Simon Fell

I did this walk three weeks ago, but I had a bit of a backlog of posts – hence why I did two last week. I like having a little bit of backlog, because it’s nice to know for definite what the next two or three posts are going to be. But it was getting to be a bit much.

Anyway. Simon Fell is classed as a subsidiary summit of Ingleborough; there’s a ridge with three summits – the other one being Park Fell. I think most people who do the non-Ingleborough ones do all three in one go, but I’m not the type to go for more than summit at a time (although if I had to do three, it would probably be these ones, since it’s not down and up again).

I can’t find anything on the origin of the name ‘Simon Fell’. I assume someone called Simon had some link to it at some point, but who knows? Nobody, apparently, or at least no-one who’s shared it anywhere I can find.

Much of the walk was the same as climbing Ingleborough. I started from Low Sleights Road, near the village of Chapel-le-Dale, where there is space for roadside parking. You do have to get there early; Ingleborough is a very popular hill.

There’s a little gate leading off the road, with a well laid path going from it, all the way to the top of Ingleborough. I was on this path most of the way up, and the other little paths that come off can’t really be mistaken for the way.

I went through a few more gates, one of which has a signpost and a stick sticking out of the ground by it. I’m mentioning this one because the route I came down by met the main path here.

But going up, I kept on the main path, turning lefts between two limestone pavements, past some cows sat by a crater a bit off the path, then through another gate to where the path changes to stone slabs. These took me through a boggy area – though it wasn’t bad this day – and, after temporarily becoming a boardwalk, brought me to the bottom of a steep incline. This bit is a bit scrambly in parts, but is still a clear path in general, going up beside a stream.

At the top the path goes rightwards, through a gate. After going through the gate I left the path and turned left, walking along a wall on my left.

I’m actually quite sure I should have turned left before going through the gate, and walked along the other side of the wall. But since I don’t know what it’s like on that side I can’t be certain. It’s not like there was an obvious path either side.

What I’m saying is, on the off chance I’ve inspired anyone to do this walk, please go find some directions from someone who knows better what they’re talking about.

So far, the path had been reasonably busy. I don’t think it was at its busiest point, but you can’t go up Ingleborough expecting solitude. Simon Fell is a different matter, and I very abruptly found myself alone. I don’t mind busier paths, and there’s usually a good reason for their popularity, but I think I prefer the quieter hills.

After walking for a while I spotted what I believe is the summit – a very tiny cairn marking what seemed like the highest point. Except it was on the other side of the wall, which is why I think I got something wrong earlier.

I climbed over the wall, which I shouldn’t have, but there were no stiles or gates in sight, and I had no idea how far away one might be. There was barbed wire – so I really can’t climb ignorance – so actually it was more of a climb up then a jump off than a climb right over.

Again, I really shouldn’t have done that, but I did.

I sat at the summit for a while, then continued on in the direction I’d been going – on this side of the wall this time. As it turned out, there was a stile I could have gone over, quite a way along, but it was too late now.

The stile was in a corner. I turned left and started downwards, again with a wall on my right. Eventually, I reached a point where there was another stile. I didn’t go over it, instead turning left along the path that led from it.

I quickly turned right, heading down a steep, stony bit. Unlike the one I came up on the main Ingleborough path, there wasn’t a path going down through here, and rather than solid rocks it was more shingle. It was a bit worrying to go down, with the ground always at risk of moving my feet. But I did get down. I also heard some voices up above as I was on this bit, the first I’d seen or heard of anyone else since leaving the Ingleborough path.

There were a couple more little steep bits, though nothing like the last one. Then it was over a stone stile into the field with the limestone pavements that I’d come up through earlier, although now I was way over to the edge of it. I continued on alongside the wall, passing a couple of odd little fenced off circles which I assumed I wasn’t allowed in. These is an Ingleborough Nature Reserve, so they’re possibly something to do with that.

Eventually, I came down by the gate I mentioned earlier, with the signpost and the stick in the ground in front of it. And from there it was just back along the path to the parking area.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Photos from the walk are here.