Coldbarrow Fell - High Saddle

About Coldbarrow Fell - High Saddle

Sitting on the high, undulating ridge between Ullscarf and Greenup Edge, this Birkett top offers a wilder perspective of the Central Fells. The terrain is often peat-haggish and damp, but the reward is a front-row seat to the craggy silhouettes of the Langdale Pikes and the deep trench of Langstrath.

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Did You Know?

• •High Saddle is the loftier of two prominent rocky outcrops—the other being Low Saddle—that break the otherwise grassy and peat-covered expanse of the Coldbarrow Fell plateau.
• •While it was overlooked by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guides, Bill Birkett included it in his list of Lakeland peaks, noting its character as a distinct 'top' on the long ridge leading from Greenup Edge.
• •The summit provides an excellent vantage point for inspecting the formidable eastern crags of Eagle Crag and Sergeant's Crag, which look far more impressive from this elevation than they do from the valley floor.
• •The name 'Saddle' likely refers to the distinct dip in the ridgeline between this summit and its lower sibling, creating a classic profile when viewed from the heights of the Wythburn fells.
• •In a region famous for its high rainfall, the plateau around High Saddle has a particular talent for retaining it, turning a simple ridge walk into a masterclass in tactical bog-hopping.