**

Green Crag from the Birker Fell road

Green Crag is the dominant rocky peak in the range of craggy knotts amid the marshy moorland of moss, heather and grasses between the Eskdale and Duddon valleys of south west Lakeland. It can be climbed from either valley, or the road over Birker Fell - which is an area of high ground rather than a summit top itself. The latter makes for a short walk with some rare pathless adventurism, a change of scene indeed from many of the more popular stony fells nearby.

The view north from the summit of Green Crag, and to some extent Birker Fell, is to the Scafell massif and is particularly fine. North east is Harter Fell. Looking back to the start, south west, Devoke Water peeks out from behind Seat How.

Parking on the Birker fell road is limited to vague pull-ins, the name layby is really too grand for these road side gravel patches. The one where we parked is ideal as a starting point as not only does it have a path across the grass but you can see a joining path onto Great Crag. However, don't be fooled by the presence of such paths. whilst they are not illusionary and they indeed help you to "a" destination, it may not be the one you wanted and even if it is, following it on the ground is more difficult than it may first appear.

There are no fences, no cairns, no stone pitched 'engineered' paths to follow, or any sure fire navigational handrails. So don't even think of trying this walk in mist or low cloud.

Park at the informal pull-in at SD17669708.