Re Leg1 - descent from blencathra.
This year I have reccied pretty much everything there is. And I am now completely convinced that Dodick Fell is the way to go.
At an easy pace which would give 30-32 mins down halls fell ridge - I got to the bottom of Dodick in 16 mins - 5 mins to the farm gate at the foot of halls fell ridge. So it really is only around 23 mins to the normal changeover point a down the road from the farm.
So no contest in my view
To the top of dodick is fast. There are 3 rocky sections , at most 30-40 feet each and even these are only the same as the very easiest parts of halls fell ridge. Two of them are easily bypassed on grass to the right.
The lower sections are nowhere as steep as halls fell/ dont beat up your legs.
And the section to the gate from the foot of dodick is essentially downhill. It is certainly best to go into the stream reentrant at the bottom than to drop and climb.
PS - Id always assumed the direct route to fairfield was best. Im beggining to change that view. I took a dead reckon from dollywagon to join the wall at the bottom and right of the tarn - on easy spongy grass. And was up on fairfield easily in 36: I reckon the advantage is not in time: it is in effort - the descent is a lot easier and softer, and the climb is nowhere near as brutal.
I hadnt realised either, there is a decent grass descent line to the left of the wall ( avoiding the zig zags off fairfield) - with only one steep section involving 4 points of contact including bum to avoid slipping. Finally there is a good grassy ascent line on seat sandal to the right of the normal - shaly - slippy ascent.
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