Height: 705 metres / 2313 feet Grid reference: NY 27118 04212 Category: The Southern Fells
Pike o’ Blisco has two prominent summit cairns in close proximity.
The summit of Pike o’ Blisco
Pike o’ Blisco from Side Pike
Mist over Crinkle Crags with Bowfell beyond the main summit cairn
The Langdale Pikes across Mickleden.
Start point: Three Shire Stone (NY 277 027)
Three Shire Stone – Rough Crags – Cold Pike – Red Tarn – Pike O’ Blisco – Black Crag – Three Shire Stone
Distance: 3.5 miles Total Ascent: 500 metres Time Taken: 2 hours Start Time: 09:25
Weather: Warm and sunny. 19°C
Today was a perfect summer’s day, just the right temperature with a bit of a cooling breeze and not too much haze once up on high. I really enjoyed the walk today in such great conditions and the views were fabulous. I did set off with the intention of going to Wasdale but on the way thought…
Cold Pike route map.
...Harter Fell perhaps?
...or maybe Hardknott?
Bowfell, Crinkle Crags and Little Stand at the head of the Duddon Valley.
I ended up heading for the top of Wrynose Pass for a walk to Red Tarn and the accompanying fells, here ;looking along the path from the Three Shire Stone.
Harter Fell along Wrynose Pass.
The Coniston fells across Wrynose Pass.
Cold Pike and the first sight of Crinkle Crags from the path to Red Tarn.
Looking back to the Coniston fells - Swirl How, Great Carrs and Grey Friar.
Red Tarn.
The view to Bowfell along Red Tarn.
A great place to have a swim and a lie in the grass for Dougal and Casper.
Crossing the southern end of the tarn to take the direct route up to Cold Pike.
Pike o' Blisco and Red Tarn from the climb. Pike o' Stickle has put in appearance to the left but more interestingly that is Skiddaw in the distance.
Crinkle Crags and Bowfell from the summit of Cold Pike.
The Coniston fells from Cold Pike, Coniston Old Man peeping through in the background.
Pike o' Blisco and Red Tarn from the summit. The path to Pike o' Blisco is pretty clear from here.
Crinkle Crags and Bowfell panoramic.
Casper and Dougal check out the fine view.
Skiddaw beyond the summit cairn on Cold Pike.
Looking across to Harter Fell and Little Stand.
Mighty Bowfell.
Close up on the Crinkles and Bowfell.
Casper and Dougal basking in the sunshine on Cold Pike (which is not living up to its name today!).
On the descent to Red Tarn, Pike o' Blisco ahead.
Looking back the other way - Red Tarn and Cold Pike from the climb.
Crinkle Crags and Bowfell from Pike o' Blisco summit.
A 180 degree view from Pike o' Blisco.
Great Langdale.
The Langdale Pikes and High Raise.
Bowfell and the summit of Pike o' Blisco.
Pike o' Stickle.
The Coniston fells.
The Needle, Black Crag plus climber.
Birks Bridge, a great place for a dip for me and the boys.
The view to Bowfell and the Crinkles from Birks Bridge rapids.
Start point: Three Shire Stone (NY 277 027)
Three Shire Stone – Red Tarn – Pike O’ Blisco – Black Crag – Three Shire Stone
Distance: 2.5 miles Total Ascent: 320 metres Time Taken: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weather: Sunny and clear. 4oC.
It was another short walk for me, Louise Angus and Casper today, up to Pike o’ Blisco via the beautiful Red Tarn. It was stunning up there today; very quiet with no-one around and lovely views across a frozen Red Tarn. It is good to see that we have had at least a few good days in the run up to Christmas and long may it continue.
Cold Pike from the path to Red Tarn.
It may be sunny today but it is still cold up here.
Crinkle Crags and Bowfell come into view as the path climbs.
There is a great view to Bowfell across a frozen Red Tarn.
Icy Red Tarn.
Now here's a view you don't see every day - the view from the middle of Red Tarn!
Pike o' Blisco reflected in Red Tarn.
Casper and Louise watch, wondering whether the ice will hold me or will I fall through?
Casper and yours truly on Red Tarn.
Torvill and Dean eat your heart out!
Angus and Casper with a magnificent backdrop.
Looking back to the glittering jewel from the start of the climb to Pike o' Blisco.
Sunlit Bowfell.
Looking back to Wetherlam and Swirl How across Red Tarn.
