Archive - Date

Collected lists

Langdale Pikes to Grasmere

Date:
25.05.2009

A very steady and pleasant ascent of High Raise, apparently the most scenic viewpoint in the whole of Lakeland. The route took me up in warm sunshine from Landale youth hostel over the undulating plateau of Dow Bank-Lang How-Castle How up towards Sergeant Man, a nice little top shortly before the rather more dull shoulder that leads onto High Raise. Its not an interesting mountain itself to climb, but you do indeed get very good views all around; west towards Great Gable and Scafell and more closeby the drop down into the Langstrath valley, then north to Keswick, Skiddaw and Blencathra and the Drewent fells ot to the northwest. And east gets you the views of the Helvellyn ridge stretched out from Clough Head all the way down towards Fairfield and Rydal Fell near Ambleside. Great stuff. From >>>

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Wastwater to Langdale

Date:
24.05.2009

I love this route to bits! Despite having had a rather miserable hike the previous day, this one was amazing. Great weather, and great views and greater company - which was more of an unintentional thing. Started off from the Wastwater YHA, made my way back up the tedious tarmac road to the northern end of Wastwater, and from there began the steady but popular route of ascent up Scafell Pike which runs along Lingmell Gill. Its pretty OK, nothing amazing though and it starts to flatten out after Hollow Stones. From there though its a somewhat loose climb up a gully to reach the col bewteen Scafell and Scafell Pike, but you're virtually at the top by the tim you get here. A nice gently slope up to the summit and here I was joined, as I expected by a lot of other hikers. All of us were happy faced >>>

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Ennerdale to Wasdale

Date:
23.05.2009

There's not a lot to say about the weather on this day except that it started off in heavy rain with an unpleasant hike up rain-soaked grass to Steeple, where I got a bit lost so I have no idea how I got to Pillar. Somehow I had some luck in passing some other hikers who pointed me in the direction of Pillar so I followed their vague directions and found myself reassuringly up on its summit in yet more rain and with absolutely no views to speak of whatsoever. Nevertheless I carried on in the direction of the descent I thought I should be taking. Turns out it took me down the wrong side of the fell and back on to the Ennerdale side of Pillar, but at least when I got to this point it had stopped raining, the cloud had lifted and I could actually figure out where I was and where I needed to get >>>

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Buttermere to Ennerdale

Date:
22.05.2009

The weather on this day was a bit overcast, so it wasn't the most amazing day ever. Nevertheless, I did the usual hike up through the forest to get above Buttermere and onto the ridge to the top of Red Pike. Continued along the obvious line passing over the rock-strewn tops of High Crag and High Stile, then descended the somewhat steep and stony path to Scarth Gap before getting up onto Haystacks. Went as far as Blackbeck tarn and then descended in a southwest direction along a stream into Ennerdale, coming out quite close to Black Sail youth hostel. Very long and boring walk along Ennerdle in the rain to get t the youth hostel. The only consolation was that I had a whole 6-bed dormitory to myself :-) And had a good nights sleep.

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