Sunday, 2 July 2000

Great Sca Fell

Great Sca Fell

The sweeping ridge line of Little Sca Fell and Great Sca Fell

Great Sca Fell

Height651m (2,136ft)
Prominence13m (43ft)
RegionNorthern Fells
Climbed2 Times

Great Sca Fell stands as the crowning achievement of the Uldale Fells, the highest point within this distinctive range. Positioned seven kilometres southwest of Caldbeck, it acts as the primary focal point where three separate ridges converge from the north and west. The Uldale Fells are renowned for their smooth, grassy character, providing excellent sheep pasture, and Great Sca Fell marks the literal culmination of these gently rising lines.

"The Uldale Fells rise in three ridges between west and north to merge in one common meeting ground at the place of greatest altitude, this focal point being a smooth double-headed uplift of grassy fell known to cartographers as Great and Little Sca Fell." — Wainwright 1962, Book Five

The fell presents a "double-headed" character, defined by two distinct summits: Great Sca Fell and its slightly lower sibling, Little Sca Fell (635m). While the main summit is an expansive, broad plateau where finding the absolute highest point is notoriously difficult, the Little Sca Fell summit provides a more traditional focal point, complete with a substantial cairn and a stone-built wind shelter constructed against a low wall. Navigation here is typical of the Northern Fells, characterized by wide, featureless horizons and endless, spongy moorland.

The summit cairn on Great Sca Fell

The unassuming, wide plateau marking the summit

The true highlight of visiting Great Sca Fell is the sense of remote, airy perspective it offers. Because it sits at the hub of the Uldale ridge system, the view northward is magnificent, sweeping across the Solway Plain and reaching deep into the Scottish Borders. It is a fell that rewards those who enjoy the quiet, trackless beauty of the high moors, far removed from the more frenetic trails found elsewhere in the Lake District.

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