Great Langdale Part 2

Great Langdale Part 2

Elterwater waterfalls walk 5.6 miles.

28/8/13

My first day of wet weather, as plans go I was doing ok, I had one last big walk to do  when the weather improves , but when planning missions like this its always good to have a wet weather walk planned for just for a day like this.

Also today I was moving campsite to another site down the valley to be nearer to the other walks I had planned so after a lazy morning I decided to load the car up and move.

I arrived in Chapel Stile village found a nice campsite and pitched up at least the rain now had stopped. So leaving my tent to air out I set off to Elterwater Village just down the road and found a car park to start my afternoon circular walk.

I walked back into the village and found Great Langdale Beck and the river path I took this, a popular route with many people out on this grey day This was a lovely riverside walk of lush vegetation and a tree lined river I came to Elterwater the smallest of the big lakes of the national park and it was once much bigger now made up of three areas of bodies of water now only joined by narrow connections of water and the surround areas are of marsh wetlands and Carr woodland. Elterwater sits at the end of two valleys that feed Elterwater the Great Langdale Beck and the River Brathay from Little Langdale.

Floodplain

This where the walk slows down on the shores of Elterwater, to be down amongst the wetland plants inspecting the plant life for a good hour.
The valley floor is thickly plastered with glacial till and alluvium and a good depth of organic sediments on the floor with irregular wetlands on its margins. The alluvial infill is still very active from both valleys giving some classic fen and Carr vegetation, particularly around the upper and middle basins. Emergent vegetation extends into the shallow water for some great distances.


These three flowers out of a few what I looked at stood out the most in the boggy wet grassland, now it was time to move on back along the footpath and the river its been a fine river walk since I started this walk first along fields with the river always on my right and then Elterwater and now into woodland towards Skelwith Bridge and Skelwith Force I could hear the waterfall before seeing it.
The waters of the River Brathay were narrowed  to about a meter and then sent tumbling over a two-meter rock ledge after last night's rains the waterfall was looking good I had a good ten minutes sat there watching the waterfall.

Skelwith Force

This short walk was taking time to do, but so what I had all afternoon to do it and now the weather was improving with sunny spells it just got better.

I skirted Skelwith Bridge for a footpath to Low Colwith with open fields and a bit of sunshine made it nice after coming out of the woods but was not long before going back into the woods, I came across a National Trust information board telling me about these sessile oak woodlands, these oaks are covered in mosses and lichens.

Lovely woods to walk through I soon came to my next waterfall Colwith Force a series waterfalls with a double spout into the river a beautiful place just to site ponder here in the woodlands, only with the occasional walkers passing by and the sounds of water and birdsong made it perfect.

Colwith Force

It was time again to push on with the walk and leave the woods behind and cross the River Brathay and skirt pass the village of Little Langdale, it was here has I was skirting Little Langdale I met a young couple lost trying to get back to Elterwater, I soon put them right and walked with them for a good twenty minutes, but it does make me mad  how some people come out into the countryside ill-prepared with no map and only a book guide, but I kept my opinions to myself and said my goodbyes.

Little Langdale

The last section of the walk took me through a slate quarry, as I extended the walk for an extra mile to take in Chapel Stile and then return along the river path of Great Langdale Beck. It has been an interesting walk and it looks like the rain clouds have returned as I finish my walk off, and back to the car and return to the campsite it was 7.30pm and I had been out all afternoon.

Black Fell  

29/8/13

I got up to another wet grey damp day, so as I come near to the end of my holiday and with one big mission to do if the weather improves, but for today will be the last of the smaller walks, I just hope tomorrow is going to be a better day for the weather.So I left Great Langdale and headed for Tarn Hows, a short drive.

Tarn Hows is a beautiful man-made site and very popular with the tourist, I made my way around the shores of the tarn and through woodland to the main track to find a footpath through woodland again, the path was there but the trees had been cleared now.

Having made my way up the hill to Black Fell, the area had been cleared trees of spruce and pine, I moved now to more open ground, the view was one of low cloud, with a misty grey view.

