The Harvey Howgill Tops                                                  UK Ultras

This informal outing is a circuit of the 40 tops of 400 metres or more that are named and identified by a separate contour ring on Harvey’s Howgill Fells map.  There are in fact 39 named tops but the distinctive spot height of 500 metres to the north-west of Docker Knott was added to make a round number!  It was first completed by Tony Wimbush and Colin Brooke in April 1985 in 11-58 starting from the Cross Keys on the A683, north-east of Sedbergh. It covers over 60 km with some 3500 metres of ascent.

Coincidently a month later Alan Evans of Kendal AC instigated a top to top, Wandale to Winder, traverse of 1500 footers.  It does not qualify as ultra-distance but certainly makes for a challenging training run. In 1987 there were notable completions by Mike Walford and Jon Broxap in 5-39 followed by Hugh Symonds in 4-49 and, in 1989, by Pete Simpson in 6-27. There is, of course, scope for devising further circuits or linear routes linking 500 metre, 600 metre or 2000’ tops!

Route

Schedule

click icon for a schedule showing grid references and heights for each top.

Use in conjunction with the Harvey Superwalker Howgills Fells map (1:25 000)

Completions

This is an informal challenge without rules, registrations and time limits, although 12 hours is likely to be the target for most runners.

Links and Further Information

□   The 31 Howgill 1500 footers  – Hugh Symonds’s 1987 schedule.  

The Calf trig point (Gordon Hatton)

(© Copyright Gordon Hatton and  licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence )