The Langdale Pikes

Tuesday 29th May 2007

After three days of fantastic walking I couldn't help being a little unimpressed with this walk. It wasn't the weather to blame as that was fantastic with clear views and broken cloud, but I guess the problem is the perennial one that I get where I have to be at a certain location by a certain time in order to catch a bus. The pressure of getting there is constantly on my mind, shortening the day and taking my attention off the walk. Another reason could simply be because I didn't really have far to go: Elterwater to Grasmere. I had been up many great mountains over the previous couple of days covering great distances, but on this walk I only went up the Langdale Pikes and they only top 736m and the nearby High Raise is 762m, but that is an unimpressive mound. Oh well, c'est la vie.

I started with an hour's walk along Langdale to the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, which was an easy start under the circumstances and one that I was able to make from memory without the aid of a map (which I didn't have anyway!). Starting the climb on the east side of Stickle Ghyll I veered away from the path after crossing Mill Beck and climbed steeply through bracken up the hillside. Every time I felt I was being stupid to take such a steep path I would look back down at the crowds beside Stickle Ghyll and I was reassured that I could have taken a much worse route. Following the path through bracken I passed a large enclosure and joined a path that had left the Ghyll later than I had. Onward I went around Tarn Crag and dropped down to Stickle Tarn where the impressive Pavey Ark crag was lying beyond including my target: Jack's Rake.

As I climbed the scree to the foot of Pavey Ark the rake looked scary ascending diagonally up the cliff-face. It looked like what it was: a rock climb and truly is the most difficult thing I have ever attempted in the Lake District; Sharp Edge in mist is a close second. Even though I had perfect weather conditions the climb still terrified me, with the worst bit being just before the first Rowan tree. Difficulty in finding a secure footing coupled with the exposure and a sense that if I slipped at this point there would be nothing to stop me falling to my death, so the climb was a little awkward (!). Just beyond the exposure there was another difficult section but the problem there was my rucksack. I was climbing through a narrow gap where I had to turn onto my side to get through but I couldn't because of my rucksack. Somehow I managed to get past to the first Rowan tree, but my problems were not over.

Although there was nothing as terrifying as what I had just encountered, the onward climb still featured some difficult scrambling. Earlier there had been no doubt as to the route but towards the top of the climb I became uncertain with several options seeming to be available. Eventually I managed to find my way up to the top where I visited the summit of Pavey Ark, which is a modest affair seemingly oblivious to the terrors below. From Pavey Ark I proceeded to bag every top or crag in the area, starting with Thunacar Knott and moving on via various assorted outcrops to Harrison Stickle, which was, of course, teeming with people. Moving beyond them to the very end of the promontory I sat down and surveyed the stunning views up and down Langdale and beyond to Windermere. This was a beautiful moment and if I concentrated I could almost believe that there weren't crowds of people behind me. With my moment gone I descended steeply to the young Dungeon Ghyll and climbed up to the top of Thorn Crag and then Loft Crag, where I had my lunch. After lunch I continued along the tops of the crags until I got to Pike of Stickle, where I rejected the steps that have been built into the side and went straight up the rocks finishing in a short gully that took me up to the top. I didn't stay long, of course, as it was full of people so I went back down and headed off north to High Raise. I suppose I had been enjoying myself hopping from one crag top to another, but I think there were just too many people around for me to really enjoy myself, and then the walk from Pike of Stickle to High Raise was just plain dull being a long walk uphill on grass. Maybe my negative opinion of this walk stems from this part of the walk, I don't know, but eventually I reached the top of High Raise.

With less than two hours to get down to Grasmere to walked across to Sergeant Man, a top I don't think I had ever been up before, which is just bizarre when you consider how often I have been to this area of the Lake District. Crossing over to Codale Head I picked up a path that seemed to be going in the right direction but eventually I realised that it was heading towards the top of Far Easedale, so I turned east and dropped down to Tarn Crag overlooking Easedale Tarn. It took me rather a long time to get to Tarn Crag so at the earliest opportunity I descended quickly through the bracken down to Easedale Tarn. Joining the main path I raced down, running where possible, to enable me to reach Grasmere in time to catch the bus. This was a great four days in the Lake District despite my opinion of the last day and it won't be too long before I'm back.