The summit of Pike o' Blisco.
The Langdale Pikes and Skiddaw across a cold looking Mickleden.
Glaramara.
Lingmoor Fell.
The Helvellyn ridge still has some snow on the top whilst Great Langdale has had no sun today and looks chilly.
Skiddaw and Pike o' Stickle.
Great Langdale.
Fairfield.
Bowfell.
Windermere and the distant Howgills.
They've all found something to take photos of.
Was it this? Looking towards Black Combe with the mist settling in the low lying valleys.
Wrynose Pass from Wrynose Bottom.
Start point: The Old Dungeon Ghyll car park (NY 286 062)
Old Dungeon Ghyll – Pike O’ Blisco – Red Tarn – Cold Pike – Crinkle Crags – Shelter Crags – Three Tarns – Bowfell – Climbers Traverse – Hell Gill – Oxendale – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Distance: 9 miles Total Ascent: 1260 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Sunny. 18oC.
Regular viewers may remember the last time I set off on this route in January when I nearly got blown off Pike o’ Blisco in a blizzard and decided to cut short the route. Some may also remember that back in May I managed to drop my camera and ruin a lens. Since then I have been using the cheapo kit lens that I had but I finally got around to getting a new one which I used for the first time today – hopefully the photos will be back to their previous clarity and sharpness. The walk today was memorable for a couple of reasons; the first was that I managed a quick dip – the first on a walk this year. The second was when I got chatting with the shepherd at Stool End Farm who had a Beardie as a working companion and it was interesting to compare her with Casper.
On the way to Langdale the mist lies over the head of Coniston Water.
Early morning sunshine and cloud on Bowfell.
Crinkle Crags over Wall End Farm.
Golden Casper.
The cloud clears from Bowfell on the climb to Pike o' Blisco.
Blue skies over Pike o' Blisco.
All clear over the Coniston fells from the southern cairn on Pike o' Blisco.
Mist over Crinkle Crags with Bowfell beyond the main summit cairn.
Cold Pike over Red Tarn with a distant Black Combe.
Crinkle Crags and Bowfell from Red Tarn.
The Crinkles from Cold Pike...
...just follow the superhighway.
The second and third Crinkles from the first.
Approaching the 'Bad Step' on the second Crinkle - it is the dark area to the right of centre.
Not so bad today though, me and Casper managed it okay. There is an alternative way around to the west if you don't fancy trying it.
Clouds over the Scafells from Long Top, the second and highest of the Crinkle Crags.
The cloud was constantly appearing then disappearing from Scafell Pike to the left and seemed to be pouring into Eskdale from Esk Hause to the right.
Scafell Pike.
The clouds over Esk Hause.
Bowfell from Shelter Crags.
Casper has a sit down at Three Tarns with a view of the Scafells as a backdrop.
The view from the second tarn - there were only two today, despite the name.
All clear on the Scafells now from Bowfell summit.
All was cloudy to the north and into Langstrath.
Looking back to Bowfell Buttress from the Climber's Traverse on Bowfell.
Looking up to the Crinkles from Buscoe.
At the bottom of Hell Gill, I found this secluded pool an idyllic place for a bathe. Heaven Gill I'd say!
Whorneyside and the Crinkle Crags from the path to Oxendale. The bracken is well gone now.
The same view from further along the path.
Once at Stool End, I spotted a shepherd with a Beardie so we spent a good hour whiling the time away. This working Beardie was half the size of Casper even though the markings are very similar; there are plenty of working Beardies around Langdale - a hardy breed indeed...but you knew that!
The Langdale Pikes.
Start point: Three Shire Stone (NY 277 027)
Three Shire Stone – Red Tarn – Pike O’ Blisco – Black Crag – Three Shire Stone
Distance: 2.5 miles Total Ascent: 320 metres Time Taken: 4 hours
Weather: Sunny and clear. 4°C.
As we sat at home in the dense fog at home, I knew it had to better than that higher up – come on Connie, get your glad rags on, we are in search of sunshine and blue skies! It didn’t take long to find it, the fells were brilliantly clear today with a temperature inversion to the south and the golden glow of a great sunset on our descent. A good choice to get out today I think!
Cold Pike shortly after setting off from Three Shire Stone.
We started off in coat, gloves and hat but once up in the sunshine it was really quite warm. Here we're heading for Red Tarn with Pike o' Blisco up ahead. I wonder who ended up carrying all the gear?
