Start point: The Old Dungeon Ghyll car park (NY 286 062)
Old Dungeon Ghyll – Oxendale – Red Tarn – Crinkle Crags – Shelter Crags – Three Tarns – Bowfell – Climbers Traverse – The Band – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Distance: 8 miles Total Ascent: 1005 metres Time Taken: 5 hours Start Time: 07:30
Weather: Cold, snow. -2oC to +10oC!
It was a beautiful weekend with lots of snow visible on the fell tops. Today was to be the day of the week according to the forecasters…well, it would have been rude not to go out!
Langdale sky over Lingmoor Fell.
Oxendale.
Clouds were forming and pouring over the Langdale Pikes.
Pike o' Stickle.
Moon over Great Knott.
The Langdales from the top of Browney Gill.
Pike o' Blisco.
The Coniston fells.
These sheep were waiting for us on Crinkle Crags.
A view to Blencathra and Helvellyn.
The 2nd and 3rd Crinkles from the 1st and the descent to the Bad Step.
Crinkle Crags Tarn, the highest tarn in England? - read all about it in The Wainwright Companion
Casper and Dougal loving the sunshine.
Long Top, the summit of Crinkle Crags.
Deep snow and the path to the 3rd and 4th Crinkles.
Helvellyn beyond High Raise.
Looking back to the 1st and 2nd from the 3rd!
What a beautiful day.
A contrast in colours looking down on Great Langdale.
3rd to the left and the bigger 2nd from the 4th (sounds like a puzzle all this Crinkling!).
Crinkle Crags from Shelter Crags.
Eskdale and the west Cumbrian coast.
Bowfell across Three Tarns from the prominent rock tower.
The Scafells across Three Tarns, a beautiful place.
Casper and Dougal seem to like it too. Today's story from the fells whilst I was there - a group of chaps were heading towards me, one of them to another in a rather posh voice 'Oh look, it's a shepherd with his dogs'.
Bowfell Links.
The largest of the tarns.
Looking back to Crinkle Crags over Three Tarns from the climb - and yes, there are three tarns, the revised Pictorial Guides show a different story but you can (of course!) read all about that in The Wainwright Companion!
The Dragon's Den? Casper found this handy igloo on top of Bowfell, if you look closely it is actually made in the shape of a dragon. Casper is sat in the mouth with two eyes and two horns on top.
Cloud and moon over the Scafells from Bowfell summit.
Upper Eskdale from Bowfell summit.
There is a magnificent view of the Scafells from here. Select on the image to see a larger version.
The Great Slab of Flat Crags.
Crinkle Crags across Three Tarns from the descent. Bumped into StridingEdge fan Rod descending here, nice to have a chat on such a day.
Descending The Band.
Looking back up the path, Three Tarns are in the depression top left.
Crinkle Crags from The Band.
Out of the snow and cold wind and back to the greener pastures of Great Langdale.
The Langdales from The Band.
Mickleden.
A more pastoral scene showing much of today's route - Crinkle Crags and Bowfell in the background and the snowless lower slopes of The Band.