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Stonethwaite - Stonethwaite Campsite - BessyBoot - Rosthwaite Fell - Glaramara - Allen Crags - Esk Hause - Great End - Esk Hause - Angle Tarn - Stake Pass - Langstrath Beck - Stonethwaite Beck - Stonethwaite
With only 13 fells to choose from and a half decent weather forecast, the route almost picked itself for this Saturday, however I knew that the 6 hour prediction was very optimistic looking at the very early steep climb and the amount of up and down along the Glaramara range out to Great End.
We also had a new member to our group this weekend with Rebekah (Bex) joining us from our work office after her legs had recovered from the K2B a few weeks ago. Talk around the office is that she was like a little mountain goat and would be off way ahead of us on any climbs and she proved the point within about 15 minutes of the start of the walk.
After rounding up John and Bex for 8.30 we made our way through central Lakeland to Keswick then back down Derwent and through Borrowdale to park on the outskirts of Stonethwaite village by the old church.
A straight forward start took us into the village, past the bridge and pub and to the edge of the campsite along Stonethwaite Beck.
From here we passed through the gate and up the left hand side of Little Stanger Gill on a very steep ascent with many stone steps. The ascent didn't seem to let up for quite a way as we hooked round the front and right of Alisongrass Crag and proceeded up Big Stanger Gill to the foot of BessyBoot.
The steep ascent up Little Stanger Gill
Looking back into Borrowdale from Little Stanger Gill
John and Bex atop Big Stanger Gill
We rounded the top of BessyBoot rather than climbing its steep face and after grabbing some photos of the opening expanse of Lakeland fells we pushed on towards our first Wainwright of the day in Rosthwaite Fell.
Looking out to Fleetwith Pike from foot of BessyBoot
Panorama view from BessyBoot (Great Gable to Fleetwith Pike)
Damson before BessyBoot
From here we had a small drop to pass the Tarn at Leaves and a quick scramble up the rocky face of the summit rock saw us on the top. Unsure of which of the two summits was the one refered to by Wainwright we covered both.
Damson & I on Rosthwaite Fell (summit without cairn)
Damson on Rosthwaite Fell (summit with cairn)
The stretch across to Glaramara looks comparatively easy on a map as it appears as a ridge across the Great Hollow across toward Combe Head however there is quite a lump of rock sat in the middle that had to be overcome before another small descent and then the decision as to how to get around / over Combe Head itself. We kept to the plan of following in other Walkhighlands users footsteps and proceeded along the face of Combe Door and Combe Head making our way westwards to pick up the path from Seatoller to Glaramara.
John heading out to Glaramara with Great End in sight
A happy Bex dropping down from Rosthwaite Fell
On reaching this path, the route got easier leading directly to the base of Glaramara's summit rocks which required a scramble up a number of rock faces to get to the top. We hunkered down in the shelter up here for a quick bite and drink as the wind had picked up slightly on the tops. The weather seemed to be on the change from glorious sunshine to a somewhat grey and windier day but lasted only about an hour before the sun broke back through the clouds.
John, Bex and Damson posing on Glaramara
Bex, Damson & I on Glaramara summit
Glaramara summit from shelter
Link below is to an interactive 360 panorama taken from Glaramara summit shelter
http://www.dermandar.com/p/aSSYSh/glaramara-360
More photos were grabbed before moving on to Allen Crags and decision time.
The day was drawing on and John mentioned he had to get back to Barrow to pick up his daughter so time was getting a little limited.
The going got a little easier for the next stretch across to Allen Crags but still had a lot of ups and downs as we dropped initially to pass through a number of small tarns and the beautiful High House Tarn before climbing back up the somewhat gentler gradient to those of our last two fells onto our third summit.
Damson & I on Allen Crags
We had debated which of the final summits could be attempted (if any) on the way here and after seeing the clear path ahead to Great End from Esk Hause, the decision was made to push on to the highest point for the day. An alternative descent to Seathwaite Fell was left for another day which I plan to tag onto a round including Base Brown in the very near future.
Surveying today's highest point - Great End
I've been up to Esk Hause on quite a number of occasions as a kid when walking with parents, so knew it was regarded as Lakelands motorway and today was no exception with all manners of walkers in varying appropriate clothing coming up and down Scafell's summits and Esk Pike.
We took the easy route up the central path then hooked right onto Great End in time to congratulate another walkers 214 celebrations before the photo shoots took place with about 4 groups of us sharing the honours of being official Great End photographer.
Bex on Great End
John and Bex on Great End before Scafell
All 4 of us get a fell top photo
Just Damson this time
A final one of me and Damson
Great Gable from Great End
Yewbarrow, Red Pike, Pillar & Kirk Fell from Great Gable
Looking back down on Glaramara & Allen Crags from Great End
Looking towards Scafell Pike from Great End
View over Seathwaite Fell to Derwent Water from Great End
We descended the same way back to Esk Hause and down to the 4 way junction below Allen Crags to the cross shelter. We then headed right on the path to Angle Tarn looking for a way down into Langstrath which looks clear on a map but considerably harder to pick up when walking the route. We missed the mapped route down Allencrags Gill and ended up taking a path left from Angle Tarn itself. This may actually have been a benefit ultimately as John was struggling descending with a bad knee and Bex had a sore toe nail picked up on the K2B.
Angle Tarn
Rossett Pike (we took path to left from Angle Tarn)
Angle Tarn from junction in path
Our route now took us over the tops of Lining Crag and round the right hand side of Upper Langstrath Valley on a boggy course to pick up Cumbrian Way path that descends into Langstrath down the zig zag of Stake Pass dropping dramatically down the side of Langstrath Beck with its many waterfalls.
John at top of Stake Pass
John & Bex on Stake Pass
Waterfalls of Stake Beck
Steep descent of Stake Pass
On reaching the river bed, we crossed over on the footbridge and followed the clear but in places very rocky path back down through Langstrath and Stonethwaite Valleys.
Looking down Langstrath Beck from footbridge at base of Stake Pass
Looking back up Stake Pass
We were running incredibly late due to the excesses of the ups and downs and John decided to make a push for the car on the final valley sections attempting to get a message back to his family that we were going to be late. We found him cursing outside the telephone box in Stonethwaite complaining that calls now cost 60p and he only had 50. The box took his / our money without even making the call in the end.
John starts his push for the phone down Langstrath
Fortunately another 10 minutes down the road after reaching the car, he got in touch and all was fine.
We arrived home approx 3 hours later than planned, although my wife Ellie hadn't time to get concerned as she'd fallen asleep for the evening after a few hard days wedding venue dressing.
Some brilliant views today and all of us felt like we had to work for them. I believe we have a new convert in Bex who was keen to be out again in next few weeks and is very welcome.
9 to go but probably require a further 6 trips to complete due to a few satellites. Should be done this summer !!
