| Blea Barf - A short walk with Gerry and Bob - 3rd Aug 2008 | |
| Blea Barf stands at 540m and is situated
on Crackpot Moor, it overlooks the infamous track that
has led to the demise of so many motorists who have
blindly put their faith in their sat-nav devices when
attempting the journey from Swaledale to Wensleydale. Our walk today starts from the very spot where the track which is barely passable even by 4x4's leads up from Summer Lodge and joins the road from Askrigg to Reeth. We pass through the gate and turn immediately left heading west along an old miners path which cuts across Summer Lodge Moor, after a short distance this turns into a track taking us through the old mine tips and disused shafts passing Summer Lodge Tarn. |
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| Looking to Blea Barf from the track leading to Summer Lodge and the hamlet of Crackpot. | |
| Eventually the track dwindles away and we carry on making our way west over rough moorland to join the fenceline which heads north towards Blea Barf. |  |
| After a short distance we cross the beck
at Little Bull Head and climb the wall on the other side. Following the wall up until a suitable point is reached, we then strike out east to gain the summit of Blea Barf. |
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| Blea Barf - 540m / 1772ft A splendid cairn built on a sloping rock which overhangs slightly - Very impressive! |
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| Looking southeast | |
| Gerry adds scale to the proceedings. |  |
| Looking northeast | |
| A few sandwiches later and feeling refreshed we head off in a southeasterly direction aiming for the wall line at Croft Beck in the Bloody Vale (actual name) |  |
| We descend the steep bank, cross the beck
at the bottom then carefully climb the wall, there are
plenty of through stones in the wall to aid us and it is
access land! Having said that, we are very careful not to cause any damage to the walls or fences that we encounter in our quest to walk all the Yorkshire Dales tops. Once safely across we climb the steep bank keeping to the right hand side of the ascending wall. |
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| As we climb the steep bank our views down
the valley towards Crackpot and Swaledale begin to
unfold. The hill in the far distance is Calver Hill near Reeth, we shall be climbing that one next. |
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| We reach the top of the bank and head down towards that infamous track again |  |
| Passing under the canopy of the Sycamore
Trees we cross the stream (Hog Gill) and join the track. It is then but a short sharp climb back to our starting point. This was a very pleasant walk of about 6km / 3.75mls |
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