Whit Fell

Whit Fell seen from the train over the Duddon Estuary

Summits: There are four summits in the chapter: Whit Fell (1881’), Burn Moor (1780’), Buck Barrow (1799’) and Kinmont Buck Barrow (1754’).

Volume: Book 8 (The Outlying Fells)

Burn Moor (left) and Kinmont Buck Barrow, seen on the way in from Bootle station

Date bagged: First visit: All four summits were first bagged (in the order given above) on 7th August 2014 (walk 85).

Second visit: Kinmont Buck Barrow and Buck Barrow only were bagged a second time on 4th June 2016 (walk 111).

Burn Moor and Whit Fell itself were then rebagged on 23rd February 2019 (walk 159).

Bagged as number: First round: 264-267 of the 330. [ << Stainton Pike (263)  (268) Bigland Barrow >> ]

Second round: The Buck Barrows: 40-41 of the 330. [ << Blencathra (39)  (42-44) Black Combe >> ]

The other two: 186-187 of 330. [ << Staveley Fell (185)  (188) Stainton Pike >> ]

Whit Fell, on the approach from Burn Moor

Route of ascent and descent: First visit: Wainwright describes a round of the four summits starting an ending at the Fell Road. I, however, came onto Whit Fell first by following the ridge which connects it to Stainton Pike. After doing the four I descended to the Fell Road then down to Bootle.

Second visit: The BBs: Ascended Kinmont Buck Barrow by its west slope, coming in from Hycemoor (Bootle station). After Buck Barrow, descended to the Fell Road again, but then went on to Black Combe ahead.

The others: Climbed Burn Moor from the Fell Road. Left Whit Fell along the ridge to Stainton Pike.

Whit Fell’s summit view, north to the rest of Lakeland

What Mr Wainwright says (from page 157 of volume 8): “The high mass of Black Combe extends northwards in an undulating skyline with little loss of elevation to merge with the greater fells of Lakeland around the headwaters of the Esk and the Duddon. The culmination of this extensive upland is Whit Fell, not much lower than Black Combe itself and little inferior as a viewpoint. Apart from the rocky crest of Buck Barrow the range is unexciting, a vast sheep pasture more Pennine than Lakeland in character and appearing all the bleaker because of the contrast with its lovely enclosing valleys. Consequently this is an unfrequented region… but it is good walking country unimpeded by fences, and its demerits are fully compensated by the excellence of the views.”

Summit rocks of Buck Barrow, Duddon Estuary in the background.

What I say: Buck Barrow is definitely the best of the four summits, with its bouldery outcrops, but all of the four are worth climbing. All have impressive views, particularly south, with the Duddon Estuary on one side of Black Combe and the Irish Sea on the other.

Burn Moor is the dullest of the four though even here, it’s probably worth a visit on a sunny day: the climb up from Bootle is long, but easy. All in all the whole area, while a very lonely spot (in three visits now I’ve seen not one other soul on the fell or anywhere near it), is worth exploration. But don’t come in the rain.

[ << Whinlatter     Whitbarrow >> ]