Langdale Surprise - no photos today
As I set off to the Lake District the weather is dull and misty as it has been for most of the week, so I decide to walk in area that I’m familiar with – the Langdale Pikes. When I arrive at Great Langdale the sun is shining and the mist on the felltops is disappearing, just the kind of day to explore the paths I haven’t walked before.
From the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel I set off up Stickle Ghyll, about half way up there is a constructed path that leads off to the right but it seems to end after about 10 feet. I’ve often wondered if this is the small path that I can see on the map so I follow it and sure enough there is a well-constructed path that zigzags up the fell and meets the usual path just below Tarn Crag. The views from this path are far superior to those from the path that goes straight up to Stickle Tarn.
After having climbed to the top of Tarn Crag, there is a tremendous view the whole of Pavey Ark with Stickle Tarn in the foreground. I can see both of the routes that I am about to take, Jack’s Rake that I have not done before and Easy Gully that I failed to complete on my one previous attempt.
Easy Gully must have changed since Wainwright’s day, he does not mention the awkward rock that has to be negotiated at the bottom of the gully and he seemed very relaxed about the rocks at the top of the gully. The number of sheep carcasses in the gully says something about it, I managed the bottom manoeuvre on my previous attempt but not the obstacle at the top that is awkward to get to and where falling off would hurt. I might not have succeeded this time had it not been for the encouragement of three off duty squaddies who took my rucsac and provided lots of encouragement. This is the most difficult rock step I have come across in the Lake District, it requires a bit more than long legs to haul your body up and swing your left leg up to eye level.
After the large boulders the path joins the North Rake footpath, I chose to descend this path and I made my way back to the start of Jacks Rake.
Jacks Rake is more a climb over rocks than a scramble but it doesn’t feel as exposed as it should because it is more of a gully with a wall on the left hand side most of the way. There are a couple of exposed places and the gully at one stage is so narrow that my rucsac wouldn’t fit through it and it required a determined pull at a stage where foot and hand holds are not as well defined as in the rest of the rake. Towards the top of the rake the gully opens up onto bare rock that looks intimidating but with a considered selection of route the hand and foot holds are good – just don’t look down whilst climbing.
Jacks Rake is a strenuous climb, but for all of its difficulties there were dozens of people making the climb, those that bothered to get to the summit were greeted by the mist rolling and the start of a drizzly Lakeland afternoon.
I walked over to Thurnacar Knott because it is there and I haven’t been there before even though I have walked the Langdale Pikes many times. Wainwright wasn’t convinced that anybody would visit this fell for its own sake and I can’t disagree, I don’t think the poor visibility took much away from it.
Back to Harrison Stickle, followed by Loft Crag via Thorn Crag and the unique Pike o’ Stickle - worth the scramble even without the view.
Then across the man-eating bog of Martcrag Moor to Stake Pass and an easy return to Great Langdale if you don’t miss the left turn.
Andy Wallace 25th August 2001