THE BIRKETT FELLS

Bill Birkett defined in his book "Complete Lakeland Fells", 541 summits over 1000ft (305m). It was Uncle Brian who actually spotted the book, suggesting to Dad that it would be of interest. So he bought it, but little did we, and Dad, know what we were letting ourselves in for. Dad checked off the fells in the book against those we had climbed, the total at the time being 280. Since then ours and Dad's done list gradually rose, and perhaps when we got past 400, we finally accepted that we would have to complete this challenge. This we are pleased to say was achieved on 14th August 2013, when we summited Pen in Eskdale. The total you can see below is 540, because Bill Birkett includes Pillar Rock, which is a rock climb rather than a walk to the summit. Dad is not experienced in rock climbing, and so any attempt would be foolhardy. What a wonderful feeling it was at precisely 11:15am on 14th August 2013, when we stood at Pen's summit cairn!

Currently the individual climbed status of each member is :-

Bill Birkett, in a similar manner to Wainwright, divided the summits into areas. Using Dad's extensive and detailed records, we have been able to calculate the number of walks and distance to complete each area, which we show below. In all it took 156 walks and 1090 miles to complete the challenge. The last summit, Pen took three attempts to conquer, and the first two involved another 19 miles of fruitless walking. As to total ascent, Dad did not record this for the early walks, so no accurate figure is available. However it would not be unreasonable to put an average of around 1600 feet of climb per walk, which would equate to 250,000 feet.

Last updates:20th August 2017 - Buttermere Ridge (High Crag, High Stile & Red Pike), from Gatesgarth

11 years since we did this walk. Although Dad had not done much on the fells this year thought he would give it a go and in the process move on Little Eric's Wainwrights and Birketts. A dry day with fairly light winds but cold for the time of year. Much better conditions than the last time as the tops were clear of mist and the views were good. Parked at Gatesgarth paying the £4 fee. Then through the farm and over Peggy Bridge to start the long steady ascent to the top of Scarth Gap between Haystacks and Seat. Dad always tries to be careful but a momentary lapse meant he caught my foot on a stone in the path, stumbled and fell headlong to the rocky ground taking the impact on his knees. Having checked no bones broken he got up then inspected his knees. The right was just bruised, but the left was skinned and more heavily bruised, as well as a graze on the back caused by my stick. Well, perhaps a sane person, knowing that the walk was rocky and steep up and down, would have just decided to return to the car. That is not our Dad and he did not want to disappoint Little Eric. Very soon a narrow grassy path spurred off right this becoming a clear rocky climb of Seat. Met a group of three men from Barrow. They had been on Grasmoor etc yesterday in strong winds and horizontal rain. A challenging day. The summit of Seat is left of the path on a rocky rise. There are two the first with the less prominent cairn being the actual top, where we hopped out for the first summit picture. Descended to the path and walked on. Fine views over to the Grasmoor group and to Pillar etc as well as Ennerdale Water. Dropped down then on towards High Crag, the ascent being up Gamlin End. A steep and unrelenting climb as we remembered. The path zigzags up to the left of the scree that once long ago was the route. On and on Dad trudged to eventually come almost unexpectedly to the summit cairn. High Stile was now before us a mile away. So made the descent off High Crag the path meandering at times close to the vertiginous drops to the right, that provided fine views of Buttermere. So trudged on making the ascent, going a bit right to the large cairn that marks the top of Grey Crag and is in fact by 1m the highest point of the fell. Photo done, then walked across to the cairn above Chapel Crags that is the Wainwright and summit of High Stile. Here we met a young couple from York who were doing the walk the opposite way. Dad had a lovely chat and they liked the us! This was the case with other people too today. Full of our own importance once again! So Red Pike beckoned. Made the rough rocky descent off High Stile then it was a bit more grassy across the col and up to the summit with cairn and shelter. Our photo done, Dad talked with two young men with a beautiful golden labrador. Soft as anything. When Dad went to get his hanky out, the dog looked soulfully at him, they lads saying he thinks it's food. So now started the descent, which we had all forgotten just how long and unrelentingly steep this is to the lake shore The first section, The Saddle is so eroded that there are just scree gullies. Dad had to be so so careful. There was still grassy parts beside and he used these, which eased this somewhat. So at the bottom the path straight ahead was taken for the quite short climb to Dodd the last summit of today. Met a couple coming down, the girl saying, "tell me it's not far now." Dad pointed back saying, "the summit is the top of that crag, but the path is steep and rough." So Dad took our last summit picture at the cairn on Dodd. Then returned the same way and went left and down to Bleaberry Tarn. This and beyond down Old Burtness & Burtness Wood is a constantly steep path that has been repaired so for Dad makes very hard going and put lots of strain on the knees!!! Oh was he so glad to get down to the lake shore We kept meeting three young men, who I think were either Dutch or German. They too agreed how steep it was!! Finally called goodbye to them at the shore path. Now with a few rises made good progress on the shore path. Past gentleman who said, "have the bears behaved"! "Of course", Dad replied. Met a lady with her elderly mother where Dad had stopped to have a drink and she commented on the super view across the lake. She noted us too, loving the idea that I take them on the walks. So finally the welcome sight of Peggy Bridge and soon at the car. The tea bar was open so Dad had a lovely mug of tea and mars bar. Commenting to the lad about the tea, he said "it's the water. It comes from a spring on Robinson opposite." Chatted for quite a few minutes. So for Dad a hard day but rewarding. And the summit tally. For Little Eric and Southey it was 6 Birketts including 3 Wainwrights.

