Tarn Crag

Walked on 04/03/2015

Start point: Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale (NY 483 057Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale – Grey Crag(Longsleddale) – Tarn Crag (Longsleddale) – Brownhowe Bottom – Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale

Distance: 5.8 miles Total Ascent: 767 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 20 minutes Start Time: 09:20

Weather: Cold with long sunny spells. 4&c;C

Today I had a meeting with Clive Hutchby who has edited Wainwright Book 1, The Eastern Fells (more of that below) so we decided on a walk on the Far Eastern Fells which is the book under revision at the moment. When we arrived at Sadgill the weather was looking very promising and stayed pleasingly wintry pretty much all of the way round apart from a couple of heavy hail showers. The snow ceratinly lit up the scenery today showing this area in its best light. The only downside to that was the deep snow hid the worst of the boggy bits so on the odd occasion we were past boot depth in snow and mud.

On Saturday 4th April the Eastern Fells will be launched in Keswick Love the Lakes with the same happening on Sunday 5th April at Love the Lakes Bowness on Windermere. We would love to see you there – Clive Hutchby will be signing and the furry fiends Fletcher and Dougal will both be in attendance. If you cannot make it, you can pre-order a signed copy complete with the launch weekend stamp (shown above the book in the photo) here

Tarn Crag Route Map

Looking good at the start of the day at Sadgill.

Longsleddale.

Looking across Sadgill and Longsleddale.

The easy gully - slippery today.

Climbing higher - looking back down the gully.

The head of Longsleddale from Great Howe.

The lights went out for a while and there was a sleety-haily shower.

Looking back to Great Howe as the clouds pass over.

Grey Crag ahead.

The view from the climb.

Shipman Knotts, Kentmere Pike and Harter Fell from the fence crossing.

The summit of Grey Crag.

looking back to Grey Crag from the climb to Tarn Crag. I managed to get a bootful of water on that bit!

Fletcher spots Lee (who we chatted to on the climb) heading for Tarn Crag. He just wants to round us all up!

The summit of Tarn Crag.

The survey column on Tarn Crag.

...and looking the other way.

Blazing a trail.

Kentmere Pike across Longsleddale.

Harter Fell.

Rough Crag and Kidsty Pike through the gap..

High and mighty - Fletcher and Dougal.

Kentmere Pike.

The rugged eastern face of Kentmere Pike.

Fabulous winter conditions on the fells, looking from Brownhowe Bottom.

Brownhowe Bottom, looking back along the path used in descent.

Back on the main track it was really warm now - a very Spring like 9C.

The view back into Longsleddale.

Tarn Crag (Longsleddale)

Height: 664 metres / 2178 feet Grid reference: NY 48848 07852 Category: The Far Eastern Fells

The summit of Tarn Crag with a survey column, a remnant from construction of the Haweswater aqueduct, beyond

The survey column

Branstree

Walked on 28/11/2011

Start point: Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale (NY 483 057)

Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale – Gatesgarth Pass – Branstree – Tarn Crag (Longsleddale) – Harrop Pike – Grey Crag(Longsleddale) – Great Howe (Longsleddale) – Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale

Distance: 7.5 miles Total Ascent: 767 metres Time Taken: 3 hour 30 minutes Start Time: 09:00

Weather: Cold, wet and windy. 6C

Today I had a walk in Longsleddale, one of the remotest valleys around and I certainly saw no-one today. It was wild on the tops today with a strong wind and some heavy showers which coupled with boggy terrain made the going arduous at times – nice to be out for a longer walk once more though and I enjoyed it.

Branstree route map.

Longsleddale from Sadgill - it all looks a bit ominous ahead.

Beautiful Longsleddale and the River Sprint.

Following the track, Goat Scar to the left and Buckbarrow Crag to the right.

The head of Longsleddale.

Buckbarrow Crag.

Looking back into Longsleddale, the wind picking up and blowing some rain in now.

Cleft Ghyll.

The top of Branstree is in cloud, looking across Wrengill Quarry. Once through the quarry the wind really started to pick up and the cloud was almost down to Gatescarth Pass.

Casper puts the handy dog water bowl to good use on the summit of Branstree.

Out of the clag once more on Selside Brow heading for Tarn Crag with more layers on than an onion, plus the obligatory hat and gloves.

Boggy...

...peat hags, typical terrain in these parts, looking into Mosedale.

Branstree looks pretty clear of cloud now looking back from the climb to Tarn Crag.

Mosedale.

The survey post on Tarn Crag, the wind is whipping up the water in that puddle.

Tarn Crag summit.

The cairn on Harrop Pike is clearly visible from the descent of Tarn Crag.

The cairn on Harrop Pike.

Dougal is getting used to the windswept look.