I made my way to the summit and the large National Trust triangulation column and time for a break and a spot of food.

After my break, it was a saunter back down retracing my steps to the main track then going the opposite way I came along the track.

This way took me to another footpath back to Tarn Hows and I walked on the opposite shore this time back to the car and the end of this walk.

Now what to do it had only just become the afternoon and the day was still grey with low cloud. I headed for Coniston Village to have a look around the shops and to do a bit of shopping.

Two hours later I was in a car park at Fellgate just outside Coniston with the idea of doing an another short walk.

Walna Scar

The only walk I had planned was from Wainwright's Outer fells book called Walna Scar a six-mile circular walk. So I set out on the walk along the Walna Scar track on this rather dull afternoon to Cove Bridge and up to the Walna Scar summit this where I met a lost family who had missed there turn off, I put them right, and again none of them had a proper  map.

Shelter on  the Walna Scar track

For me it was map and compass work to the summit of White Maden, then out of the cloud going back down on pathless direction, but I do not know where I went wrong but I was deep in a boggy area what took some getting out and around to find myself back on the Walna Scar track retracing my steps back to the car, an appalling walk because of the weather and its one walk I will do again, but for now it was back to the campsite.

Scafell Pike, Esk Pike, Rossett Pike.

30/8/13

On the campsite the decision was made this morning, the weather was on my side I was going to do a big fell walk to finish off this area. So all packed up I took the car back up the valley found a parking spot and it was only a short walk to the start of the walk at Dungeon Ghyll old hotel a good 13-mile walk was planned.

I set out along the valley of the Mickleden Beck an easy level walk there was also many fell walkers out today. And then the first climb started up to Rossett Pass on the zig-zag path with the views opening up.

At Rossett Pass the view was good back down the Langdale Valley and I get my first view of Esk Pike has I descend to Angle Tarn where I had my first break with fellow fell walkers who were on the direct route to Scafell Pike, not like myself I was to turn away from the main path and to take another path to Ore Gap and onto Esk Pike.

It was a steady climb up to Ore Gap and then onto Esk Pike and this is one rough boulder summit. I found a spot for my lunch break in the shelter of some rocks with good views over to Borrowdale.  

Esk Pike is a great summit for its appearance of being very rugged and a great viewpoint, pity about the cloud cover over the Scafells, stunning views down Eskdale. Esk Pike sits centrally in the semi-circle of great peaks around the head of Eskdale. A view I have seen many times in my exploration of Eskdale, Esk Pike seems to be sitting back in the view from Eskdale, it’s only because it’s the furthest away.    

Eskdale view

After looking at the Scafells, and the cloud coming and going from the summits I made my mind up to head for the summit of Scafell Pike but on the way to take in the satellite of the Ill Crag.

So I left Esk Pike for Esk Hause, Esk Hause is a meeting of many paths and is one of highest in Lakeland of foot-passes, it was not hard to see why with many fell walkers passing through the area stopping at Esk Hause checking direction then moving to their desired path.

My path took me through Esk Hause for the path to Calf Cove and bypassing Great End to  Ill Crag and from the main Scafell path it was boulder hopping on this bizarre landscape of boulders made it to the rocky summit and had a break.

Ill Crag with Scafell Pike.

From Ill Crag it was onto the summit of Scafell Pike so I joined the rest of the walkers on the path to the summit, it was busy, this was my third visit to the summit and I have had better views before from here, so I was not disappointed that I had a misty view, I sat away from the summit and the crowds and had a break. 

So far I have done well on this walk and so now the return journey, coming off Scafell Pike I got my first shower, I went off the main path and scrambled my way up to the top of Broad Crag another  of Scafell Pike satellites, you get good views over to Great Gable from Board Crag.

Lingmell and Great Gable

I left Broad Crag to join the main path to Calf Cove, feeling tired I missed out Great End the last of the Scafell Pikes satellites and onto to Esk Hause, the weather had improved greatly by the time I got to Angle Tarn with the sun coming back out I climbed up to Rossett Pass and up to my final fell summit of Rossett Pike, the  final push to the summit and a nice long break and I was feeling tired, has it had been such a long walk, but for now lets enjoy the view of Langdale valley.