Great Knott, Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell across Red Tarn.
..and a close-up.
We found this an idyllic lunch spot.
Looking back to the Coniston fells from Red Tarn.
Bow Fell.
Angus basks in the golden sunshine.
Connie at Red Tarn.
Not forgetting Casper of course.
Walking along Red Tarn bank.
Looking down on Red Tarn with the Coniston fells beyond from the climb to Pike o' Blisco.
The climb to Pike o' Blisco.
The Skiddaw massif - a good 15 miles away as the crow flies - and Pike o' Stickle.
The Howgills across Windermere.
To the south, there was a temperature inversion in the setting sun. The central hump is Black Combe with the pointed Stickle Pike centre left.
Skiddaw.
Golden glow on the Fairfield group of fells.
Close-up on The Howgills across Windermere.
A sea of cloud over the Duddon Estuary.
Looking south-east from Pike o' Blisco. Whernside and Ingleborough are visible 30 miles away in the centre distance.
Bow Fell from Pike o' Blisco summit.
The rapidly setting sun cast a golden hue on the fells on the descent.
Looking back to Pike o' Blisco.
A silhouetted Crinkle Crags.
All clear over Coniston - it was cold once we were out of the sun.
Coniston sunset.
Come on Connie, let's get down before it gets dark! Casper and Angus are already ahead on the path.
The sun sets behind Harter Fell with a thick band of cloud over Hard Knott.
Start point: The Old Dungeon Ghyll car park (NY 286 062)
Old Dungeon Ghyll – Pike O’ Blisco – Red Tarn – Browney Gill – Oxendale – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Distance: 4.5 miles Total Ascent: 600 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Changeable, significant wind chill. 5°C
It was a complete change in the weather today. In Great Langdale it was dull but higher up the wind and snow came with a vengeance. The original route I intended was over Crinkle Crags but this was curtailed somewhat due to the ferocious wind, discretion being the better part of valour!
Pike o' Blisco from Great Langdale.
Crinkle Crags.
The Langdale Pikes from Wall End.
Side Pike catches the sun on the climb to Pike o' Blisco.
First came thunder, then the snow...
...then the wind on the summit on Pike o' Blisco. It was horrendous, I'm sure the whole fell was swaying!
Crinkle Crags appear from the blizzard and we are huddled behind the cairn on Pike o' Blisco.
We have incoming! - into the wind on the summit.
The Coniston fells - Swirl How, Great Carrs and Grey Friar have a dusting of snow now.
Sunburst over Coniston.
The blizzard is blowing in again over Red Tarn.
Angus above Red Tarn.
Bow Fell out of the cloud now to the right. Angus is showing the way of descent down Browney Gill.
Bow Fell and The Band , Whorneyside Force in the great cleft, centre.
Cascades on Browney Gill.
A brief sunny spell for the Crinkles and Bow Fell.
Pike o' Stickle.
Start point: Three Shire Stone (NY 277 027)
Three Shire Stone – Rough Crags – Cold Pike – Red Tarn – Pike O’ Blisco – Black Crag – Three Shire Stone
Distance: 3.5 miles Total Ascent: 500 metres Time Taken: 2 hours
Weather: Sunny and warm becoming overcast. 23oC.
Nice to see it was still warm today and the blue skies have returned – at least for a short while as it became increasingly overcast towards the end of the walk. It’s a lovely shorter walk this one with some relatively easy height gain, starting from the top of Wrynose Pass.
Cold Pike from Three Shire Stone.
Harter Fell, Wrynose Pass and a familiar figure, bottom right!
Well, I did say semi-retirement. How could I deny Angus a swim and a view like this?
Great Knott, Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell across Red Tarn.
Casper enjoys the view, not the swim.
Red Tarn and Pike o' Blisco from the climb to Cold Pike.
A great view of Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell from the summit of Cold Pike.
Casper - hot on Cold Pike.
Pike o' Blisco, the path to be followed in view.
The Langdale Pikes across Mickleden.
Bow Fell.
Pike of Stickle.
Pike o' Blisco with its prominent summit cairn.
A panoramic view from Cold Pike. Select on the image for a larger version.
Warm on the descent of Cold Pike - we are following the path to the right, not up to Crinkle Crags today.
One way to keep cool.
A silhouette of the Coniston fells across Red Tarn.
Great Knott, Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell from the climb to Pike o' Blisco.
