Middle Fell

The reason to climb Middle Fell is the view from the top across Wastwater to the screes of Illgill Head and Whin Rigg. The head of Wasdale and the Scafells lie beyond, the Coniston Fells further off, and Black Combe to the south-west. The summit itself is a small rock outcrop with a cairn.

Greendale, a few cottages on the road along the north-west shore of Wastwater, is where nearly every walk begins. There is free, informal parking for about ten cars on the grass by the first building, less than a kilometre from the lake, beside a public footpath sign. A path climbs through bracken beside Greendale Gill, then turns right onto the nose of the ridge. Grass slopes, rocky outcrops and knobbly ground lead up past the odd cairn to the top. It is the shortest and simplest way up.

Middle Fell is steep on every side. The west face is scree and boulders, and the longer eastern slopes are stepped with crags, among them Long Crag, Goat Crag and Iron Crag. The path keeps clear of them, and there is no scrambling.

A Greendale round

Middle Fell is a satellite of Seatallan, and the two go well with Buckbarrow. Walk Lakes' Greendale round crosses a marshy saddle to Seatallan, drops south by Cat Bields and Glade How to Buckbarrow, and returns to the cars. It is 8.5 km with about 720 m of climbing. For a different line, follow Greendale Gill up to Greendale Tarn, about 9 m deep in a long, narrow bowl overlooked by huge boulders, and go up the Seatallan ridge from there.