The Langdale Pikes and Rossett Pike

Thursday 27th May 2021

The overnight cloud-cover that heralded me when I got up this day soon faded away leaving blue skies for a fabulous walk up the Langdale Pikes. Setting off from the Baysbrown Farm Campsite, in Langdale, where I had been staying, I walked down the valley to the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and the Stickle Ghyll National Trust car park taking the path that climbs the Langdale Pikes over Raven Crag. I climbed this way in 2003 on the first time I climbed the Langdale Pikes and had never been on the path since, so I thought it would be a good idea to reacquaint myself with this fabulous path that starts by passing close to Dungeon Ghyll Force, but the waterfall is very difficult to see in its deep, dark, wooded ravine. After the merest glimpse of the waterfall, I continued my ascent along the excellent path that climbs above Raven Crag and across a grassy plateau that was rather boggy and vague. Nevertheless I managed to follow the path up and through the gap between Loft Crag and Thorn Crag while gorgeous sunshine accompanied me, but clouds were slowly beginning to cover the sky. Ignoring Thorn Crag, which is not a Wainwright and is insignificant, I immediately turned left, off the path, tackling the crags directly up soon rejoining the path to reach the top of Loft Crag.

All around me were stunning views of the other Langdale Pikes, notably Harrison Stickle, and down Langdale towards Windermere in the distance, but dark clouds were now coming over and soon robbed me of the sunshine that I had been enjoying. Heading towards Pike of Stickle I stayed on the path to reach the point where an easy scramble is required up to the small summit dome. There I had stunning views all around me, despite dark clouds that were clinging to the fells while bright sunshine remained in the distance. Making my way back down I crossed over towards Harrison Stickle deliberately choosing the craggy path that climbs steeply straight up to the summit, ignoring the green path that heads towards a col further north. I enjoyed this climb through wonderful, rocky terrain eventually reaching the top of Harrison Stickle where, although the views were marred by the cloud cover, there were still great views down Langdale towards the distant sunshine around Windermere.

Turning my back on the views I crossed the complex, rocky terrain heading north towards Pavey Ark, which I was surprised to see seemed insignificant, while Thunacar Knott, benefitting from much wider breadth, seemed much more notable despite often being dismissed as unphotogenic, lacking the steep cliff-faces of the other pikes. Looked at dispassionately, Pavey Ark is just a part of Thunacar Knott, but is always considered to be separate due to its cliff-face that is the largest in Langdale. It is justifiably popular and I did find that there is a dip before the final rise to the top which emphasises its significance, even if this is not apparent when seen from behind. After visiting the top of Pavey Ark I made my way across the broad slopes to the top of Thunacar Knott where I decided I would now leave the Langdale Pikes and make my way down the tedious, grassy, western slopes of Thunacar Knott along very faint, often boggy paths to Stake Pass.

On the edge of Martcrag Moor I came across someone who asked me if this was the path down into Langdale. I told him it wasn’t and escorted him back down to the Stake Pass where I pointed him towards the path into Langdale while I crossed the pass onto the path beyond heading towards Rossett Pike. I must have passed close to Rossett Pike several times in the last ten years while on the Rossett Gill path, but only once in the last ten years have I visited the summit, in 2015 when I was suffering from an allergic reaction to a sun spray and kept to the path away from the ridge. This time I kept to the top of the ridge enjoying every step of the traverse over Black Crags, past Littlegill Head and over Rossett Crag to the top of Rossett Pike. The clouds had begun to clear while I was descending to Stake Pass so by the time I was traversing this ridge I was once again basking in the sunshine and I had tremendous views down Mickleden towards Langdale. From the top of Rossett Pike I descended the short grassy slope to the top of the Rossett Gill path where I turned left to start the epic descent.

The Rossett Gill path is legendary, described by Wainwright as “probably the best known of Lakeland foot passes”, and I enjoyed the awesome descent largely because it is paved throughout. I was worried about my dodgy knee, so at first I was taking things very slowly, but I eventually developed into a brisk pace with the aid of my walking poles so that by the end it was my hands that were aching rather than my knees. When I finally reach the bottom of the path I still had to walk all the way along Mickleden and Langdale back to the campsite, but with the sun shining this was also a pleasure. This was an epic walk over the iconic Langdale Pikes with great weather that I felt lucky to have in the Lake District and I planned to make the most of it.

