The Blencathra Group

The hills rising north of Keswick and the river Greta form a close-knit group entirely separated from the rest of the district. These hills, the subject of Wainwright's Northern Fells book, divide down naturally into three subsections: Skiddaw and its neighbours, the Caldbeck fells, and Blencathra, which is Skiddaw's neighbour to the east.

Blencathra is a giant of a hill, rising to 2847ft, and throwing down a unique 5-ridged front towards Threlkeld in the Vale of Keswick. Blencathra (also known as Saddleback) falls to remote moorland country to the north and northeast - Wainwright recognises four satellite fells but one must question whether Mungrizedale Common even qualifies as a top, let alone a fell. There is something of a consensus that AW was just filling pages, and some believe that Mungrizedale Common was included as a private joke just to see how many enthusiasts and list tickers would climb it.

Gallery Index

Blencathra and its tops (1st May 2004) A round of Blencathra's tops on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend.

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