Great Langdale valley from Rossett Pike

The rest of the walk was a repeat of the walk back down to Mickleden Beck and back to the car in the evening sun and the end of a classic day of fell walking and the last mission in the Lakes and with one day left of my holiday, I was going to head to  Arnside tomorrow.

Arnside and Silverdale 13 mile circular.

31/8/13

I parked up on the promenade at Arnside and started my walk by following the promenade to the end and then using a footpath along the shoreline of the River Kent with woodland on one side and glimmering sand flats on the other it was such a joy to walk, and with only the occasional walker it seemed I had the place to myself.

I passed Blackstone Point and the view of Morecambe Bay opened up. I had woodland and outcrops of limestone on the shoreline, then the path took me inland and across fields passing a group of swallows resting on a telephone wire as they head back to Africa.  a short  road section next and then a short trip to the beach where I found a cave, so went to have a look in it only went in about three meters, so I had my first break here.

Grubbins Wood

 After my break in the cave I moved back inland and into the village of Silverdale with another short road section and I was onto Jack Scout Nature Reserve and another turning point in my walk at Jenny Brown’s Point where I said goodbye to the sea front and moved inland passing creeks and my first view of Warton Crag before going into woodlands full of yews and outcrops of limestone.

Warton Crag

And then it was more road walking I passed RSPB Leighton Moss National Nature Reserve  and took an unmarked path I found, this took me into an interesting area within a small gorge I followed this to the Trowbarrow Quarry Nature Reserve where I stopped for lunch.

The name Trowbarrow gets its name from the gorge I have just walked along, this formed by the erosion of a bed of soft substance. The Trough as it is known is about 10 meters wide and is bounded by 3 to 4-meter cliffs. 

Trowbarrow

While having  my lunch I watched rock climbers at work on the quarry face and then I went to explore the quarry, must research this site more when I get back home. It was time to move on again now I was about half way through the walk.

And now I was heading for Gait Barrows NNR, using the back roads I entered the woods and along Haweswater, I knew I was entering a special place, just by its appearance and seeing how it's been managed told me this was going to be one of them places I will visit again and again to discover its riches, but for now I was only passing the site, I came around to the other side of Haweswater and came out onto a road.  

My next place I was heading for is Eves Wood, so after the road and then another footpath I entered Eaves Wood and while trying to decide which path to take I met a lovely couple who told me about this special wood and told me to take the path to the Pepper Pot, so with a steady climb I made my way up through the woodland to the high point which was the Pepper Pot and what a great view I was rewarded with, there my whole walk so far laid out in front of me.

Pepper Pot

On my way down from the Pepper Pot I passed lots of yew trees at this time of the year there fruit of red berries are to be seen and picked,  I picked a handful and then on with the walk.

Yew berries are very sweet to eat but do not eat the seed they are poisons, so as I walked I spat out the seeds and enjoyed the fruit.

I was in the last section of the  walk feeling tired after such a long walk but also full of joy because of the places I visited on my way, I will be looking into these sites in more detail when I am back home doing my research.I passed the ruined site of Arnside Tower and crossed the road and into Arnside Knott Wood to head for the summit.  

Arnside Knott is another interesting site to explore further I found the trig point and the headed down through the site to finish of the walk in Arnside, and what a great walk it’s been.

The End

The end to my holiday just a few words about my holiday so far I have nearly done the Wainwright Southern Fells and this last mission was one of best so far, to visit some of the highest mountains in the national park and a wild camp on these fells was a joy, I want to repeat again, to have a night on the fells to see the stars without light pollution that was a surprise to me.

Bowfell is now in my top ten of fells so far and to have it on a summers evening all to myself.I also like a more leisurely time around the Scafells to look at the mountain flora. 

