Black Combe

HOW do I know about a little peak on the southwestern coast of the lakes? And what is it that keeps pulling me back to it? What makes this a hidden gem?

Well, first it is important to offer a few facts, standing at 2,000 feet Black Combe is no giant, but it is certainly no slouch either. It stands some ten miles from any higher ground and is just four miles from the Irish Sea. 

Jasper on Silecroft beach with Black Combe behind.

Childhood Memories

From a young age my family would go unto the lakes for a holiday and stay at my grandparents static caravan in the village of Silecroft.  Silecroft boasts a cracking beach (shingle when the tides in and a vast expanse of sand when the tides in), a compelling golf course (which my grandad, dad, cousin and I would play), a train station, The Miners Arms which serves food, the caravan site and the pony trekking centre. 

One thing, above all else excited me back when I was young just as it does today when in Silecroft was looking upon that mountain. Exiting the caravan would result in being greeted by the awesome presence of Black Combe, punctuating the skyline, sometimes brooding, masked in a clouded guise. Peaceful and serene in the still sunlight, but colossal and forboding when skies grey and tempest comes. 

Puerile Pioneer

For a number of years I never managed to attempt a climb as I was simply too young. All in good time though, my dad, sister and I had a effort at Black Combe and got what I believed to be at the time to be about three quarters of the way up. 

In retrospect it was more like less than halfway! At that point having got past the steepest part of the ascent and come between a pair of thigh like spurs, the cloud came in and made visibility very limited. We ate our butties and headed back the way we came for Silecroft. 

Adult Accomplishment

It was a fair number of years until I reattempted and conquered the Combe. I’d stared at it from the beach, from the car when weaving along the A595 under it’s mighty foothills, and then finally in 2013, as a precursor to TeamFell, we traversed on a pilgrimage to Whicham church, where the ascent begins. In homage to years of imagination and vivid recollections of it’s stout silhouette we reached the summit.

Black Combe and all it's intricacies will be covered in far more detail in the Summits Tackled section. But here and now I want to describe to you what makes this climb is different to other more well known peaks.

On the first leg of the climb you rise up between two root like spurs and hit a steep section that gets the pulse up and while having a thirty second breather, turning round instantly gives you a staggering perspective of the Duddon Estuary. In good weather it gleams and shifts peacefully with Morecambe Bay behind it to the south. In truth all the way up the views are stunning. The Isle of Man is a westward landmark, while it is not until the summit (if coming from Whicham) that you see north and east. When you do though, it is well worth the wait. 

Jasper in a mac, on the summit of Black Combe. 

From this cornerstone, the view is cinematic, Black Combe is a guard standing vigil, protecting its taller inland counterparts to the north and west. As previously noted, Black Combe is ten miles from any higher ground. This gives you a feeling of status, topping a column far enough from interfering neighbours to harbour a full 360 degree vista. In my opinion it is worthy of far more recognition and visitors. I say this hesitantly, as one of the lovely things about walking Black Combe is the tranquility. It’s a little off the beaten track and so the desolate quiet is refreshing. In other words don't all go at once, this one is definitely best served chilled.

This pleasant walk has views in abundance, wildlife, peace and fun all wrapped up in a 2,000 foot package. Every year there is the Black Combe walking festival led by local guides who give even more background to the area and the mountain. It is absolutely worth making a note of the late summer weekend event for next year! 

On their website, www.walkingfest.org.uk there’s loads of really good walking guides with maps, including a good looking Black Combe circular. Ive also embedded a video from their site below as you can catch a glimpse of Black Combe in all its glory behind a couple of interviews regarding the tourism in the area. 

Finally, thank you for letting me share one of my favourite places with you and I hope I have done enough to get you to try it, and find it equally as fascinating and compelling as me. 

It’s just special. 

What Haystacks was to the great Alf Wainwright, Black Combe is to me. 

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