Start point: New Dungeon Ghyll Car Park (NY 295 064)
New Dungeon Ghyll – Stickle Tarn –Harrison Stickle – Dungeon Ghyll – New Dungeon Ghyll
Distance: 2.8 miles Total Ascent: 635 metres Time Taken: 3 hours Start Time: 09:50
Weather: Freezing cold wind, deep snow drifts. 2oC
The snow in Cumbria has been well documented with plenty being dumped on the coast – inland there is still a lot around but the roads are mainly clear. Up on high, the strong winds have made the snow drifts very deep – waist deep in many places today.
It was cold in Great Langdale first thing this morning.
At the foot of the climb to Stickle Tarn, at least there was a glimmer of blue sky.
On the frozen path.
Looking back down and across to Lingmoor Fell with frequent snow showers blowing in.
Crossing Stickle Ghyll...under the snow somewhere!
Harrison Stickle across part frozen Stickle Tarn.
Looking across Lingmoor and the Coniston fells.
I had in mind to climb Pavey Ark by the North Rake but you can see here how much snow is around the tarn where the path normally is. All that lovely white snow was knee to waist deep so I headed up to the higher ground (to the right in this photo) but even that was tough going along the undulations so I gave it up as a bad job thinking the North Rake would be full of snow as well. One chap and then a couple went that way - fair play to them, they did make it across as I could see them later on from up on high but for me the risks outweighed the benefits of going that way today.
Fell and sky.
Plan B was to climb Harrison Stickle up the west face - you can see the path heading diagonally right upwards, below the crags. As it turned out, I didn't follow that path either as it was also deep with snow! I climbed the gully directly to the right of the smaller second dark area.
The snow picks out the line of Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark running from bottom right diagonally across to the left.
A view of Easy Gully on Pavey Ark.
Stickle Tarn from the climb.
Climbing the gully and the equipment required to get there. There was a fierce wind blowing as I reached the top.
A change of tack was required here - the usual path goes through the gap below the summit which is full of snow in this photo so I ended up climbing the north face instead - straight up to the right in this photo.
Great Langdale from Harrison Stickle.
Dougal, aka the windometer, accurately reflects conditions on the top.
A fabulous view over Lingmoor Fell and Blea Tarn but there was a wild, wild wind up here.
The Coniston fells.
Big Pike o' Stickle and Little Pike o' Dougal from the descent.
A splash of colour looking back up.
Loft Crag.
Dungeon Ghyll. From here, things got more than a little interesting and great care and caution was required. I would not recommend going this way until conditions abate - there were deep drifts of snow and great layered slabs along the path and I must admit the thought of an avalanche focussed my mind on the descent.
Past the worst bit and descending towards Pike Howe.
Still windy looking up to blue skies above Harrison Stickle.
Lingmoor Fell.
Great Langdale.
Side Pike.
Winter Langdale Pikes.