Although a long way from anywhere, the unforested head of Ennerdale Water is a beautiful place – long dark waters between the flatlands heading to the Irish Sea and the rising fells to the east, buttressed by the green crags of Bowness Knott and Angler’s Crag. The indirect route zigzagging up the north face of Crag Fell is a terrific climb, clear enough and easily-graded paths, but running near to the crags and clinging tightly enough to the edge to give great views and the odd frisson of danger.
- Great Borne, Bowness Knott & Angler's Crag over Ennerdale Water
- Ennerdale Water, Knock Murton behind
- High Stile & Pillar from the Angler's Crag col
- Starling Dodd & High Stile ridge from Crag Fell
- Blake Fell range
The far side of Crag Fell is quite a contrast: rounded slopes, a little boggy and – this and Grike wholly denuded of the old forestry – looking rather sad. The four miles from there along the sturdy wall to the upper slopes of Haycock are undramatic but easy, non-stop walking. Iron Crag (on the map, it’s surprising that this isn’t a Wainwright summit; in reality, despite a stony little top and a dramatic profile from the east, it doesn’t feel anything more than a shoulder of Caw Fell and Haycock) and Caw Fell pass quickly by as the higher peaks around Pillar loom into view.
- Haycock & Caw Fell
- Lank Rigg over Bleaberry Gill
- Haycock from Caw Fell
- Iron Crag
The going is a little more testing from there, a nice little scramble over the prominent rise of Little Gowder Crag and then increasingly rocky underfoot to the top of Haycock. This finally seems like a real high fell, rough ground and wide views all round, even with unexpected low cloud masking the Scafell range.
- Great Borne & Starling Dodd from Haycock ascent
- Steeple & Scoat Fell from Haycock
- High Stile
- Red Pike out of the Wasdale clouds
- Close-up of Steeple
- Middle Fell & Seatallan
After backtracking towards Caw Fell, there’s a nice but apparently little-used (leg-scratching heather rampant across much of the way) path gently down Tongue End back to the valley floor.
- Little Gowder Crag, with Caw Fell-Iron Crag ridge behind
- Crag Fell from the valley
This was the possible bale-out point, with the option of the lakeside path back to the start, but nothing had been very hard so far and the lower slopes of Starling Dodd opposite looked quite gentle… Deceptively so, however. Even those are steep enough with plenty of miles in the legs and once the fading path beside Gillflinter Beck finally died out, it was a very slow half-hour of rough, steep scramble over boulders and thick heather to Little Dodd. At least a test of differing muscles from the straight uphill slog, but still definitely feeling like a step too far. Luckily, it’s comparatively easy afterwards along the gentle ridge across the pleasant little rises of Starling Dodd and Great Borne, and a decent path (probably a really good way up) makes the best of the very steep descent.
- Crummock Water between Mellbreak & Grasmoor
- Pillar range, Great Gable left
- Red Pike from Starling Dodd summit
- Ennerdale Water from Herdus
Really hot by this point in the late afternoon, but only a couple of flat miles along the shores of Ennerdale Water, the little ‘beaches’ buzzing with sunbathers, back home.
- Crag Fell
- Great Borne & Bowness Knott
- Pillar between Bowness Knott & Angler's Crag
This was a route with plenty of good walking and some lovely scenery, but (much as there are far more daunting Ennerdale loops than this that others take in their stride) it might be quite a while before I take on as much again…
