Muncaster Fell

The summit trig point of Hooker Crag (Muncaster Fell).

Height: The summit of Muncaster Fell is officially known as Hooker Crag and has an altitude of 757 feet above sea level.

Volume: Book 8 (The Outlying Fells).

Date climbed: First visit: 2nd July 2011 (walk 20a). Second visit: 25th July 2020 (walk 180).

Bagged as number: First round: 63 of 330. [ << Allen Crags (62)  (64) Whin Rigg >> ]

Muncaster Fell, from Miterdale

Second round: 253 of 330. [ << Bannisdale Horseshoe (part) (248-252)  (254) Boat How >> ]

Route of ascent and descent: First visit: Completed a full traverse of the fell, coming up from Ravenglass and descending to Eskdale Green. This is all as depicted on pages 190-1 of volume 8, until I diverged from the route where AW indicates on his map (‘to Irton Road station’).

Second visit: Came up the same way, but this time returned to Ravenglass, via Walls Castle.

What Mr Wainwright says (on page 186 of volume 8): “Muncaster Fell is a lowly height that yet contrives to give an impression of much greater stature, especially when viewed from the miniature railway along its base where the rough craggy flank seems unassailable. Its situation, isolated between the flats of Miterdale and Eskdale, is magnificent, commanding a panorama of great charm both seawards and inland to the mountains of Lakeland.”

Harter Fell, seen from Muncaster Fell

What I say: I did not first put this page together until about three years after my initial ascent of Muncaster Fell, by which time immediate impressions had definitely faded. But the second visit confirmed that I had not imagined the positive feelings. The best thing about the summit is the view, which is magnificent, taking in a broad range of summits and the coastal plain. The path along the ridge has lots of cute ins and outs. Definitely worth a visit from Ravenglass, ideally tied in with a ride on La’al Ratty, which runs all along the fell’s northern base.

[ << Middle Fell     Mungrisdale Common >> ]