WWW.KARLSWALKS.CO.UK
PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
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E-mail - karl@karlswalks.co.uk |
At this time of year you have to grab any nice weather that may come along and luckily I was only working till lunchtime on Friday so I drove up to Great Langdale arriving just after two.
I was also fortunate to arrive at Rossett Bridge just as a car was leaving so I quickly pulled in to their space. After saddling up I had the short road walk to the start of the track through Stool End farm. I was heading up to Crinkle Crags which I can see ahead.
Highland cow encountered just as I entered Oxendale. This guy and his mates were gathered around the gate as they always seem to do and although they did look a bit intimidating with no other way to go I made my way carefully through them.
Looking back down the valley from the bridge across Oxendale Beck. After ascending the Browney Gill path just the other week I would rather have used another route but I really wanted to get as high up as possible before camping in the hope that there might be an inversion in the morning and this is the quickest way.
On to the Browney Gill path which in it's lower reaches is quite a steep pull.
Eventually the path levels out as it passes Brown Howe before climbing again to the crossroads near to Red Tarn. Unfortunately I had lost the Sun and couldn't walk fast enough to catch it up again, everytime I thought I would emerge into the sunlight there was always another hill in the way.
Browney Gill tumbles down from Great Knott.
At the cross roads you turn right on to the slip road and join the Crinkle Crags motorway. At first the Crinkles themselves are not visible but after climbing for a while the full line of summits come into view.
Finally I catch up with the Sun but now it's found a cloud to hide behind.
.
Over to the south are the Coniston fells.
There was quite a bit more snow and ice than I was expecting so I stayed well away from the edge as I climbed onto the first Crinkle.
Scafell and the Pike from the top of the first Crinkle.
There were a couple of people stood at the top of the bad step and were debating how to climb down, so I left them to it and took the path around to the left and started to look for a place to pitch.
After finding a pitch just off the path I took this one photo of the coast before I dived into the tent to warm up. The actual temperature wasn't that bad but the breeze was absolutely freezing.
Sheltered from the breeze I was quite snug and slept well waking just in time to catch the sunrise.
I quickly got my boots on and made the short climb to Long Top the highest point on Crinkle Crags. This is looking down past my tent to Hard Knott and Harter Fell wit the green fields of Eskdale on the right and Dunnerdale on the left.
Sunrise from Long Top.
And looking on the other direction to the orange Scafell range.
And swinging around to the right I can see Great End, Esk Pike and finally Bowfell.
Zooming in on Mickledore I could see what must be the mountain rescue box shining in the sun.
Back to the tent for breakfast and a brew. The sun did a good job of melting the ice from the flysheet.
After packing up I made my way very carefully off the summit. Mickle Door is the drop to the right.
I climbed Gunson Knott which is the next top along for this view down into Great Langdale.
On Gunson Knott I decided that I wouldn't carry on over the next tops but would do a bit of exploring over on the Eskdale side of the crags. Here the sun peeps over Gunson Knott.
After following the hillside below the main tops, noting a few good pitches on the way I eventually climbed back up to the Three Tarns. Here is the familiar view of the Scafells over one of them.
And Bowfell Links over another.
You can't climb Bowfell without going to have a look at the Great Slab so that's what I did but I stayed well away from the edge.
The Langdale Pikes seen over the Slab.
And Three Tarns and Crinkle Crags seen from Bowfell summit.
You'd consider yourself really unlucky if you climbed Blencathra to find you had your own personal cloud.
Looking down into Langstrath from the rough path down from Ore gap.
Angle Tarn below. Today was a much calmer day than yesterday without the bitter wind blowing so any water was mirror like. Rossett Pike, my final climb of the day is basking in the sunshine
When on Rossett Pike it's always worth going right to the end of the top for this view down into Mickleden and Great Langdale.
Rossett Pike from the path down.
And a final look back with Pike O' Stickle in the afternoon sunshine.
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