Great Mountains: Esk Pike

The head of Eskdale is surrounded by great mountains from Scafell and the Scafell Pikes on the west of the valley to the Bow Fell and Crinkle Crags ridge on the eastern side and any of these mountains could be singled out for attention as a great mountain. All the mountains around the head of Eskdale are great, but just one mountain in that panoply of great mountains gets its name from the valley. It is not the highest peak in the area or the most prominent, but it is, nevertheless, my favourite fell in the Lake District. The best feature of Esk Pike is the summit, which is a glorious array of colourful rocks scattered across a top from where the views in all directions are simply superb. It doesn’t scream for attention and didn’t even have a name on early Ordnance Survey maps, it rarely has many people crowding the summit and is all the better for it. In views from the south it is its neighbour Bow Fell that draws the eye, but it is Esk Pike that satisfies a traverse and always leaves me with a big smile on my face. I made my first ascent of Esk Pike in 2003, but it was so hot on that day it failed to leave an impression on me, but the following ascent, in 2006, ensured that I would always regard this fell with affection.

A lengthy ridge descends south off the summit to Lingcove Bridge and in 2006 I climbed this ridge stopping off at many of the crags on the broad ridge loving every moment of the ascent despite having only a faint path to follow. After this ascent I was smitten and when I was fortunate to find myself surrounded by an impressive thermal inversion on New Year’s Eve 2008 I climbed Esk Pike again, even though I hadn’t planned it. There I was able to take in the awesome views that were made extra special by the thick cloud that filled all the valleys. Apart from the excellent south ridge all routes to the top of Esk Pike have to go via the two passes either side of the summit. In 2003 I climbed from Great Langdale around Angle Tarn and up to the Ore Gap and in 2008, although my starting point was in Borrowdale, my ascent was via Stake Pass and Angle Tarn so the final stages were the same both times. My descent route in 2006 had also been via the Ore Gap so when I descended in 2008 it had been five years since my first traverse of the fell and I had forgotten about the excellent path that takes a very satisfying route across a rock platform with views to Great End as you majestically descend to the greatest of mountain passes in the Lake District: Esk Hause.

The path from Esk Pike to Esk Hause left little impression on me in 2003 when my mind was on other things, but in the bright sunshine and stunning thermal inversion of New Year’s Eve 2008 I was in awe of this craggy little path that typifies the pleasures of this mountain. Despite Esk Pike being a timid fell amongst the giants around Eskdale it has often been my sole or main target of the walk and such was the case in both 2003 and 2008. In 2003 I was travelling from Great Langdale to Ennerdale and Esk Pike was the fell that I picked to visit on the way simply because I’d never been up it before. In 2008 I had intended on going no higher than the false Esk Hause until the astonishingly good weather provoked me to climb Esk Pike. The next time I went up Esk Pike was in 2011 when my target for the day, Hard Knott, had been completed early and I was free to go wherever I wanted and where I wanted to go was Esk Pike. From Hard Knott it is the sharp peak of Bow Fell that attracts the eye, but after walking all the way up to the Ore Gap it was Esk Pike that I turned towards.

My descent route on that occasion was the south ridge, which enthralled me in descent as it had in 2006 in ascent. I loved picking my own route down the pathless ridge in awesome scenery with no sign of another soul even though the ridges around Eskdale would have been full of people, especially on Scafell Pike. Esk Pike is, however, usually climbed in conjunction with Bow Fell and the other fells in the area. The ridge between Bow Fell and Crinkle Crags is proclaimed as one of the finest ridge walks in Lakeland, so to include Esk Pike in that walk would make a great walk even better. After reaching Esk Pike in 2006 that is what I did crossing the Ore Gap to Bow Fell before continuing across Three Tarns to Crinkle Crags. Again, in 2015, I did the traverse in that direction climbing up to Esk Pike from Esk Hause, the only time I have done that. In 2018, my most recent ascent of Esk Pike, I didn’t include Bow Fell in the walk, but Great End on the far side of Esk Hause. Copying my walk of 2003 I had climbed from Great Langdale up Rossett Gill to the Ore Gap, which was such a strenuous climb I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I reached the top of the pass, but all my fatigue dropped away from me as I climbed up to the top of Esk Pike and was now ecstatic at being at the top of a mountain.

