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Arant Haw and Winder.

Start. Sedbergh.

Route. Sedbergh - Joss Lane - Hill - Settlebeck Gill - Green Mea - Swere Gill Well - Hobdale Scar - Arant Haw - Green Mea - Winder - Lockbank Farm - Howgill Lane - Sedbergh.

Notes. If you read these pages you could be forgiven for thinking the Howgill Fells are the only hills in the Yorkshire Dales, in fact the small south west corner of the massif, I seem to have been hammering these hills over the past few years. with good reason. Sedbergh is only 10 easy miles from home so when forced into a late start, knowing there’s loads of free parking it’s my go to place, as it was today after I’d waited in for a delivery driver.

From the centre of Sedbergh I made my way up Joss Lane, on reaching a field gate tarmac gave way to a rough track, this in turn guided me to a stile allowing access to a footpath shadowing the banks of Settlebeck Gill. Once above the final intake I continued in the company of the gill, ascending into a head wind the going was slow, but with every foot step height was gained. My plan was to walk to The Calf the highest point of the Howgill Fells, then turn and re-trace my steps to Arant Haw, descending the west ridge, to follow the intake wall back to Sedbergh. why mention it now? because things were changing and not for the better.

The wind was ripping across the coll at Green Mea, you could hardly stand up, dark rain bearing cloud washed over the hills of the Lake District, Wild Boar Fell in the opposite direction and a lot closer was fast being consumed. I continued climbing out of the wind in the lee of the hill, it continued to get darker, this wasn’t looking good, I donned my waterproof jacket, my trousers were at home, well it hadn’t forecast rain. Standing on the path above Hobdale Scar the heavens opened, rain and hail in abundance backed by an ever strengthening wind, not knowing what to do I perused the problem, continue or turn back, maybe descend to Sickers Fell and Knott.

In the event I bottled it, battled my way along the Arant Haw ridge through an Arctic blast, invisible hands trying their utmost to push me back to Sedbergh and almost succeeding. Needless to say there was no summit shots, I crossed the top without giving it a second glance immediately descending the south ridge back to Green Mea, with the storm passing and rain still falling I followed a good trod to Winder before descending.

The most obvious route from Winder is the west ridge, a good path descends into views up and down the Lune valley, I descended with it. At a distinct path junction I swung left, forded a couple of gills before descending to the intake wall above Lockbank Farm, through the farm yard I wandered to access the tarmac of Howgill Lane, I turned to start the short walk back into the streets of Sedbergh.

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