One my best views in this holiday were off Bowfell and another was when coming off Lingmoor Fell.I like to spend some time to look at the oak woodlands, I got to see a small example of them in my Elterwater walk, I hear it there are good examples of these woods in Borrowdale and that valley is where I  should be on my next visit. 

And finally, there will be more visits to Arnside and Silverdale area through next spring and summer.

Great Langdale Part 1

Great Langdale Part 1

Warton Crag, 25/8/13

This mission started with a re-visit to Warton Crag to spend an evening wild camping there, but first an evening walk from the car park on the edge of Warton village, so from the car park I walked into the woods with large outcrops of limestone. I had read also there are some small caves to found, so as I went through the woodland searching, but no luck, I started to make my way uphill to the summit, love these limestone woodlands of yew and hazel and I came out at the bacon, the last time I was here was in winter it was foggy then, but not today I could see across the bay to Black Combe. I decided to stop and watch the sunset from here, only another 20 minutes to go.    

      

And what a lovely sunset across, Morecambe Bay, the way down was a stumble in the twilight back to the car.

After my night of wild camping at Warton Crag, I took the car all the way into the Lake District National Park to the well-known valley of Great Langdale and found a car parking space near a bridge.

Great Langdale wildcamp

6 miles, 26/8/13

Great Langdale is a valley in the Lake District National Park. Great distinguishing it from the neighbouring valley of Little Langdale. The mouth of the valley is located at Skelwith Bridge, and the Langdale valley contains two villages, Elterwater and Chapel Stile. It is a U-shaped valley formed by glaciers, while Little Langdale is a hanging valley 

Pike o' Blisco   

For now, it was a day of sunny spells with the highest fell tops in a cloud, the one fell I was aiming for could be seen without cloud and that was Pike o' Blisco. I had found an area for the car to be parked up for the night. As I was planning a wild camp up in the mountains.So all packed up I followed the road to the Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and I took a footpath to Stool End and then the first climb up to Brown How, at Brown How I had my first rest enjoying the view as the valley started to open up around me.its here I came across a new species of plant Cryptogramma crispa Parsley fern an arctic-alpine fern found only in Snowdonia and the Lake District.

Parsley fern

The next section of the walk was up to Red Tarn, so named from the rich colour of the shale subsoil. At Red Tarn, I had another break and then I hid my rucksack in the rocks, so not to climb Pike o' Blisco with all the extra weight of the camping gear and has seen I was also returning back to Red Tarn.
The climb to the summit of Pike o' Blisco was easily done, the summit at 705 meters with two carns, the views were good even if the weather was not, at least the summits of Bowfell and the Crinkle Crags was clear with only wispy clouds skirting over there tops.

Pike o' Blisco

It was back down off the summit and back to Red Tarn to pick my rucksack up and head for my next summit Cold Pike the true south ridge of Crinkle Crags

Cold Pike from Pike o' Blisco

Cold Pike

I followed the Crinkle Crags path from Red Tarn then turned off it with Cold Pike in view I again hid my rucksack in the rocks and I made my way to the summit of Cold Pike at 701 meters, with no path to the summit, it shows most people bypass this summit, less you are Wainwright  bagging. From the summit of Cold Pike, I made my way back to the Crinkle Crags footpath I picked up my rucksack and my fate lay out in front of me in the form of Crinkle Crags.

Crinkle Crags and Bowfell

Crinkle Crags

Some mountains are obviously named by reference to their physical characteristics. Crinkle Crags is one of these. Made up of Borrowdale volcanic rock and squashed, bent and folded together by earth movement gives these rocks a rugged appearance.  

And in AW book The Southern Fells in the chapter on Crinkle Crags he does a splendid job of describing the route across the fells with a great detailed map of the south to north route and then again in reverse with a map.

I made it over the first crinkle and passed my first cairn and then came upon Bad Step, you need caution if descending, but I was not, and I was not intended to climb it with my big heavy rucksack.

Great Langdale from the first crinkle 

But there is an alternative path with an easy route up to the summit so I took this and made my way to the highest crinkle and the second crinkle out of five and it was also time to rest, there was also some more fell walkers on the summit.

