As a teacher, I always look forward to the school holidays. With half term approaching, I spoke about maybe visiting Scotland. It had been nearly eight months since I had last been with my partner and a visit was long overdue. Sadly, an event occurred in my personal life, which changed things rather dramatically. I was no longer able to view the approaching break with the same enthusiasm. Figuring that I couldn’t just sit and mope, I decided to still get out there and enjoy the great outdoors for a couple of days. I couldn’t be bothered to head as far as Scotland, so decided that some hiking and wild camping in The Howgill Fells would be a great alternative. I had visited before and it was an area that had left a marked impression on me for all the right reasons.
After my four hour drive north, I ended up parking my car in the same lay-by I had used six months previously. As I checked that everything was packed in my backpack, I could hear children playing outside by an old farmhouse and enjoyed viewing the dramatic valley looking west. It was great to be back.
This valley is an incredible place to start any adventure. Clearly carved during the last ice age, what is left are steep sided mountainsides and Cautley Spout waterfall at the valley head. It looks incredible from over a kilometre away and only gets more and magnificent as you get closer to it.
Fighting Gravity
The walk along the valley bottom provides a welcomed warm up, as it heads only very gradually uphill. I knew this wasn’t going to last though. Once at the bottom of Cautley Spout, the gradient kicks up and it is then hard going all the way to the top. Feeling fragile after recent events in my life, I really enjoyed the burn in my legs and lungs. Soon the rain started and I even liked being battered by the large drops that seemed to attack me from all directions. I suppose it took me away from my other thoughts, which had being plaguing me for over a week. It actually felt good to experience a different kind of discomfort as opposed to the one I’d had in my head. Nature it seemed really did provide the great emotional lift I was after.
Choosing A Camp Spot
Once you reach the top of the falls, the merciless gradient eases and you then find yourself following the mountain river through a narrow valley. The rain had thankfully backed off by this point, but the wind was now the biggest issue. I was walking straight into it and I think the valley was only making it worse as it funneled it into a narrow space.
My tent erecting skills are still only average at best and so I wondered how on Earth I’d find a suitable spot with such conditions. I thought back to my previous bivvy camp up here before and remembered coming across a sheepfold a little further upstream. Perhaps that would provide the refuge I needed. It was worth a try.
I finally found enough confidence to jump across narrowest section of river I could find and headed into the sheepfold. As I ducked down behind the wall, it was incredible how well it blocked the wind. I felt rather proud of my thinking and it didn’t take long to get the tent up.
Settling In
After unpacking my things, I soon made myself comfortable. Being late October, it was dark by just before Six O Clock and so I had plenty of time to just relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility. Chilli con carne was enjoyed as was plenty of alcohol and a great book to read. It was honestly the happiest I’d been in nearly two weeks and it felt like such a relief.
My book of choice was ‘ Step By Step’ by Simon Reeve. For those who don’t know of him, he is a youthful looking travel presenter, who has been to virtually every corner of the planet. I could hardly put the book down and found the autobiography a bit of a rollercoaster ride of emotions. He explores his difficult times and high points in his life so well. I’d certainly recommend a read as would other reputable reviews such as this one.
By around Ten O Clock I was feeling rather tired and bedded down for the night. The light rain falling on my tent helped me drift off in no time and I ended up sleeping for over ten hours. That was certainly considerably more than I’d had in a fair few days. Clearly it was needed.
Perfect Weather For A Duck
I woke at just gone eight to the sound of silence. There wasn’t a breath of wind and so I thought I’d go out to investigate the conditions. The clouds were just out of reach and were hiding all of the hills around me. Other than the sound of sheep and cascading water in the river, it was perfectly still.
I decided to get some breakfast on the go and as I did the weather took a turn for the worse. It really was incredible how quickly it changed. Within minutes it was absolutely pouring and the wind picked up once again. There was nothing to do but enjoy some porridge, coffee and more down time. Inside I hoped it would pass quickly enough. It ended up being rather wishful thinking.
Two hours later and the heavens were still doing their best to empty all of their contents on this little section of Cumbrian hills and mountains. By just before eleven, it did finally begin to ease off a little and I saw this as my perfect opportunity to pack away. It appears doing this job in the rain allows you to complete this annoying job in a record quick time.
A Journey Into The Clouds
With my bag all packed, I headed off uphill in the direction of The Calf. This is the highest point in The Howgill Fells at 676 metres. I followed a stream most of the way up until it suddenly stopped flowing. As a geographer, I love places like this. I’ve not visited the sources of that many rivers, but will always remember fondly standing at the start of The Severn with my partner Louise. Here was another such experience. It was hard to believe that this marshy ground I was looking at would help create that impressive waterfall I had seen a mere couple of kilometres or so down stream.
From here it wasn’t far until I reached a clearer path that took me to the trig point on The Calf. Visibility was practically nil as I was now walking in the clouds and I felt like the only person around for miles. In fairness I probably was. No other people were seen up in these wild and remote parts. For views from this summit on a better day, please click here.
Which Way To Go?
The path started heading downhill from the summit and it appeared to be marked clearly on The OS map I was following. Annoyingly, several smaller paths branched off of the main one and I kept questioning whether I was still on the right route. It was hard to tell with such poor visibility. Thankfully the GPS I had with me helped and I managed to find my way back to Cautley Spout without any real issues.
Eventually I dropped below the cloud line and made my back down the dramatic valley I had started my adventure on. The views were once again incredible and it was hard not to be moved by them. We live in such a beautiful country and places like this are always there to welcome us with open arms whenever we need them. If you’re struggling with something in life, then I have discovered more than ever that nature can offer some of the best therapy around.