 

10th August 2017 - Seathwaite Fell from Seathwaite Farm

So back in the Lakes after a long break. Went to Uncle Eric's then continued in his car to park on the verge approaching Seathwaite Farm. Views terrific, and ahead in the centre was our objective for today. Set off through the farm and along the wide stony track to Stockley Bridge. Crossed and continued ahead on the climbing track towards Styhead. Passed through a gate in the wall where looking left to the towering Aaron Crags and the grassy gully that is very steep at the upper section being Wainwright's route A. We had decided against this so continued on until coming to a stream crossing the path. This was the point to make the ascent via Wainwright's route B, a wide grassy gully through the crags. We think that most of the ascents are done this way as a narrow path led off by the stream. A steady climb on the first section to a small level plateau. Then a narrow trod wound it s way on upwards contouring the steepening climb to reach the upper plateau, where the path led left for the final climb to the rock tor that is the Wainwright summit surmounted by a nice cairn. We quickly jumped out for our picture. Wide views over to Great Gable, Green Gable as well as distantly to Derwentwater and Blencathra etc etc. Great End dominates with Broad Crag, Scafell Pike and Lingmell. South across the wide flat top is the actual highest point Great Slack, a Birkett top. The area of the top is grassy with small pools and tarns and boggy in places. We descended by the way we had climbed the tor, and crossed avoiding a boggy area to take a narrow path left that led up eventually to Great Slack with its summit cairn. Sat just below to have lunch. Then off again descending to cross to a path that led south to join the track from Styhead to Esk Hause. Turned left passing the pretty Sprinkling Tarn, then up and down to a depression, where we took the path left that makes the long descent of Grains Gill, finally reaching Stockley Bridge and then reversing our route to the start. The day had been glorious with plenty of sun and light winds. Very busy on the fells unsurprisingly. During the day at least 4 people commented on us, saying like, "love the teddy bears. Fantastic." When Dad commented to one gentleman that some had done the Wainwright and Birketts he replied, "that's more than me." We were rather full of our own importance! So then then drive home, that was to take three hours! This was due to a coach having broken down just before Low Wood near Ambleside. But we joined the tailback between Grasmere and Rydal!! Goodness knows how far it eventually tailed back!! So a good day and another Wainwright ticked off by Uncle Eric and Little Eric.

14th August 2013 - Upper Eskdale & Pen from Jubilee Bridge - completion of Birkett challenge!

Well with a forecast at least for part of the day of clear fell tops, Dad decided to make another attempt on Pen, so that Shaun, Tetley, Grizzly and I would finally complete the Birkett challenge. The morning and until about 15.00 was to be clear with some sunny spells and no rain. We were up and off early at 06.30 to drive to the Jubilee Bridge, starting walking at 08.20. The last two attempts had involved ascent via Narrowcove, but Dad had looked at the Scafell Pike chapter in the Wainwright and decided, despite the steepness, to take a pathless route from just past Cam Spout instead that shortened the distance a little. Determined, Dad made good progress via Scale Bridge, then up the zig-zags and on over the uninteresting boggy terrain, passing below High Scarth and so on to descend to upper Eskdale passing Sampson's Stones. Shortly then we forded Cam Spout and very soon the next stream. Just under 4 miles and there in just over 2 hours. Well on schedule! Hill fog shrouded the high fells, but as these came into view this lifted off Dow Crag, and for the first time on these attempts we could see Pen. Great!! The ascent over trackless grass & bracken with some scree and hidden rocks, looked and was truly unrelentingly steep and required not surprisingly a few stops for Dad to catch his breath, and use of hands too at times. Finally we reached a plateau, where we turned right across slightly less steep ground, to reach the base of Pen. The scramble up to the summit was easy, weaving between the large boulders on grass. Then the cairn came into view and after a quick photo we were there at 11:15. We all let out a shout of YES!!!!! Finally the Birkett challenge is done!!!!! We were quickly out of the rucksack and settled on the cairn for our usual picture, but this was extra special being the final summit. Dad then came over and held the camera so that his face and some of us were in another shot too. Fantastic and we all felt euphoric! Made our way off Pen a little way then Dad phoned Uncle Brian to tell him the news. So now Dad was faced with the equally if not more difficult descent to the path in the valley. The grass was wet so he took great care over this and the rocks and scree in places. The last part was through small bracken, and suddenly there we were on the main path again-thank goodness, and we are all heartily glad we do not have to use that route again. Headed back but soon stopped for lunch with Pen and Dow Crag for the view. Then it was just a matter of retracing the outwards route. The hill fog had cleared completely so now we got good views of Scafell Pike, Ill Crag, Pen, Scafell and the crags in Mickledore, as well as Crinkle Crags, Esk Pike & Bowfell. Dad did not dawdle on the descent in view of the weather forecast, and we were back to the car at 14.35. Good day!! Then drove home, running into rain on Birker Fell just after 15.00, so the walk had been timed perfectly.

Allen

For all updates from 2009 see - Allen's blog