Tarn Crag and Sergeant Man

Wednesday 26th May 2021

Rain as I had my breakfast at the start of the day didn’t bode well for this walk, but I was hopeful for better weather as I put on my waterproofs and left the Baysbrown Farm Campsite in Langdale to take a footpath out of the valley that I have taken many times in the past since my earliest days in the Lake District. It initially climbs very steeply until on gentler terrain rises above the dramatic ravine of Megs Gill eventually crossing the stream in a tremendous location high above precipitous slopes to reach the top of the ridge between Langdale and Grasmere below the crags of Silver How. With the weather now reduced to just the occasional drizzle, I followed the path over the pass and down into Grasmere where I bought some food before setting off up the Easedale Road past the Youth Hostel and over Easedale Beck. This path took me up the hill beside the waterfalls in Sourmilk Gill to reach Easedale Tarn while the weather gradually improved so it wasn’t long before my waterproofs had all been removed as sunshine and blue skies appeared overhead. In 2012 I had similarly been climbing Tarn Crag, but my way then was blocked my raging torrents in the stream following heavy rain that forced me to approach the ridge via Stythwaite Steps in Far Easedale. 

This was not necessary now, despite the recent rainfall, with Sourmilk Gill easily crossed at the mouth of Easedale Tarn. I remember coming down from Tarn Crag to Easedale Tarn in 2007, but I have no idea of the route and struggled now to find a path. After climbing steep, pathless slopes through young bracken, I eventually came across a clear path that I should have easily been able to find from the beginning and took me onto the ridge that I now followed to the foot of the final rise where I stopped to have my lunch before making the ascent up to the summit of Tarn Crag. The sunshine that I had enjoyed near Easedale Tarn proved to be short-lived and by the time I had finished my lunch the skies were overcast remaining that way for several hours. The ridge behind Tarn Crag broadens before rising again into the complex, craggy landscape east of High Raise, which as I left the top of Tarn Crag was covered in cloud, though this didn’t concern me and as I climbed the cloud gradually lifted. In 2012 I had descended towards Codale Tarn at this point because of snow on the higher fells, but I had no such problem now as I made my own way up the pathless terrain simply heading uphill to anywhere that took my fancy. It was great to have the freedom and time to wonder around exploring the terrain with no restrictions on where I was going, not even from a path.

Eventually I reached the distinctive peak of Codale Head and across a depression looking very appealing was the striking peak of Sergeant Man, while to my right, grassy slopes rose gently to the top of High Raise with no outcrops or anything else to appeal. Quite rightly I turned my back on High Raise and crossed the depression towards Sergeant Man minimising the descent as much as possible before tackling the final steep climb up to the small, craggy top. Despite dark, overcast skies I had awesome views from the top of Sergeant Man especially towards the crags of Pavey Ark and the Langdale Pikes with the Coniston Fells lurking gloomily in the distance. I was so awestruck at my surroundings dominated by dark mountains under grey skies that I laughed with joy, overcome by emotion. Eventually I tore myself away and slowly made my way back down the mountain on the wide south-east ridge that I had previously climbed in 2013, but had not left much of an impression on me.

I was bizarre to feel like I had never been on this path before considering I have been walking in the Lake District for almost twenty years, but this added to my enjoyment as I descended the craggy ridge while enjoying the extensive views. Somehow I completely missed the top of the path coming up from Easedale as I continued to slowly descend the seemingly never-ending ridge until eventually I climbed up to the top of Blea Rigg and was finally in familiar territory again. It had been fun walking in unfamiliar surroundings, but now ahead of me was the fabulous, undulating ridge that extends from Blea Rigg all the way past Silver How to the foot of Loughrigg Fell. I have descended this ridge several times before including on my earliest visits to the Lake District when I grew to love it, but most recently in 2012 after climbing Tarn Crag and passing Codale Tarn. As the skies cleared again to reveal lovely sunshine I joyously sailed along the ridge picking whatever route I felt like at that point, sometimes sticking to the path and other times diverting up a small hill. I didn’t always go the best way and consequently at one point I got my feet wet, but that was just part of the joy.

After passing Swinescar Hause I decided to keep to the Langdale side of the ridge and was rewarded with stunning views up Langdale towards the Crinkle Crags that I didn’t remember ever seeing before and was a great angle that made the valley the look particularly attractive. Exploring the fabulous terrain as I went I eventually reached the path that I had taken at the start of the day around Megs Gill, but branching off from my ascent route I took an alternative path that descends into the disused Thrang Quarry above Chapel Stile and was a joy to once again find a path that I had never taken before. This was a fabulous walk where the poor weather at the start of the day soon cleared leaving me to revel in the pure joy that is walking in Lake District.