Rainscar, Fountains Fell, Pennine Way (part), Blishmire Close, Yorkshire

Rainscar, Fountains Fell, Pennine Way (part), Blishmire Close, Yorkshire.
[10.1 km] Wed 30 Dec 2015

Plan + Profile

OS Grid ref: SD 84277 71461
Lat/Long: 54.138740, -02.242153

The weather forecast was bad with rain and strong winds. I drove via Gisburn, Settle and Stainforth then up onto the moors just below Fountains Fell. The cloud was low but I could still just see Pen-y-Ghent vanishing into the low cloud. It was still dark when I arrived and I waited for about half an hour before it setting off. I followed a track south across flat open moor until I reached a substantial stone shooting Lodge.

The locked shooting lodge

Pen-y-Ghent in the wind and rain

It was in good condition but locked. It would have been nice to get some shelter inside but as that wasn't available I headed east across a small wooden footbridge and then up a small river valley. This is an area of potholes and I left the river for a while to cross rough ground to Coronation Pot. There was nothing to see so I re-joined the river and headed up on to Fountains Fell.

Recycled sign over the pothole entrance

I continued up to the ridge and the collapsing wall. It eventually turn right and I followed it to a sheltered area where I could sit down and eat my sandwiches. I continued North and headed across open Ground to Fountains Fell Tarn.

View back to Pen-y-Ghent

Fountains Fell Tarn

The wind was now very strong and the rain was intense. In the distance I could see a cairn of stones which I headed for then turned northeast to pick up a faint track across the summit. I then entered an area of old mine workings including a fenced off shaft which I could see down for about 15m. The mist was quite thick and as I joined the Pennine Way things improved slightly under foot. I was now heading North West and then West on a descending path which was easy but still very wet in the heavy rain. Thankfully I descended below the cloud then crossed very wet ground to re-join the road near Blishmire Close. I then had a stretch of road to follow which took me back to the car.