The summit of Grey Crag.

Dougal and Casper on Grey Crag.

Three old men of the fells.

Grey Crag and the survey post on Great Howe.

Tarn Crag from Great Howe.

The easy gully leading back to Sadgill.

A great view of Longsleddale from the descent.

Sadgill Bridge.

Mosedale East

Walked on 18/06/2007

Start point: Swindale Lane (NY 516 133)

Truss Gap – Swindale Head – Harrop Pike – Grey Crag – Tarn Crag – Branstree – Artle Crag – High Howes (Mardale) – Selside Pike – Captain Whelter Bog – High Blake Dodd – Old Corpse Road – Swindale Head – Truss Gap

Distance: 11.5 miles Total Ascent: 800 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes

Weather: Overcast and dull. 19oC.

It has been very wet of late and the weather didn’t promise much today either but I managed to escape the rain for a walk starting from the remote valley of Swindale circling the even remoter valley of Mosedale. There were no views today, the skies were leaden with the merest peep of sunshine. The terrain is generally boggy in this area and I certainly got a good bootful of water today! The remoteness of this area has some advantages though as I only saw one other person all day.

Truss Gap above Swindale Beck.

Swindale Head with Selside Pike up to the right, the route of return.

Following Mosedale Beck.

The gash of Hobgrumble Gill.

Moraine in the glacial valley of Mosedale.

The footbridge across Mosedale Beck.

Following the fence to Harrop Pike - it looks a bit gloomy up there today.

The summit cairn on Harrop Pike.

Casper and Angus on Grey Crag. If you find a red collar up here it belongs to Casper - he managed to lose it shortly after this photo.

Heading for a gloomy Tarn Crag across the bog.

The summit of Tarn Crag with a survey column, a remnant from construction of the Haweswater aqueduct, beyond.

The survey column.

Branstree - the route is following the fence steeply up to the wall, the summit lying at the end of the wall.

Casper on the summit of Branstree. Angus thought the sunken dish of the trig. station made a good water bowl! You may have heard about the plague of caterpillars that has struck the Lake District recently. After seeing great swathes of them near Skiddaw House last week I can report that there were even more on the south-eastern slopes of Branstree today.

One of the cairns on Artlecrag Pike, Selside Pike beyond.

The O.S un-named top (Birkett - High Howes) from Artlecrag Pike. In the centre is another survey column with a couple of un-named tarns beyond. I don't know about a plague of caterpillars but there was a plague of gulls on the slopes of this fell seen as white dots in this photo.

Selside Pike.

The merest glimpse of Haweswater.

Angus and Casper manage a quick swim in the tarns beyond the survey column.

Heading for Selside Pike.

Cascades on the descent to Swindale Head.

Swindale.

Descending to Swindale Head.

This ancient walled track is the Old Corpse Road between Swindale and Mardale.

Branstree

Walked on 09/06/2005

Start point: Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale (NY 483 057)

Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale – Gatesgarth Pass – Branstree (364) – Artlecrag Pike – Selside Pike (365) – High Howes (Mardale) (366) – Tarn Crag (Longsleddale) (367) – Harrop Pike (368) – Grey Crag (Longsleddale) (369) – Great Howe (Longsleddale) (370) – Sadgill Bridge, Longsleddale

Distance: 10.1 miles Total Ascent: 972 metres Time Taken: 3 hour 45 minutes

Weather: Overcast and hazy, a warm 17°C.

Today’s walk was a visit to some of the far eastern fells that I haven’t visited for a good while, starting from Longsleddale. Longsleddale is a lovely valley which is very quiet and Sadgill seems very remote at the end of the long valley road. The weather promised much but failed to deliver any sunshine although it was warm. Indeed, there were more than a few spots of rain towards the end.

Branstree route map.

Longsleddale from Sadgill Bridge.

Looking back to Sadgill on the way to Gatesgarth Pass, the River Sprint meandering down the valley.

Harter Fell from the summit tarn on Branstree.

Selside Pike from Artle Crag.

A glimpse of Haweswater from the survey column between Branstree and High Howes.

Where HAVE you been?!

The survey tower on Tarn Crag, Windermere is in the centre distance.

Harrop Pike.

Bannisdale from Grey Crag.

Grey Crag from yet another survey column on Great Howe.

Goat Scar across Longsleddale from Great Howe.

Longsleddale from Great Howe.

Sadgill.

Angus in the River Sprint beneath Sadgill Bridge.

Longsleddale

Walked on 15/01/2004

Sadgill – Gatesgarth Pass – Branstree (166) – Artlecrag Pike – Selside Pike (167) – High Howes – Tarn Crag (168) – Grey Crag (169) – Great Howe – Sadgill