Height: 616 metres / 2021 feet Grid reference: NY 31011 33971
Back O’ Skiddaw
Start point: Bowscale (NY 358 317)
Bowscale – Bowscale Tarn – East Top on Bowscale Fell (387) – Bowscale Fell (388) – The Tongue (389) – Bannerdale Crags (390) – Blencathra – Mungrisdale Common – Cloven Stone – Lonscale Pike (391) – Lonscale Fell (392) – Jenkin Hill (393) – Skiddaw Lesser Man (394) – Skiddaw Little Man (395) – Skiddaw – Bakestall – Whitewater Dash – Little Calva (396) – Knott – Coomb Height (397) – Little Lingy Hill (398) – Great Lingy Hill (399) – Hare Stones (400) – High Pike (401) – Miton Hill (402) – Round Knott (403) – Carrock Fell (404) – Mungrisdale – Bowscale
Distance: 25.8 miles Total Ascent: 2447 metres Time Taken: 10 hours 50 minutes
Weather: Sunny and warm with a slight breeze. 25°C.
Today’s walk was a long circuit of the quiet fells known as ‘The Back o’ Skiddaw’. The weather was very pleasant, not as hot and muggy as it has been recently with a slight, welcome, cooling breeze. The views were absolutely superb at times and I was glad I chose today to do this long walk. The only problem was I forgot my food and 26 miles is a long way without any fuel…
Back O' Skiddaw route map.
Early morning light on Carrock Fell. This was to be the last fell of the walk, some 11 long hours later.
Looking along the Mosedale valley.
Bowscale Tarn, keeper of two immortal fish so legend has it and mentioned by Wordsworth in his poem 'Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle', 1807. '...And both the undying fish that swim, Through Bowscale Tarn did wait on him, The pair were servants of his eye, In their immortality, They moved about in open sight, To and fro, for his delight...'
Strange light and a band of thick low lying cloud to the south from Bowscale Fell's subsidiary east top.
The north western fells seen between Blencathra and Skiddaw.
Blencathra from Bannerdale Crags.
Skiddaw across the summit tarn on Blencathra.
The summit of Blencathra.
Skiddaw from that most derided of Wainwright fells (for not being a true summit), Mungrisdale Common.
Lonscale Fell from Mungrisdale Common. It was a sharp drop off from Blencathra down to Mungrisdale Common then an incredibly steep pull to get back up onto Lonscale Fell via Burnt Horse.
Great Calva from the climb to Lonscale Fell.
The view from Lonscale Pike, the east peak of Lonscale Fell. In the centre is High Rigg with Tewet Tarn visible and Thirlmere behind.
Skiddaw Lesser Man. Little Man and Skiddaw from Jenkin Hill.
There were superb, breath taking views from the climb up to Skiddaw.
The north-western fells from Skiddaw.
Bassenthwaite Lake and Sale Fell from Skiddaw. Not as cold as the last time we were here.
The view reached as far as Scotland over the Solway Firth to Criffel.
Binsey along the Dash Valley. To reach this point was another steep drop off from Bakestall down Birkett Edge and then a hard climb following the fence up to Little Lingy Fell.
The path to Knott.
A quick rest on Coomb Height, Carrock Fell in the background.
High Pike had a welcoming seat...
Evening light and the cloud begins to form on Skiddaw, seen from Round Knott.