Rounded and unthreatening hills

Summary

An excellent walk to the summit of Fell head through the majestic valley of Carlingill Beck via Black Force and the Spout. A remote part of the Cumbrian Dales, hardly visited, with stunning views of the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and the M6.

The Hike

The Howgills are a very different place when it’s sunny. Me and a friend of mine had been meaning to explore more of the national park, but every time we had visited it had been bad weather. This wasn’t the case today.

We arrived at Carlingill Bridge from the south, where parking was available. It was set to be fine weather throughout the day, which filled me with even more excitement. Upon parking, we began following Carlingill Beck. A tranquil flowing steam carved through the Lune Valley with plunge pools and flowing clear water from the waterfalls. As we ventured through, the path became narrow and technical, upon approaching Black Force. A spectacularly high cascade waterfall that flowed into the Beck below. From here the path continues through the valley rising upwards following a very narrow path. This took us to the Spout; another magnificent waterfall which dropped steeply down a dark, craggy ravine into Carling Gill. 

We soaked up the atmosphere, admiring the waterfall. Although, the lack of a visible escape route out of the valley left only a difficult ascent up the steep hillside. The legs were put to the test, but the mind reaped the rewards when arriving on the top. Slowly but surely, we climbed out of the valley with clear views of the rolling giants, the M6 & the Lake District. It’s strange because as I looked out, the land was flat and here we were, on top of this huge, mounded hill that just seemed to be plonked here.

Eventually, we discovered the track that led through a swooping valley. Shortly after, we found ourselves walking up another long rising hill which continued for some time. Nonetheless, the scenery was breath-taking the whole way through. It was difficult to believe that nobody else was around. With that, the well-trodden paths were soft, grassy, and enchanting. It made the experience of walking these slumbering elephants even more enjoyable.  

Having reached the summit, (of what we thought was the top) we sat down to take in the view. We had a view of the long path winding through the valley that leads up to Fell Head. It was a majestic sight that I was eager to explore. Purely because I knew at the top would be fantastic views, which I wasn’t wrong about. The ascent of Fell Head offered a breath-taking scene of hills, valleys, and ridgelines, one after another. The rolling countryside extended for miles within our view. It was pure bliss.

After taking some time to appreciate the landscape and have our lunch. It was time to descend back towards the car. My thighs were screaming at me while descending. It was extremely steep! I much prefer going up than going down. However, with views of the mountains in the Lake district in front, it was worth the pain. It wasn’t long before we eventually we arrived at the foot of the hillside. It was a lot quicker descending, and with sweaty weary bodies, we decided to enjoy a wild swim in one of the water pools we had found earlier in day whilst wondering through Carlingill Beck.

A revitalising end to a brilliant hike.

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