Birkhouse Moor has inevitably become a means to an end – a staging post to greater things – and seldom an end in itself. Nevertheless, the fell has two exclusive ascents off the main tracks to Helvellyn. Two ridges rise to the subsidiary summit, north of the ridge wall. The north ridge (6), climbing directly above the environs of the Greenside Mine, is least defined while the northeast ridge (5), rising to the Nab and peering into Blea Cove, tackles an inviting succession of rocky steps and is the best approach to the fell.
Birkhouse Moor from Heron Pike
Ascent from Glenridding 25
A succession of lovely paths seek out the ultimate height from Glenridding. Take the fell by the scruff of the neck, climbing one or other of the two ridges soaring out of Glenridding either side of Blea Cove (5–6), or climb by steps and stages via the low eastern end of the ridge (1–4).
Via (Keldas and) Lanty’s Tarn →3.5km/2¼ miles ↑600m/1960ft
The pine-dappled top of Keldas is the ideal place to get your bearings.
1 Leave the car park and turn right on the main street to cross Glenridding Beck and turn right again along the lane (signed to ‘Gillside Farm, no vehicles’). This leads by Glenridding Public Hall through Eagle Farm. At the fork keep left with the main track to Westside Cottages. The path splits as it passes the cottages but then merges again. The well-waymarked and hand-gated path winds up, part-pitched, to a kissing-gate. Continue the zig-zagging ascent across what, in May, is a beautiful bluebell bank. On reaching a second kissing-gate, do not go through but switch left, signed ‘Striding Edge, Grisedale’.
Just before a third kissing-gate, you have the option of detouring left to cross a stile on the left, beside a padlocked gate, and follow the one permitted path up to the summit of Keldas. Return via the same path.
Gazing over the beautiful upper reach of Ullswater from Keldas
Continuing on to Birkhouse Moor, another choice presents itself. One option is to go up the ridge with the plantation wall close left, passing a massive volcanic erratic, go through a small hand-gate and then a ladder-stile and ascend the ridge (pathlessly) to meet the popular Mires Beck path above the circular sheepfold and follow Route 3 to the summit.
The other is to go through the kissing-gate ahead to visit the conifer-screened reservoir of Lanty’s Tarn. As the track breaks to open pasture on the right, you can cut back right (west) to the route up the ridge or sweep down to the enclosure corner, meeting up with Route 7 at a hand-gate.
Waves of bluebells line the path on the descent from Lanty’s Tarn
Via Mires Beck →3.5km/2¼ miles ↑600m/1960ft
2 Follow Route 1 as far as the fork in the track and bear right here to stay with the beck and arrive at Rattlebeck Bridge and the Gillside camping site. Ascend the track from Rattlebeck Bridge, signed ‘Helvellyn via Mires Beck’, passing through a stile/gate up to a fork below ‘Miresbeck’ cottage. With Birkhouse Moor to the fore, go right on the stony path to the ladder-stile/gate in the intake wall.
Four routes embark from the far side of the stile. 3 From the ladder-stile, bend left (southwest) on the Mires Beck path to ford the beck and continue up on a sturdy path which follows it up on the left. From the top of the beck the path climbs, initially close to the ridge wall, drifting away right to gain the broad top of the fell and then coming close to the wall again at the ragged cairn on the true summit.
4 The steadiest route of all begins with the Mires Beck path (3) but bears left. Watch for waymarks after the ford on a path that runs above the intake wall to curve up onto the ridge at a gate/stile. From here, follow the ridge wall (the pathless option on Route 1) to meet up with Route 3 again above the circular sheepfold. Alternatively continue on your ascent path over the ridge, through Brownend Plantation, via a kissing-gate. Here turn right to join the throng bound for the Hole-in-the-Wall on Route 8.
Via the northeast ridge →3.6km/2¼ miles ↑570m/1865ft
Direct approaches to the northeast ridge are not encouraged, especially in bracken season. If you do fancy the challenge, however, rowan trees guide the way to the favoured approach.
5 The most efficient route sets off with Route 3 from the ladder-stile, breaking away right immediately before the ford. Trend up the marshy ground, keeping to the bracken fringe and seeking a sheep path that traverses to the right. The clue to its location is the solitary rowan growing from a rock – the sheep path tops the first outcropped step of the ridge. Pass a second lone rowan and climb, via juniper shrubs, up a short scree path, then follow the natural way (with only slight evidence of a path) up the outcrop-stepped ridge of The Nab. On the highest shelf pass a pool commanding a lovely view over Blea Cove. Finally reach the large cairn on the north top, a fine and peaceful viewpoint to enjoy alone, before turning south-southwest with Route 3 to bag the true summit..
Via the north ridge →4km/2½ miles ↑570m/1865ft
The north ridge offers an airy view over the environs of the Greenside Mine, from which it may be climbed directly from the footbridge.
6 A pleasant green-way leads off right from the ladder-stile across the northern flanks of Birkhouse Moor, running just above the intake wall. Part-way along an alternative (and eventually parallel) path angles half-left up onto the adapted course of a water channel. (From the rock-cut shelf where this is joined an old quarry incline leads up into Blea Cove. This is not recommended as a line of ascent.) After just about a kilometre, the two paths rejoin and shortly reach the footbridge across from Greenside Mine. Here turn left and head on intermittent tracks to the left of the crags south-southeast directly up to the north top, continuing on with Route 3 to the summit.
Ascent from Patterdale 24
Via the Hole-in-the-Wall →4km/2½ miles ↑580m/1900ft
The popular direct line to Helvellyn is another line of approach to Birkhouse Moor and there are also two much-less-travelled alternatives that set out along Grisedale.
7 About half a kilometre up the main road towards Glenridding, at Grisedale Bridge, take the minor road leading into Grisedale. The road bends right, crosses the valley, and as it bends back east towards the hunt kennels, go through the kissing-gate, rising up the pasture bank to a hand-gate. Take the path on the left pulling away gently from the wall. This heavily used path climbs, it seems for ever, via two intermediate hand-gates, to the Hole-in-the-Wall stile high above Grisedale, a stirring mountain scene. Here turn a sharp right to follow the north side of the ridge-top wall to the summit.
The summit from the Hole-in-the-Wall
8 The curious rambler will relish the discovery of the old green path which runs parallel and in sympathy with the modern trail. Find it by taking the footpath cutting back right 100 metres after the hand-gate along the fringe of old larches. After