Steel Edge and Wetherlam Edge, from Tilberthwaite

Facing the parking area take the steps on the left hand side beside the information board and donations box, climbing steeply to a wide path. Turn right, and follow it between old quarry holes and spoil heaps. Yewdale Beck is to your right. Climb steadily and where the path splits at a ruined building take the left fork. This keeps to the right hand side of Penny Rigg, narrows at a small waterfall, and then goes straight up a rocky step. Make for the two cairns visible ahead.

Bearing right keep on the path as it traverses above Tilberthwaite Gill where waterfalls and cascades can be heard but rarely seen. As the ground opens out at the top of the Gill, bear right and ford Crook Beck. Big stepping stones might give you a dry crossing, but they are a stretch for short legged people.

On the other side of the ford bear right on a soft, boggy path to a wooden footbridge. Do not cross, but turn left up grass and bracken slopes, a faint path ascends next to an old level. Try and keep with the path as you climb and swing left to the crest of the ridge ahead.

Once on the crest the game is just beginning. It rises in 3 distinct phases. The early section, which you are on, is grassy knotts and outcrops of grey rock. Then a curious grass ramp. With a finale of a loose scramble up the steepest section of scree, wet grass ledges, and polished gullies to limit the sense of exposure as you near the top. There is no escape from the ridge to either side.

At the bottom of the last section much of the rock is slippery from water seepage from above. Once past it, in dry conditions, adhesion to the rock improves greatly.

Tight zigzags climb amongst outcrops of rock and short tongues of scree provide a little amusement. If above someone try to avoid dislodging rocks down onto them. Hand and footholds in the higher gullies seemed to be mostly firm if smoothed by the passage of time and boots.

At the top of the ridge bear right and cross boggy ground past the tarns to join the Lad Stones path.

Reaching the wide grassy path along Lad Stones, bear right. The path is clear and unambiguous until nearing the top of Lower Howes, where the ground become steeper and more rocky. Only a few, occasional cairn confirms the route to the observant walker. Even when reaching Lower Howes the cairn you think might be the summit of Wetherlam across a shallow depression, is not. The summit lies a little further beyond it.

A precarious cairn sat on the highest rocks at Wetherlam's summit when we visited, but its unlikely to stand for long last unless some bright spark has glued the stones together!

From the summit cairn bear right, heading north east. A sketchy, faint path leads onto the descending Wetherlam Edge, and remains mostly on the left hand side of the crest.

Large boulders make the crest of the ridge difficult to scramble down so, having picked up the widely scattered path, stick to the general line. Don't hurry this bit, it is much easier for a simple slip to escalate badly when descending.

Dropping carefully, you may be lucky to pick up what remains of the path and cairns mentioned by Wainwright, which appears lower down on the Greenburn side.

Cross Birk Fell Hawse and climb the much easier path ahead to the summit of Birk Fell. Seemingly there are two cairns, the second one, across a shallow gully is the official summit.

From the summit of Birk Fell, return into the gully and turn left, to swing under the summit rocks on one of those 'disappears over the edge into thin air' paths. Closer examination reveals a straightforward path hidden below.

Under the summit bear right to continue descending steeply, but rather more easily. Stone pitching is soon encountered. Descend through an area of levels to a small collection of incongruous trees. Bear left at the large cairn and continue dropping down a steep pitched path to a track.

Turn left on the track and then keep right to swing round the perimeter of this boggy expanse to Dry Cove Bottom. Bear left alongside Tilberthwaite Gill once again and descend the track to a gate above buildings. Go through and turn right, pass below the buildings, and at the road turn right to return to the car park.