Height: 740 metres / 2428 feet Grid reference: NY 25046 03368

Little Stand and Crinkle Crags from the Duddon Valley

Pike O’ Blisco and Cold Pike from Little Stand.

Beautiful weather and pools on Little Stand
Height: 740 metres / 2428 feet Grid reference: NY 25046 03368
Little Stand and Crinkle Crags from the Duddon Valley
Pike O’ Blisco and Cold Pike from Little Stand.
Beautiful weather and pools on Little Stand
Walked on
Start Point: Cockley Beck (NY 246 016)
Cockley Beck – Moasdale – Lingcove Beck – High Gait Crags – Yeastyrigg Crags – Pike de Bield – Esk Pike – Ore Gap – Bowfell – Three Tarns – Shelter Crags – Crinkle Crags – Stonesty Pike – Little Stand – Ulpha Fell – Cockley Beck
Distance: 9 miles Total Ascent: 1013 metres Time Taken: 6 hours Start Time: 07:30
Weather: Lovely, 21°C
It was perfect summer weather for a walk up to Esk Pike from Cockley Beck – this is definitely the quiet way to do these fells and I didn’t see anyone until 3 Tarns and then one or two on Crinkle Crags. By the end I was completely boiled, but hey – not complaining! This walk will feature in Trail magazine later this year.
Looking across Pike de Bield to the Scafells. Further along from Pike de Bield is a large cairn (marked 'memorial cairn' on 2nd edition Wainwright's), the brass plaque on it says 'Gerry Charnley 1929 - 1982.
Langstrath from Esk Pike summit. Esk Pike and Bowfell were swirling in and out of the mist all morning and it was a shock to hit the cold air.
The dark outline is the south ridge of Esk Pike (just climbed) and beyond is the finest view of the Scafells of all, taken from Bowfell.
Walked on
Start point: Cockley Beck (NY 246 017)
Cockley Beck – Moasdale – Lingcove Beck – Three Tarns – Shelter Crags – Crinkle Crags – Little Stand – Ulpha Fell – Cockley Beck
Distance: 6.9 miles Total Ascent: 758 metres Time Taken: 4 hours
Weather: Low cloud and rain. 15C.
The weather looked promising early on, but alas it was not to be. You have to accept that you cannot always get clear days on the fells and today was one of those days. I had an early start from Cockley Beck and it was probably too early as everywhere seemed to be a lot brighter by lunchtime. No views to take photos of today…
Black Combe. Who knew what the day would bring, it certainly looked promising if the low level mist would rise - enventually it did, but it was just not far enough!
Lingcove Beck. The walk through Moasdale had been a boggy affair and this view was about the best of the day since the start of Moasdale. Once up the steep section to Three Tarns there were still no views and the wind and rain really whipped up so I decided to miss out my intended traget of Bowfell and carry on across Crinkle Crags. That was a good navigational exercise, as ever!
Walked on
Start point: Cockley Beck (NY 246 017)
Cockley Beck – Moasdale – Lingcove Beck – Three Tarns – Bow Fell – Three Tarns – Shelter Crags – Crinkle Crags – Little Stand – Ulpha Fell – Cockley Beck
Distance: 7.5 miles Total Ascent: 940 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Great winter conditions – snow, blue skies and a cold wind. 5°C.
I wasn’t sure how it would turn out today as it was a bit overcast when I set off for Bowfell from Cockley Beck at the head of the Duddon Valley. It turned out to be a fantastic day in real winter conditions and this is just how I like my walking – the going was rough, rugged and remote and the weather was quite changeable with lots of sunny spells but there was still a strong, icy cold wind. Not to worry though, it is winter after all! The icing on the cake was the climb to Bowfell in fresh snow and under a blue sky – just heaven. Thankfully I managed to get the settings in the new camera right today as well after a bit more messing about. Hopefully they will not need too much tweaking from now on.
An interesting prospect in view - Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Little Stand towering above the Duddon Valley and the River Duddon.
Little Stand from Moasdale. The final route of descent later was along the diagonal scree gully running left to right at the right of the fell.
First sight of the high fells from the rise up from Moasdale, the Scafells covered in cloud. Esk Buttress is directly in line with Casper. I got pelted in a hail shower along here which didn't give me great hope for the rest of the days weather - but you never quite know how it will turn out...
One of the Three Tarns, completely frozen and the view to the Scafells obliterated by the low lying cloud.
Suddenly it is all starting to look good on the climb to Bowfell from Three Tarns. It was fantastic here being the first to climb the virgin snow, sometimes up to knee depth and then the sunny spells and blue sky making the day a real joy to be out.
It all looks a bit dark over that way - Bowfell's summit is to the left. Who knows what Casper is up to?!
Descending back to Three Tarns, which can be seen below with Crinkle Crags beyond. Descending this section I met a couple of 'lads' climbing to Bowfell. We had a chat and talked about a few mutual acquaintances, but the thing that struck me was their ages - 75+ if they were a day! I hope I'm still going strong at that age! (Their advice to me? 'Keep out of the wind at your age'! I don't know if that means because I am old or because I am (to them) young).
Walked on
Start point: Cockley Beck (NY 246 016)
Cockley Beck – Moasdale – Lingcove Beck – Three Tarns – Bow Fell – Climbers Traverse – Three Tarns – Shelter Crags – Crinkle Crags – Stonesty Pike – Little Stand – Ulpha Fell – Cockley Beck
Distance: 8.8 miles Total Ascent: 1127 metres Time Taken: 4 hours
Weather: Sunny and warm. 20°C.
Today was an almost unseasonally warm day, just like midsummer. I had a walk from Cockley Beck at the head of the Duddon Valley up to Bow Fell and back along the Crinkle Crags. I had forgotten how rough the terrain was, especially for a dog, but Angus seemed to take it all in his stride. There isn’t a full set of photographs today as the camera battery decided to give up along the Climbers Traverse on Bow Fell – I must remember to recharge it in future! Hopefully the photographs I did manage to capture show the flavour of the walk terrain and conditions.
Walked on
Start point: Cockley Beck (NY 246 016)
Cockley Beck – Moasdale – Lingcove Beck – High Gait Crags (254) – Yeastyrigg Crags – Pike de Bield (255) – Esk Pike (256) – Ore Gap – Bow Fell – Three Tarns – Shelter Crags – Crinkle Crags – Stonesty Pike (257) – Little Stand (258) – Ulpha Fell – Cockley Beck
Weather: Mainly clear interspersed with cloud and a biting wind on the tops. Snow above 600m.
Today’s walk was a l o n g walk from Cockley Beck to Esk Pike and Bow Fell. The long, boggy run in along Moasdale was helped by the spectacular views (the best?) of Bow Fell, Esk Pike and the Crinkle Crags. The Sca Fells were in cloud all day so I didn’t get to see to much of them , unfortunately. I really rated this walk – thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.