Great Borne & Starling Dodd

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Route: Bowness Knott, Rake Beck, Herdus, Great Borne, Gale Fell, Starling Dodd, Dodsgill Beck, Gillerthwaite, Bowness Knott

Date: 26/03/2017
From: Bowness Knott

Parking: Bowness Knott
Start Point: Bowness Knott
Region: Western Fells

Route length: 7.4 miles (12.4 km)
Time taken: 03:47
Average speed: 2.1 mph
Ascent: 857m
Descent: 871m

Wainwrights on this walk:
Great Borne (616m), Starling Dodd (633m)

Other Summits: Bowness Knott (333m), Brown How (330m), Herdus (562m), Gale Fell (518m)

Other points of interest: Rake Beck

We'd enjoyed a window of exceptional weather during a three-day stay in the western Lake District. Helping a friend to reach their target of completing the Wainwrights took me back to some areas I've not been to in recent years; namely the Lank Rigg group and the modest Low Fell and Fellbarrow.

We had one final walk up our sleeve to polish off the remaining Western Fells; the two, in particular, being Great Borne and Starling Dodd. I first did these on a marathon round of Ennerdale a few years ago, a route that took me to Pillar Rock and beyond, but today we'd be walking just these two (and a number of smaller tops along the way) from the large car park at Bowness Knott.

Our first climb was up the outcrop that lends its name to the car park. Bowness Knott commands a fine position along the shore of Ennerdale and has a great view of the area. We climbed up alongside Rake Beck, hopping over a low fence to gain access to Bowness Knott.

Herdus

Ennerdale

The view from Rake Beck

Bowness Knott

The summit was once crowned by trees but have since been felled, leaving a battered landscape behind. The top now offers an extensive view into the heart of Ennerdale.

Brown How, Herdus and Great Borne

Crag Fell

Ennerdale from Bowness Knott

The high fells that ring the valley

We retraced our steps towards Brown How, another outcrop that stands before the main Rake Beck path to Great Borne. Brown How and Bowness Knott forming part of a line of harder rocks that run from Anglers Crag to the top of Great Borne, emerging again in the Buttermere valley at High Ling Crag and Rannerdale Knotts.

Rake Beck - the route of ascent - can clearly be seen

Bowness Knott from Brown How

Approaching Rake Beck

The climb up alongside Rake Beck is steep - part walk, part scramble, but is easy enough for most. The highlights include the perfect example of a traditional fox trap and the delightful waterfalls of the beck itself.

Looking up Rake Beck

The circular fox trap

Brown How, Bowness Knott, Crag Fell and Ennerdale

Rake Beck

Looking down Rake Beck

Rake Beck

The path emerges on a flat, grassy plateau between Great Borne and Herdus - a subsidiary of the main fell. We visited Herdus first before skirting around a boggy looking moss towards the final climb up through the stones to Great Borne. A trig pillar and stone shelter marks the summit.

The summit of Herdus

Great Borne

Climbing towards the summit

The top of Great Borne's trig pillar

Great Borne's summit

Grasmoor, Wandope and Whiteless Pike

The path falls easily from Great Borne, following a fence. This is the Ennerdale Fence, a historic boundary that ran (or runs?) the entire length of Ennerdale - it's a walk I intend to do in the summer. It's pleasant and grassy on the route between Great Borne and Starling Dodd with only a few boggy bits to contend with.

Following the fence towards Starling Dodd

Great Borne

Climbing Starling Dodd

From Gale Fell, the path begins a steepening climb up Starling Dodd until it reaches the summit which, for an unpopular fell, is sensational. The all-around view is superb, especially on a day like today.

Hen Comb, Low Fell and Mellbreak

Starling Dodd's summit

Panorama from Starling Dodd

We made our way off the summit. dropping down some slippery scree into the valley of Dodsgill Beck. Though not marked on the maps, there is a faint path of sorts that runs down the valley towards the plantations around Gillerthwaite. Once past the steep bit, we cut across country to the gap in the trees to reach the road that runs to the Youth Hostel.

Pillar

Heading down Dodsgill Beck

Great Gable

The gap in the trees heading for Gillerthwaite

Red Pike and High Stile

Pillar and Pillar Rock - the dark mass to the left

It's a surprisingly long walk along the road from Gillerthwaite to the car park though it's largely flat save for a small hill right at the very end - typical.

Pillar, Black Crags, Scoat Fell and Steeple

Pillar overlooking Ennerdale

Looking back along the Ennerdale road

Crag Fell