A 10km walk on a damp day with Paul Taylor.Route: leaving the car in a layby (~6 cars) at the Hause and taking the path north towards Little Mell but immediately turning left to follow a fence line on a sometimes nettly path to Lowthwaite and joining the road to Green Row. Here, turning left on a signed path and taking the second right to descend towards a marsh. Accidentally following the tracks of previous walkers and ploughing on straight across a wet and unstable marsh getting very wet feet. On the far side, following a redirected path round Brownrigg Farm to turn right on the road. Shortly taking a left turn on a track towards Great Mell Fell and continuing along the track to the south west, diverting off it at a stile to join a path circling the fell. Diverting right off this on a clear uphill path between bracken and choosing options to keep on the vague ridge to the summit. Descending the same way but, at a slanted crossroads of paths, heading left to descend through the wood and picking up a circumnavigating path at the foot of the fell and turning right to reach the outward route and return to the marsh. This time following the route marked on the map by a fence for a much easier crossing. Setting off south along the road to a clear track heading gently uphill before switching back north to a broken stile. Continuing to a lateral partial hedge and here choosing simply to head directly uphill to the ridge and a subsidiary summit. Crossing two more fences (barbed wire calling for care) and a locked gate to reach the summit. From there descending directly to the Hause.
Pub: the Horse and Farrier, Dacre, for Corby Blonde, Fell Alph and lunch.
