Jack and Gill - no photos today
By the time (9 o’clock) that I get to the Old Dungeon Ghyll car park it is already warm enough to wear shorts. Walk over to the New Dungeon Ghyll to start, it’s a much less painful walk than doing it after a long day on the fells.
There is an excellent reconstructed path on the right hand side of Stickle Ghyll that leads up towards Stickle Tarn almost up to the point where it crosses the Ghyll. Instead of crossing over, stay on this side for an easy scramble up the near vertical looking rocks.
As you approach the tarn, it appears suddenly as you reach the top of the path, as dramatic a scene as any with the formidable rock face of Pavey Ark completely filling your view across the opposite side of the tarn. The ancient rugged nature of the place is matched by the modern pair of Mallard ducks, so familiar with people that they will eat out of your hand.
Take the path around the shoreline of the tarn, up the moderate scree to the joint start of Jack’s Rake and ambiguously named Easy Gully. Take the gully first, a rock step to start with sets the tone, then up the steep, slippery slope until you reach the large rocks at the top of the gully – a wonderful craggy place. I, and one of my companions have the confidence of previously climbing the awkward rock step but the first timer needs some encouragement but makes it eventually, and saves a very uncomfortable descent.
Then it is back down to the start of Jack’s Rake, a marvellous route requiring the use of hands, knees and elbows for the strenuous and steep but exhilarating climb. The rake carries a continuous line of people from bottom to top, the rugged route shows very little sign of erosion.
From the top of Pavey Ark with its view of Stickle Tarn directly below, the path over to Harrison Stickle shows off the crags of Pavey Ark. From Harrison Stickle drop down to the head of Dungeon Ghyll and then up to the summit of Loft Crag which with Harrison Stickle provides the familiar view from a distance of the Langdale Pikes.
Then on to Pike o’ Stickle, from this side it is a friendly scramble to its summit, from the valley below it looks impossibly steep, but the steepness of the slopes makes the summit a tremendous viewpoint especially with today’s excellent visibility.
Then if you are lucky you can bypass the wettest part of Martcrag Moor by following a faint track around its right hand side, if you are unlucky you cross a man eating bog. On the other side of Stake Pass the ground is still very wet until you start to climb towards Rossett Pike from which summit the long walk back looks easy.
The descent of Rossett Gill itself after a long walk is very hard on the feet, much better to take the old path off to the left, the junction being signposted by a cairn. Even so, it is still at least an hour and a half from the top of the Gill to the car park, a long descent followed by a long walk that can be very demoralising if you aren’t expecting it, and even if you are.
Only the prospect of a cold beer in the Old Dungeon Ghyll keeps you going, but on this sunny day there are more people in the bar than on Jack’s Rake.
Andy Wallace 5th May 2002