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PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
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E-mail - karl@karlswalks.co.uk |
In these increasingly difficult times we are living in, the one thing that is still encouraged is excersise. So I took a day off work on Thursday and walked one of my favourite walks. I travelled up alone in my car and kept a reasonable distance from the few people who were about. I would have loved to get out and camped for a few days but I would have had to use the train which I didn't want to do.
An early start got me to Cockley Beck and walking around half past seven. Little Stand is the fell most in view near the start of Moasdale..
Looking back down Moasdale with the sun just about to clear Little Stand.
Your reward for negotiating the bogs at the end of Moasdale is the fantastic view of the Scafell massif.
Crossing Lingcove Beck was quite tricky but I eventually found a spot with stones close enough to jump across.
To be honest if you only walked as far as Lingcove Beck you would have had a good day as the beck is chock full of superb little pools and cascades.
I'm walking a little further today though and I cross some marshy ground to reach the Great Moss and the river Esk. Scafell Pike is straight ahead but I'm climbing it via Dow Crag and Pen seen here on the right.
A close up of Dow Crag a with Pen perched on top. My route follows the braided stream beds up the fell.
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Looking across the Great Moss to How Beck. The path to Mickledore climbs steeply on the right of the falls.
On to way upwards now and looking back down the way I've come.
I'm still roughly following the stream although there is an intermittent path which zig zags up the steep grassy hillside..
As with all my other visits to Pen I cross the stream here and scramble up the rough hillside to gain the flat plateau on Dow Crag. I can see no reason why you couldn't just carry on up the grassy slope to the saddle between Pen and Rough crag.
On to Dow Crag now looking down on the Great Moss.
I still have the final pull up to Pen to do yet.
On to the summit now looking over to Ill Crag.
And Esk Pike.
And Pen's parent fell : Scafell Pike. Seen above Rough Crag which was to be my route to the pike.
The Esk now looks a long way down.
Pen seen across the saddle from the rocky lower section of Rough Crag. It's a bit of a puzzle at first to find a break in the crags but there is at least one break and although hands do have to be used it's only a mild scramble and you soon reach enough grass to avoid the rocky sections.
Looking down to Chambers Crag and Ill Crag. The grass runs out here and you are back to rock hopping the last few feet to the summit of the pike
Scafell across Mickledore.
Zooming in on Mickledore with the first section of Lord's Rake beyond.
Cold air meant great visibility today with a fine panorama of fells including Great Gable and Kirk Fell at the front, Pillar and the High Stile ridge in the middle and Grasmoor at the back.
The stones on the north side of the summit structure were still frozen. Styhead Tarn below.
Lingmell and Piers Gill seen from the walk down to the Broad Crag col.
Zooming in on Lingmell Crag and Piers Gill.
Passing the top of Little Narrowcove and looking down on Pen.
Scafell Pike from the path to Esk Hause.
Esk Pike, Bowfell and the Crinkles all in a line.
Looking north to Derwentwater and Skiddaw.
Langstrath then Eagle and Sergeant's Crags, then the Ullscarf ridge and then the Helvellyn group from the climb to Esk Pike.
The Esk and the Great Moss from further on in the climb.
The Langdale Pikes with Windermere in the distance from the top.
View back up to Esk Pike from the cairn which at first I thought was Pike De Bield.
But Pike De Bield is a little further on and from the top I could look across to Pen dwarfed below the cliffs of Broad Stand.
Rest Gill and Long top on Crinkle Crags.
I came down over Greenhole Crags purely because I have never been that way but the descent was pathless and was steep and rocky so I probably wouldn't come that way again. I'm down to Lingcove Beck now looking up to Bowfell.
One last look at the Scafell group as I descend into Moasdale.
Not forgetting a look at Esk Pike and Bowfell.
Nearly back to Cockley Bridge now.
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Other walks in this area
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| 2009 - Pen, Scafell Pike. Harter Fell two dayer | 2013 - Pen to Great How two dayer | 2016 - Pen to Ill Crag |
| 2017 - Eskdale syline | 2020 - Pen to Scafell by the West wall traverse |