake walls, Mosedale valley track, Maggie's Bridge (finish).

   Decision point

   The farm walls and the valley floor are massive visual targets. Once you hit the wide, stony Mosedale track, navigation is easy; it acts as a handrail towards the car park.

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial descent is steep and punishing on the knees, with summer bracken often hiding the best line down to the gates. The final 3 km walk-out loses height gently, with a little climbing, and feels long on hard-packed, stony tracks after a day of soft peat and heather.

   If you need to get off

   You are on the final escape route. Stick strictly to the farm tracks, avoiding the temptation to cut corners through private, enclosed pastures near the river.