Blencathra

Blencathra, also called Saddleback, stands in the Northern Fells of the English Lake District near Threlkeld. It is a small range rather than a single fell, with six tops on a curving ridge three miles long. The highest top is Hallsfell Top at 868 metres. Seen from the east, the mountain resembles a saddle, which gave rise to its alternative name. The Cumbric name Blencathra means ‘the summit of the seat’. The fell is worth the journey for its dramatic topography and long mining history. Sharp Edge, the narrow arête between Tarn Crag and Foule Crag, is one of the most famous scrambles in the area. Scales Tarn, a steep-sided corrie lochan, lies below Tarn Crags. Mining once thrived here, with lead and zinc raised at Threlkeld Mine from 1879 to 1928. Trial workings can still be seen beside Blease Gill. A visitor finds a ridge of five tops connected by good paths, each offering wide views. The summit has a trig point and a large white-stone cross laid out by Harold Robinson after the Second World War. To the west, Skiddaw dominates the foreground, while the Pennines form the horizon to the east. On clear days, the skyline shows all the major Lakeland peaks from Coniston Old Man to Grisedale Pike, and distant mountains such as the Mourne Mountains and the Isle of Man.