A difficult route in Northern Fells. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Opposite Mungrisdale Village Hall (NY 363 302)
Terrain: Village road, track, open fell path (boggy in places), ridge path, col, steep climb up Scales Fell, crags path, zigzag summit climb, clear ridge path, Blue Screes, boggy plateau crossing (Mungrisdale Common), path junction, fell path, crags, descent through Raven Crags, road and field path return. IMPORTANT — MOUNTAIN SAFETY: This is a serious and demanding Lake District mountain walk covering five Wainwright summits with approximately 898m of ascent. The route crosses extensive boggy ground on Mungrisdale Common and includes steep climbs and crags sections. This walk is suitable for experienced hill walkers with appropriate clothing, footwear and navigation equipment. Check the weather forecast before setting out.
A magnificent day on the northern fells above Mungrisdale, taking in five Wainwright summits with a route that combines dramatic ridges, a vast boggy plateau and an unforgettable encounter. Souther Fell gets the day underway with its extraordinary historical footnote — the phantom army seen marching along its crest on Midsummer's Day 1745 — before the route drops to the col and climbs steeply via Scales Fell to the magnificent summit of Blencathra, one of the great northern Lake District peaks. The long crossing of Mungrisdale Common is demanding and boggy underfoot but delivers its own austere pleasure, with Bannerdale Crags providing a dramatic contrast of crags and deep valley on the far side. The walk around to Bowscale Fell will live in the memory for one particular reason — an elderly fell runner, entirely naked save for a red baseball cap and water pack, trotting past without a second glance. There are apparently such things as naked fell runners. The ridge descent east through Raven Crags brings you back to Mungrisdale with five Wainwrights in the bag and a story that will be told for years.