Start point: Blea Tarn Car Park (NY 296 043)
Blea Tarn – Brown How on Lingmoor Fell (138) – Side Pike (139) – Blea Tarn
Weather: Showers with sunny spells.
Today’s walk is a lovely circuit of Lingmoor Fell taking in Side Pike and Blea Tarn. There are magnificent views of the nearby Langdale Pikes from here; in fact it is arguably the best view you can get of them.
There is a car park conveniently situated for this walk on the Side Gates road adjacent to Blea Tarn. From the car park, I turned left and followed the tarmac until just above the lower cattle grid, a grassy track bears left over a low wooden barrier and follows the contour for some distance. The first obstacle was a beck; I crossed it and followed the path to the right, following the wall along the contour until the sharp ascent up to Lingmoor began.
Little Langdale Tarn and Wetherlam from the ascent of Lingmoor Fell. Once onto the ridge, the path passes some old mine workings; the stone wall leads all the way to the summit from here.
The summit ridge and the wall leading to Brown How, the summit of Lingmoor Fell. The Langdale Pikes are behind. There is a stile to cross on the summit fence and the large summit cairn lies beyond.
The Langdale Pikes from the summit of Brown How on Lingmoor Fell.
Lingmoor Tarn...
and Blea Tarn from Lingmoor Fell. The path carries on from the summit and descends quite sharply to a shoulder beneath the large, rocky knoll of Side Pike.
Pike O' Blisco emerges from the clouds from Lingmoor Fell.
Side Pike looms ahead along the wall. From the shoulder, the path bears left, behind a narrow rock flake (breathe in!) and then ascends to the summit of Side Pike. It feels as though you can touch the Langdale Pikes from here.
The Langdale Pikes from the summit of Side Pike.
Mickleden from Side Pike with The Band, left, Rossett Pike at the Head of the valley and the Langdale Pikes to the right. I descended to the main road, across by the cattle grid and then followed the path to the little wood behind Blea Tarn. Once through the wood, the path leads around Blea Tarn to the start point of the walk.
The Langdale Pikes and Side Pike across Blea Tarn.