Monday 31st may. 5 miles. Fairsnape Fell.
The concept is straight forward: walk up Fairsnape, watch the sun set, bivvy, watch the sun rise, walk down.
That is precisely what I did last night. After supper, I drove out to Chipping and parked up under Parlick Fell. I know I should have walked, but it was a last minute decision. Several other cars were parked up, either late off the hill or with the same idea as me.
The lane to Fell Foot, Longridge Fell behind.
I trudged my way around the Western flanks of Parlick and onto the ridge leading easily to the trig point on Fairsnape. 510 m. My suspicions were correct, there were already two tents pitched near the top. A couple of lads out from Preston. A few more people wandered about and disappeared.
Where are you going?
Lengthening shadows.
I found a soft flat spot for my bivvy just east of the summit. Making a careful note in my mind as to its position.
I returned to the trig to photo the sunset over Morecambe Bay and Black Coombe. It could have been better.
I returned to my bivvy for a flask of tea and an early night, I don’t remember it getting really dark. The next thing it was after 4am, and I was awake. I got up and paced about in the cold wind waiting for the sunrise. It could have been better, although the light over Ingleborough was special.
Whernside and Ingleborough, 4.15am.
4.45am.
5am.
I decided to get back into my sleeping bag to get warm before walking down, and before I knew it the clock showed eight. Packed up at last I set off down and used the zigzags towards Higher Fairsnape. There was nobody about, so I took a more direct line to join the path above Blindhurst Farm and back to Fell Foot. Only near there did I meet the early birds going up.
Top of the Zigzags.
Halfway down
Looking back to my descent.
First met in the morning, they should have had a good day.
Welcome to June. Don’t ask me why I do it.
*****
Nice one. I’ve never done that. I like my bed too much. Wild camping like your summit companions is much more common since the pandemic. Great pictures. Ingleborough looked clear as a bell. I’m supposed to be heading that way on Friday.
Last year, no the year before, I bivvied on my other local fells Beacon Fell and Longridge Fell. COVID-19 stopped me completing the trio, so it was good to complete on Fairsnape.
Being out in the wilds overnight is a unique experience. The skylarks were singing loudly from 4am onwards.
I don’t have to ask.
It’s a long time since I’ve been to Fair Snape summit (trig) and I don’t recall that huge walled construction. I don’t think we went to the summit in Sept 2018 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ali?
On that day we visited the true eastern summit only, where there is just a cairn.
Long, long time since I camped out. Like Michael, I like a comfy bed these days.
It was a most comfortable bed up there.
Nice soft peat, I guess 😉
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