A day on the Langdale Pikes

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 1 On our last day in Langdale we decided to revist all the Langdale Pikes. The weather was intermittent cloud and sunlit patches and very windy on the tops and ridges. This photo shows the start of our route up the little scree slope behind the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (wonderful Jennings bitter!). Great Langdale is illuminated by a rapidly moving patch of sunlight - a feature that was to characterise the entire day. Across the valley are Lingmoor Fell and Side Pike. Note the helicopter at (0.7, 0.3). It was being used to transport sacks of stone up on to the fells for use in footpath repair.

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 3 Taken from the same location as the previous Gimmer Crag photo. This is a panoramic view southwards down to the valley floor. Great Langdale splits to the west (right) into the twin valleys of Oxendale and Mickleden, separated by the ridge of The Band, rising up from Stool End farm (0.6, 0.3). Blea Tarn and the pass to Little Langdale are on the left, Wetherlam and the Coniston Fells on the far skyline, Pike o' Blisco in shadow on the nearer skyline overlooking Oxendale. Constructed from two photos stitched together using Canon's Photostitch software.

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 2 We went to look at the big rock face of Gimmer Crag, a classic climbers' spot. Very impressive it is too, especially close up. Jan walked on ahead to give an idea of the scale of the crag - see note. Definitely no way up for ordinary walkers. Gimmer Crag is a shoulder of Loft Crag - one of the Langdale Pikes, and one which frequently gets mistaken for Pike o' Stickle when viewed from Chapel Stile and Elterwater.

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 5 Viewed from the north-facing flank of Thorn Crag and across the upper ravine of Dungeon Ghyll, Harrison Stickle - the highest of the Langdale Pikes at 2403 ft - is an impressive sight. The path ascending from Pike How is visible just above the far side of the ravine. I always feel rather twitchy on a couple of sections of this path, notably where the path temporarily splits into two and the unprotected chasm of Dungeon Ghyll is close at hand. The least exposed branch is the upper one. The point of bifurcation is easily seen when descending (heading to the right), but is not obvious when ascending (heading to the left). The splitting point is marked by a small scree-filled gully; the lower branch of the path seemingly the obvious path straight across the gully. But this soon becomes just a bit scary. The thing to do is to ascend the scree gully for just a few steps and the upper branch of the path quickly comes into view.

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 4 We reach the first of the five Langdale Pikes: Thorn Crag, the lowest in elevation at approx. 2120 ft. There are two summits, west and east - the latter perhaps slightly higher. The photo is taken from the east summit looking westwards towards the west summit with its cairn; Loft Crag is beyond, and the rounded dome of Pike o' Stickle further distant on the right. AW doesn't give an entry for Thorn Crag, considering it merely to be a shoulder of Loft Crag. However, on the ground it is distinctly separated from the surrounding fells by Thorn Crag col on one side and the deep ravine of Dungeon Ghyll on the other.

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 6 The colourful summit cairn of Loft Crag, 2270 ft. Harrison Stickle is in the background across the broad expanse of Harrison Coombe. Thorn Crag is the low rounded knoll on the right (0.8, 0.5). It was blowing very hard when I took this and at times I had difficulty keeping my feet, never mind keeping the camera steady.

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 7 The graceful cone and dome of Pike o' Stickle (2323 ft) overlooks the valley of Mickleden far below with the high fells heading towards the Scafell group in the distance. Scafell Pike itself, nearly free of cloud, just peeks through to the left of Esk Pike (see notes). Taken in very windy conditions from the summit of Loft Crag.

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 8 Pike o' Stickle - the most westerly of the Langdale Pikes. The colourful sunlit summit cairn contrasts with the cloud shadows over Harrison Sickle in the distance.

A day on the Langdale Pikes - Photo 9 A fleeting patch of sunlight illuminates a solitary fell walker ('bless him'). Can you see him? Taken from Pike o' Stickle looking east. Harrison Stickle with its flat top is in shadow. The compact neat summit of Loft Crag is on the right in the middle distance at (0.7, 0.6). Windermere is In the far distance.