The Langdale Pikes and Great Langdale from Pike o' Blisco.
Hot but happy on Pike o' Blisco.
Start point: Three Shire Stone (NY 277 027)
Three Shire Stone – Rough Crags – Cold Pike – Great Knott – Red Tarn – Pike O’ Blisco – Black Crag – Three Shire Stone
Distance: 4 miles Total Ascent: 600 metres Time Taken: 2 hours
Weather: Cold and clear. 2oC.
After the poor weather recently, it was nice to get a clear day and blue skies again for a walk up to Cold Pike and Pike o’ Blisco, starting from the Three Shire Stone. The wind on the summit of Cold Pike was incredibly biting, but once out of the wind and back into the sunshine it soon warmed up nicely – a lovely day for a great walk.
Start point: Three Shire Stone (NY 277 027)
Three Shire Stone – Rough Crags – Cold Pike – Great Knott – Red Tarn – Pike O’ Blisco – Black Crag – Three Shire Stone
Distance: 4 miles Total Ascent: 600 metres Time Taken: 3 hours
Weather: Sunny intervals but a lot cooler. 12°C.
The weather felt distinctly colder today on this walk from the top of the Wrynose Pass to Cold Pike and Pike o’ Blisco. Today was the day John Patterson completed his round of the Wainwrights, his 214th fell being the Pike o’ Blisco, and I met up with him and a group of friends en route to help him achieve a 40 year goal and to celebrate with champagne (of course!).
Pike o' Blisco
Cold Pike from the approach to Red Tarn.
Harter Fell. The Wrynose Pass road can be seen snaking down the valley.
Swirl How, Great Carrs and Grey Friar across the Wrynose Pass.
Looking across Red Tarn to Great Knott, the Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell.
Pike o' Blisco and Red Tarn from the ascent of Cold Pike.
The Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell from Cold Pike.
Great Knott from Cold Pike.
Pike o' Blisco from Great Knott.
Angus on the summit of Great Knott.
Great Langdale and the Eastern Fells from Pike o' Blisco.
The Langdale Pikes across Mickleden.
Champagne for John Patterson on his 214th and final Wainwright, Pike o' Blisco.
Some names to faces on the summit.
Start point: Three Shire Stone (NY 277 027)
Three Shire Stone – Rough Crags – Cold Pike – Red Tarn – Pike O’ Blisco – Black Crag – Three Shire Stone
Distance: 3.5 miles Total Ascent: 500 metres Time Taken: 1 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Cool, slightly hazy, 6oC.
Today’s walk is a relatively easy ascent of Cold Pike and Pike O’ Blisco from the Three Shire Stone at the top of Wrynose Pass between Coniston and Langdale. Unfortunately, the sunshine and clarity of yesterday are gone again today but there were still great views over to the Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell and across Wrynose to the Coniston fells; the snow is still lingering on the higher tops.
Cold Pike route map.
3D image of the walk route.
The Three Shire Stone. It marks the old county boundaries of Lancashire, Westmorland and Cumberland.
Looking down Wrynose to Harter Fell.
Wet Side Edge and Grey Friar from the ascent to Cold Pike.
Pike O' Blisco from Cold Pike.
Across Red Tarn to the Coniston fells.
Bow Fell from Pike O' Blisco, the deep chasm of Hell Gill below.
The Coniston Fells from Pike O' Blisco.
A windswept Angus on Pike O' Blisco.
Looking across the Langdale Valley to the Langdale Pikes with a snowy Helvellyn beyond.
Cold Pike and Little Stand from Pike O' Blisco.
Start point: Blea Tarn car park (NY 296 043)
Blea Tarn – Blea Moss – Blake Rigg (Little Langdale) (252) – Long Crag on Wrynose Fell (253) – Pike O’ Blisco – Black Crag – Wrynose Bridge – Blea Moss Blea Tarn
Weather: Dull and overcast with rain and strong winds towards the end.
Today’s walk is a round of Wrynose Fell, the upland mass to the north of the Wrynose Pass road, the high point being Pike O’ Blisco. I used a rocky gully for a pathless, steep ascent to Blake Rigg with an interesting detour to Black Crag on the descent from Pike O’ Blisco.
Pike o' Blisco route map.
The Langdale Pikes across Blea Tarn. See below for an annotated version of this photo.
The route used for the ascent of Blake Rigg - the steep gully running diagonally from the bottom left.