From the rugged summit of Crinkle Crags I made my way steadily to the other crinkles slowly descending and with a great view of Bowfell in front of me I descended to my wild camp base Three Tarns for the night and all the time the weather was improving for a decent evening of camping.

Bowfell

I made it to my base camp and dropped my rucksack and went for a stroll around the area, to see where to pitch and to find a stream of water. There was still some fell walkers passing through the area, but soon I will be alone. I set up my tent and got cooking thinking about my 6-mile walk I had done.

Wild camp

Bowfell. 2 miles

This is one mountain I have been looking forward to doing a shapely pyramid mountain what I have seen from many angles when on my other walks. So on this beautiful evening with the fell to myself and everyone safely back at base camp, I left my tent behind for the climb of the fell the route chosen was the Climbers Traverse Path and then to reach the summit by the way of Great Slab.

I found the narrow path of the climbers traverse path, this side of Bowfell was in shade but was clear, the views were good and route finding was good I found the scree path that took me up to the Great Slab.

Great Slab

From the Great Slab I made  my way to the summit, it was a still summer evening on the summit of Bowfell with all round clear views I sat there taking it all in, for miles about I was the only one to get these views and that's why a wild camp makes it all worthwhile

.

Summit view

I left the summit and made my way back down to the Three Tarns and my tent and I had made it as the sun was setting behind the Scafell range.

27/8/13

Next morning I woke up to the sound of ravens on the cliffs, not that I could see them as I got out of the tent this morning the cloud was low around me blocking all views so I  settled down to make breakfast. Last night I had amazing views of the night sky with no light pollution, just to see the consolations. This type of camping must be done again.

Today's mission was back into Great Langdale and not onto Scafell Pike as planned with all this extra weight, I had decided this because of the low cloud covering the fells, so with no views, what was the point'  so it was to head back down and to camp at the National Trust campsite, so after packing up, I took the path to the Brand and made my way down out of the cloud onto the Brand, I passed several fell walkers who were making their way up.

I reached the valley bottom and the sun was breaking out for another hot sunny day, the cloud was still covering the tops of the fells. I made my way to the campsite and pitched up.  On the campsite, while strolling about I noticed a Buddleia bush with a profusion of butterflies so I grabbed my camera and went to inspect.

      

Peacock, Red Admiral, and Tortoiseshell butterflies.

Lingmoor Fell    4.16 miles            

The word ling in Lingmoor is another word for heather so there should be some heather to see on this walk. I left the campsite for this two-mile hike up to the summit on this sunny afternoon with intentions of doing a circular walk, I left the road for a footpath to Wall End and as you about to meet the same road again another path takes you up to Side Pike and my first sight of heather on the walk.

Ling

This walk seems to be a popular walk with many people out today, as I made my way to the summit of Side Pike and a short rest to enjoy the view, then to retrace my steps so far down Side Pike looking for a narrow path, the path was narrow in places at one point you come to a great slab of upright rock what you have to squeeze between. 

The path then meets the main path up to Lingmoor Fell following a wall to the summit as you climb the views start to open and there is a nice view back to Side Pike. I arrived at the summit and found a sheltered spot to rest and have something to eat. After my rest spot I looked for my path of the summit and on went on AW alternative route and this path as some great views of the Langdale Pikes as you descend down to Blea Tarn, this path is such a joy, with no rush to get down, I take my time to soak up the views.

Side Pike

The descent path from Lingmoor Fell

Blea Tarn sits in a hanging valley and once fed into Great Langdale as a side tributary, and then the last Ice Age a glacier-cut further down than the tributary leaving it as a hanging valley.

I arrived at Blea Tarn on this sunny evening I took the footpath around the tarn stopping for a nice long rest in the sun, there were a few people around the tarn also enjoying the weather.

Blea Tarn

It was time to move on and finish the walk so I finished the walk around the tarn this then brought me back to the road and the footpath I used at the beginning of the walk to get me back to the campsite and end to another walk.