Langdales to Grasmere

[richardkchapman]

Richard. Sapphie, Gem

Lorraine and the kids needed to go shopping for new boots and gloves, so I got a day out waking by myself. Lorraine dropped me off at the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel and I set off to confirm some Wainwrights that I THINK I have climbed before (as a child). I know I climbed some of the Langdales, but I don't remember exactly which ones. Nothing for it but to climb them all again.

I was plnning to take AW's 'route 3' up Harrison Stickle, but there were too many paths leading from the hotel, and I ended up setting off up the wrong one. After negotiating with difficulty a stile designed to be completely dog-proof, I doubled back to pick up the Pike How path.

I found the ascent up to Harrison Combe quite hard going - I think because I was still a little stiff from the previous days walking (and not as fit as I should be). The final bit of the ascent - high above a ravine on a narrow rocky path, felt quite precarious. Harrison Combe was a beautiful relief to reach at last. All the summits around me were still in cloud.

The path up to Harrison Stickle was rocky and not particularly pleasant, but the views from the top through shifting clouds were good. I found a different route down which was a lot less rocky though rather wetter.

Crossing the stream on the way to Loft Crag, the wind was blowing the waterfall back uphill. I didn't linger at the top of Loft crag as the wind was very strong. Pike O'Stickle doesn't look so impressive from this side. I paused on the side of Pike O Stickle for lunch, watching views over the Combe through the mist.

The path I had paused on seemed to lead not to the summit but rather to the gully to the east of the summit, and Sapphe trotting on ahead nearly set off down it. Fortunately she got wedged in the rocks at the top and managed to wiggle out backwards, otherwise she would probably have ended up running the scree down to Mickleden. We backtracked enough to find a route up to the summit, though it was a bit of a struggle for the dogs. I think we must have missed the easier path up, as it seemed a lot easier on the way down slightly more to the north-east.

The path over to Thunacar Knott was fairly indistinct and disappeared completely into a large wet marsh at one point. The top of Thunacar knot is unimpressive, and I pressed on to High Raise without pausing.

The walk to High raise is easy, though the wind was picking up and by the time I got to the top it was hard to stand. I snuggled down in the walled shelter at the top for some coffee and waited to see if the clouds would lift enough for some views - I was not in cloud at this point, but most of the view was!

Things did not improve, so I added a few layers against the wind and headed down to Greenup Edge. The walk theough the top of Wythburn was very pretty but also pretty wet, and getting across the stream (three times) was a little bit of a challenge. I soon reached the hause that separates Wythburn from Far Easedale, and the descent down the ever-improving path through Far Easedale was quick and easy. The waterfalls in Far Easedale are really beautiful.

[SusieThePensioner]

An interesting route; only ever done the Langdales a couple of times. I have been over Greenup once, back in 1966, having walked from Thornthwaite Youth Hostel in Borrowdale, down Far Easdale heading for one of the Grasmere Hostels (don't know if they still exist). It was pouring with rain the whole time