On that occasion I described Esk Pike as ‘a queen among kings. A magnificent mountain humbled by its presence among some of the greatest mountains in the Lake District’. All the mountains at the head of Eskdale are truly great mountains, but one in my eyes is extra special. It is not the highest or the most picturesque, but what it lacks it makes up for in character and humility. It has a fabulous ridge on its southern slopes that is rarely visited, it owns the best mountain pass in Lakeland and it has a delectable summit with views that are some of the best anywhere. For all that it is most definitely a great mountain and is in no way subordinate to the other great mountains that surround the head of the greatest valley in the Lake District, Eskdale.

Snowdrops in Blaby

I love wildflowers, so autumn and winter are depressing seasons for me as the native wild plants react to the reducing sunlight by going to seed and shutting down for the year. However, this all changes in January when the first snowdrops appear and suddenly there is a feeling that spring is coming, which finally lifts my spirits. The first snowdrops I see are usually those in the church of All Saints in Blaby, a village just outside Leicester. They are larger than the usual snowdrops and come out a few weeks earlier, usually by the middle of January. They are a welcome sight and the smaller, more common snowdrops are not far behind with most being out by the beginning of February. I have snowdrops in my garden, but the best displays require decades to establish with a particularly stunning array in Leicestershire at Dimminsdale Nature Reserve. I visit the reserve every year to witness the awesome snowdrops that can be seen and last year was no different, but this year lockdown has meant I can’t travel and have to stay local. Fortunately I know there are some snowdrops in Blaby, but when I started looking for them a couple of weeks ago I was astonished to find abundant displays that were more extensive than I’d remembered.

I started at All Saints Church, but the large snowdrops had been crushed by footfall during the recent snowfall so moving on from there I headed onto Mill Lane and soon found a rich spread of snowdrops on the high banks beside the road mixed amongst the undergrowth. These were fabulous to see after the long, miserable winter and served to lift my spirits at a time when all else is dull and dreary. More snowdrops could be seen as I made my way along the narrow road that sees little traffic, but is popular with walkers including me. Mill Lane has provided me with much comfort over the last couple of months when I have only able to walk locally and has provided me with a lovely walk past trees in the Sence valley and has become my first choice place to walk. On this occasion, when I reached Blaby Cemetery I turned right between the modern cemetery and an old cemetery where I found more snowdrops. A couple of years ago this old cemetery was overgrown with a mess of weeds until a team of volunteers tackled the jungle and cleared the weeds enabling the snowdrops that must have always been underneath to bloom.

The snowdrops are all near the path and provide me with a great encouragement as I walk up to the Peace Memorial Garden at the upper end of the cemetery. This is where the greatest density of snowdrops are with gorgeous coverings spread out amongst the tombstones. During the unseasonably warm weather at the end of February I was encouraged to get out for many invigorating walks that have been an immense benefit to my mental health at this time when I have otherwise been stuck at home all day. Earlier in the year the ground was saturated following huge amounts of rain over the winter, which has made walking in the countryside unappealing. Therefore I have largely been keeping to the solid ground of pavements on my local walks and fortunately the path past the Peace Memorial Garden is tarmacked so provides me with a good walk through the refreshing countryside just outside of Blaby without getting my feet covered in mud. On reaching Hospital Lane I turned right heading back into Blaby and after passing Thistly Meadow Primary School I turned right onto Welford Road.

When I reached Bouskell Park I turned into this public space to walk along the path and wondered whether there would be any snowdrops and to my surprise I found an abundant display near an old ice house that is being restored. I don’t remember snowdrops being beside the ice house before and you would have thought the building work would have prevented them appearing, but instead the turned earth has encouraged an abundant covering of snowdrops that I was frustratingly unable to get close to because of the barriers that keep people away from the building work. Snowdrops are not a native plant and only grow where people have planted them, but they require many years to establish into the extensive displays that I have seen in previous years at Dimminsdale, and on this short walk from Blaby. The most likely places to see snowdrops are long established, like churchyards and old cemeteries, while Bouskell Park has snowdrops thanks to its previously being the grounds of Blaby Hall. At a time when we are stuck at home and can only walk locally these snowdrops have provided me with a boost and have helped me get through these dark days.