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Eagles Crag, Sergeants Crag, Great Crag

Eagles Crag, Sergeants Crag, Great Crag


Postby Phooooey » Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:08 am

Wainwrights included on this walk: Eagle Crag, Great Crag, Sergeant's Crag

Date walked: 15/09/2012

Time taken: 6.2

Distance: 16.4 km

Ascent: 1038m

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Stonethwaite - Greenup Gill - Eagle Crag - Sergeants Crag - Greenup Gill - Great Crag - Stonethwaite

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



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.

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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.

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Looking back down Greenup Gill
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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.

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John on Eagle Crag summit
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Me & Damson on Eagle Crag
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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 :roll: :wink:
(Drag photo left and right to view panorama - best viewed in full screen)
http://www.dermandar.com/p/btjaeC/eagle-crag-panorama

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Damson'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.

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Damson on Sergeant's Crag
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John in the wind :wink: :lol:
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Still dreaming of his Scafell climb
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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.

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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.

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Eagle & Sergeant's Crag from Stonethwaite Beck
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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.

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Waterfalls from Dock Tarn
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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.

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Great Crag summit over looking Watendlath Tarn
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Heading back down stone steps
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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 8) :lol: )

Fully recommend this area if not wandering about in the bog atop Great Crag :wink: .
Last edited by Phooooey on Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Phooooey
 
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Re: Eagles Crag, Sergeants Crag, Great Crag

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:49 am

Great pics, particularly Damson on Eagle Crag and the pano with "ghost John" posing beautifuly :lol:

Shame you didn't manage the A route up Eagle Crag as it looks fun in the book. As for Great Crag, it is a load of boggy confusion and one of the more disappointing tops I've visited in the Lakes. Does have a nice view down to Watendlath however.
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Re: Eagles Crag, Sergeants Crag, Great Crag

Postby Phooooey » Mon Sep 17, 2012 12:15 pm

one of the more disappointing tops I've visited in the Lakes

It's a pity really because the climb up from the beck through the wood and up the side of the waterfalls makes a great ascent if not a little steep. The tops on all the fells in that central band are equally as bad from High Seat to Sergeant's Crag. I wouldn't relish trying to put better drainage up there though :crazy:
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Re: Eagles Crag, Sergeants Crag, Great Crag

Postby garyhortop » Mon Sep 17, 2012 5:24 pm

Looks like a great walk Phoooey and some amazing pics as well - great day out!! :D
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Re: Eagles Crag, Sergeants Crag, Great Crag

Postby SusieThePensioner » Mon Sep 17, 2012 5:28 pm

Looked like a lovely day for a walk, Craig, and great photos, especially those with Damson in :thumbup:
The panorama is beautiful, even with John in it :lol:
The last walk I ever did (of any distance) started in Stonethwaite and we saw hardly anyone that day :D

One year my brother and I spent 2 weeks youth hostelling and went from Borrowdale over to Grasmere via Greenup and down Far Easdale. The weather was atrocious and the path was like a second stream with waterfalls in places :lol: :lol: August 1966!!! :shock:
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Re: Eagles Crag, Sergeants Crag, Great Crag

Postby ChrisW » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:37 pm

An absolute cracker Phooooey, lovely photos including that pano (John looks half the man he was in that :lol: ) Damson still steals the show though :wink: Great report mate, good to see the sunshine over there :clap:
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Re: Eagles Crag, Sergeants Crag, Great Crag

Postby Phooooey » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:26 pm

John looks half the man he was in that

The panorama is beautiful, even with John in it


:lol: :clap: Hahahahahaha. That made my day ! Especially as he's sat beside me reading your comments this lunchtime.
The sunshine doesn't look like it's going to re-appear before the weekend however and we have the Blencathra 5 planned for Saturday.
The Eagle Crag walk pushed me past last years totals in term of ascent and mileage covered (but not in summits claimed) and we've still a potential 3 months of weekends to add a few more.
I've decided that Great End will be my final summit with only 45 left to go, which will also be John's first time up Scafell Pike. A nice bottle of bubbly will be in order that day !! :crazy:
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