Little Langdale Tarn from the ascent of Blake Rigg. The mound to the right is Castle How.
Side Pike, Lingmoor Fell and Blea Tarn from Blake Rigg.
The summit of Blake Rigg.
Blake Rigg from the summit of Long Crag.
A wet and windy Pike O' Blisco. Black Crag is usually passed by on the way to Pike O' Blisco, but it could almost be a mini Great Gable - with a Sphinx Rock of its own....
...and The Needle, detailed by Wainwright in 'The Southern Fells' (Pike O' Blisco 8).
Wrynose Bridge - how many times have you passed over this bridge in the car un-noticed?
Start point: The Old Dungeon Ghyll car park (NY 286 062)
Old Dungeon Ghyll – Pike O’ Blisco (61) – Red Tarn – Cold Pike (62) – Great Knott (63) – Crinkle Crags (64 – 68) – Shelter Crags (69) – 3 Tarns – Bowfell (70) – Climbers Traverse – White Stones on The Band (71) – The Band – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Weather: Sunny with scattered showers.
Today’s round is a high ridge round with great views of the Langdale Pikes and the Scafell range. Today started off sunny, but the clouds on the tops looked ominous.
Up the tarmac from The Old Dungeon Ghyll car park, past Wall End and then a right turn onto the fell side for the ascent of Pike O' Blisco. This view of Mickleden over Wall End is from the road.
The path to Pike O' Blisco is a steep stairway. This view of the Langdale Pikes is from the path. The path eventually levels out and the summit dome of Pike O' Blisco is reached by a rocky scramble.
The rain set in as I reached the top. Here Windermere can be seen from Pike O' Blisco summit.
Red Tarn from the descent of Pike O' Blisco. The route I took was around the far left of the tarn from this view and then straight up the side of Cold Fell following the (electric) fence all the way to the summit.
Pike O' Blisco from the summit of Cold Pike. Then it's an easy descent to the main path going to Crinkle Crags and striking northwards from the path I headed for Great Knott summit.
The Crinkle Crags from (a rainy) Great Knott summit. Great views of the Crinkle Crags ahead now, the main path is hard to miss.
The second Crinkle, Mickle Door and the third Crinkle across Great Cove. There are five Crinkles in all, each is a separate summit. The highest summit is the second Crinkle, named Long Top. The Crinkle Crags can be a very confusing place in mist as the path does not follow a direct line. At the start of the second Crinkles ascent, there is a vertical rock face approximately 3 metres high known as 'the bad step'. This requires either climbing the rock or circumventing the step by following the path to the left flank of the buttress.
The first Crinkle, left looking to the Scafells..
and the Third Crinkle looking over Mickleden.
Windermere from Long Top, the second Crinkle.
The Langdale Pikes from the fourth Crinkle, left and the Coniston fells from the fifth Crinkle, named Gunson Knott. When walking the ridge it appears there are more than five Crinkles, indeed there seems to be seven. The first top after the Crinkles is named Shelter Crags and there is a further un-named peak just before the descent to Three Tarns.
Bowfell from the summit of Shelter Crags. As the cloud was clearing, I decided to press on to Bowfell.
Bowfell looms over Three Tarns. The steep path can clearly be seen rising up to the summit.
It was well worth climbing Bowfell for the spectacular views. Here Lingcove Beck, Hard Knott, Harter Fell and Black Combe can be seen from the summit.
A distant Grasmoor, Eel Crag, Sail and Grisedale Pike over Brandreth and Allen Crags from Bowfell.
Scafell, Mickledore, Scafell Pike and Ill Crag from Bowfell.
Pillar from Bowfell. From here I took a different line of descent from the route of ascent. Following the path known as the climbers traverse from the summit alongside the Great Slab, a gigantic slab of steeply angled rock
The Great Slab of Flat Crags
Pike O' Blisco and the Coniston Fells from the climbers traverse. From the climbers traverse, a path known as The Band is joined. Just north of the path is the appropriately named White Stones.
The Langdale Pikes from the summit of White Stones on The Band. Picking up The Band again, it was a simple descent to Stool End and The Old Dungeon Ghyll car park.
Old Dungeon Ghyll – Pike O’ Blisco – Cold Pike – Crinkle Crags – Three Tarns – The Band – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Angus on Pike O' Blisco summit.
...and on Cold Pike summit.
Crinkle Crags summit.