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.