Mardale Ill Bell

"After difficulty parking in Kentmere, we finally secured a place on High Lane, near Overend. We descended into the dale, taking the stony track up to the head of the Garburn Pass. Then we took the ridge over Yoke, Ill Bell and Froswick, and up onto the plateau over Thornthwaite Crag onto the flat summit of High Street. Descending over Mardale Ill Bell to the Nan Bield Pass, our route took us over Smallthwaite Knott above the Kentmere Valley past Overend back to the car. With BC and RP. Cloudy at first, breaking to sunshine later. Cold strong west wind." — marktrengove2 • Aug 20, 2019

"Set off from Mardale on a sunny day, walked up to Small Water at 460m, a mountain tarn, from here we continued up the main track to the top of Nan Bield pass and then NW onto the summit of Mardale Ill Bell. Here we enjoyed good views of the surrounding peaks and lakes. We then headed NW, up to Racecourse Hill and the summit of High Street, 828m where there were good views of all of the Lake District peaks. From here we continued N dropping to Twopenny Crag at the head of Riggindale. Then turned E to the summit of Kidsty Pike 780m, then dropping down E to Haweswater and back along the lake to our start point " — davidlong • Aug 16, 2016

"Set off from Mardale, up to Small Water, a mountain tarn, from here we left the main track and scrambled up rough ground onto Piot Crag and then onto the summit of Mardale Ill Bell. Here we enjoyed good views of the surrounding peaks and lakes. We then headed W, up to the tall beacon that marks the summit of Thornthwaite Crag, where there were good views of all of the Lake District peaks. " — davidlong • Aug 12, 2012

"After a wet spring, this was the 1st dry forecast for several days, so we drove over to the Lake District. We drove along Haweswater to the head of Mardale, with a mix of sun and some high cloud. We headed SW up the footpath to Small Water tarn, where we realised that we had both forgotton our cameras and so had to use the low quality mobile phone camera. At the tarn, we left the main footpath which goes to the top of the pass and did a direct ascent up Piot Crag ridge onto the summit of Mardale Ill Bell. We had a brief stop for lunch on the summit and then continued along the ridge and up onto the summit of High Street 828m and then continued onto Kidsty Pike 780m." — davidlong • May 9, 2012