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Fountains Fell from Halton Gill to Stainforth Road

Start/Finish

About 4 miles up the road to Halton Gill from Stainforth (on the Settle to Horton-in-Ribblesdale road) at SD 842 714. The Pennine Way sign is just after a cattle grid as the road starts to descend. The track going left for Pen-y-Ghent is about a mile before here. Parking has to be on the verge which may be soft in places. The road is also known as the Silverdale Road. It can soon be blocked by snow in winter.

Distance/Time

4 km.    About 2 hours.

Peaks

Fountains Fell, 668 m, SD 864 716.

OL2 Yorkshire Dales: Western Area

Introduction

Fountains Fell is just across the road from Pen-y-Ghent. Navigation is very straightforward even in mist but it is best saved for a clear day when the views are superb in all directions but especially to Pen-y-Ghent. This is an ideal walk for a short winter's day. The ascent can be rough and steep in places.

Route

(1) From the Pennine Way sign on the road, walk SE up a path which is never far from the wall on the right. After about 800 m, the Pennine Way swings left but this route continues straight up shadowing the same wall. A final steep section reaches a the summit plateau and the wall reaches a T junction. Cross the wall by a not very good stile. A medium cairn is about 100 m further and this is the summit of Fountains Fell, 668 m. A continuation path continues towards the tarn but this route isn't going that way.

(2) Shadow the wall going NE. There is a path if it is not snowed in! In about 700 m, reach the Pennine Way with some prominent cairns just beyond. Turn left, NW, cross the wall by a stone stile then follow the fairly obvious Pennine Way roughly NW then W as it traverses across the NW flank of the hill. Reach the wall followed up earlier then retrace back to the road.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 12^th March, 2019.