Flasby Fell

Jan 25
2010

Well, I didn’t get any sun, but (after a year of getting around to it) I did finally climb Sharp Haw, a pointy little summit on Flasby Fell a couple of miles outside Skipton. I set off up a bridleway from a lane near Stirton, bearing right up a muddy grass stripe through the bracken and reeds up the side of the fell. There were some nice close range views of neighbouring Thorpe Fell and some fine craggy bits on the western edge of the hill, but the weather was too murky to see much further afield.

After a way I reached a side path which left the bridleway to follow the ridge to the top of Sharp Haw (357m/1143 feet). A quick breather at a convenient bench later I was cantering downhill towards the col, heading towards Rough Haw (339m/1084 feet), which was too inviting to just pass by. So I scrambled up the bank between the rocks and up to the cairn, before following the edge along and bouncing back down the fellside to find the bridleway again.

The ground was soggy in places on the descent towards Flasby, entailing a fair bit of muddy slithering before reaching a farm track heading into the village between rolling pastures. A left turn up another farm track took me to Septeria Gill, then up a winding track into Crag Wood.

I followed the forestry road right through the plantation, rising steadily up the fell side again below the crags, the views over Airedale would have been good if the visibility was better. This stretch was rather melancholy as much of the lower slopes had been felled, giving the place a bleak aspect. After a couple of miles the track led down the side of Flasby Fell and back to the bridleway, where I retraced my steps the rest of the way back to the car. It was a fairly varied and enjoyable six or seven miles, shame about the miserable weather.

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