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Stonethwaite - Greenup Gill - Eagle Crag - Sergeants Crag - Greenup Gill - Great Crag - Stonethwaite
Duplicate plans were made for the weekend all starting within half a mile of each other as the weather could have been unpredictable (as always) and our Plan A was to tackle Eagle Crag which both Wainwright and others claimed as being difficult in bad weather.
We needn't have worried as Saturday morning was bright and got better as we travelled all the way upto Keswick and then back down Derwent Water & Borrowdale to park at the church in Stonethwaite.
Glaramara & Base Brown plans were put aside for another day as we set off down the road and through the lovely campsite following Stonethwaite Beck down to its junction with Langstrath Beck & Greenup Gill.
Water cascade at junction of Greenup Gill, Langstrath Beck & Stonethwaite Beck.
Around the corner we crossed the first footbridge and headed back on ourselves on the opposite bank to find the footbridge over Greenup Gill and our ascent route.
The path climbs steadily up the left hand side of the Gill with it's beautiful waterfalls and rock pools all the way up to col that can be clearly seen all the way up between Eagle Crag and the flanks of Ullscarf.
Looking back down Greenup Gill
John below Eagle Crag
The original plan was to follow Wainwrights ascent up Eagle Crag's face but the footbridge half way up this climb had disappeared and there didn't seem to be a clear way across the gushing water to get to the wall leading up to Eagle Crags face.
Taking his "Route B" we got to the col and then hooked right across the wet grassy and boggy land making our way up to the wall lining the ridge between our 2 destinations for the day. Eagle Crag was summited first to take in the wonderfull views back down Borrowdale.
John on Eagle Crag summit
Me & Damson on Eagle Crag
Damson on Eagle Crag looking towards Sergeant's Crag and Langstrath Beck and a cloudy Scafell Range
The link below is to my Eagle Crag panorama and by far the best way to view this particular photo file, spoilt slightly by John jumping in the way to take his own photos
(Drag photo left and right to view panorama - best viewed in full screen)
http://www.dermandar.com/p/btjaeC/eagle-crag-panoramaDamson's wanting to get going again
From here it is a small trek following the wall across the broad ridge to Sergeant's Crag and the second and at the time last summit of the day.
Damson on Sergeant's Crag
John in the wind
Still dreaming of his Scafell climb
Sergeant's Crag panorama
The original plan was to descend back into Langstrath and follow the beck back round the base of Glaramara and back into Stonethwaite but no clear descent path presented itself on our clamber across the ridge so we decided on the easier option of retracing our way back down Greenup Gill taking a quick bite to eat below Lining Crag and the path up to High Raise.
Lining Crag and High Raise
Back in Stonethwaite (on the opposite bank of the Beck to our outward path), we took a couple of photos of our climb and noted it was only 13:30.
Eagle & Sergeant's Crag from Stonethwaite Beck
Eagle Crag
We'd noted Great Crag from the church car park earlier and decided that we'd try and bag it now as it was still early. The path climbed from the beck up into the woods on our right and up a series of steep stone steps on a considerable climb up to the waterfalls cascading from Dock Tarn.
Waterfalls from Dock Tarn
Heading up to Great Crag (lump shown is not summit
)
Dock Tarn however was not yet to be found for another 30 minutes or so, sitting in a hollow between a number of lumps and bumps also hiding the summit.
The ground up here was severely boggy and multiple paths caused confusion in finding the true summit.
A number of grey clouds were also starting to show over in the west so after bagging the summit we made our way back following roughly the same route.
Great Crag summit over looking Watendlath Tarn
Heading back down stone steps
Stone steps off Great Crag back to Stonethwaite Beck
On re-reaching the beck we crossed back over onto the opposite bank using the bridge in the village centre and up the road to the church and the car.
Today, (Sunday, day after walk) the weather has completely turned and it feels like yesterday may have been the last day of remote sunshine for the year. If this is the case, at least we spent it on one of the best summits in Eagle Crag and in the beautiful surroundings of the Stonethwaite Valley.
I'll be back next year with Ellie, Damson and the tent to stay at the campsite and may take a dip in the large pool under the largest waterfall on Greenup Gill (providing we get the right weather
)
Fully recommend this area if not wandering about in the bog atop Great Crag
.