Langdale Fells - Photo Gallery

I parked in the National Trust car park, adjacent to the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel, and walked through the gate at the back of the car park. I turned left away from Stickle Ghyll, in order to make the climb up by the side of Dungeon Ghyll; shortly before I reached the highest point of the path, I traversed right across the grassy slopes towards Stickle Tarn, losing as little height as possible.

When I got to the tarn, I walked around the back of it, and just before I started to climb up the bouldery slope, I passed a Gull perched on a rock; it was quite animated and had plenty to say. As I started to make my way up the rough eroded slope, I heard a whoosh as another Gull swooped just above my head; I wouldn't have thought anything about it before my buzzard experience of a few weeks ago, but I'm sure it was trying to warn me off, being too close to it's mate on the rock.

The steep eroded slope is just the start, I ignored Jacks Rake in favour of Easy Gully; the start of it is easier as a result of erosion, a gap has appeared in place of the awkward clamber upwards between awkward boulders. The way upwards is steep and very loose in places, until you reach the almost unspoiled, huge boulders at top of the gully; you cannot avoid them and they have given me serious problems on previous visits.

I knew what to expect and was determined not to be beaten; I took my rucksack off and lifted it up on to the top of the boulder I had to climb, I was committed. I got up onto a good foothold, I found a handhold that was good enough to carry on; I pulled myself up a bit more and found another good foothold. That was what I needed, I continued to pull myself upwards and was able to move my knee up onto the top of the boulder, and I was there. I still had to make an awkward manoeuvre to pick my rucksack up, above an exposed position, but I made it safely.

At the top of the gully, I started to descend the eroded footpath that is Pavey Ark's north rake; there is a place at which I usually start a traverse so as not to not lose too much height, where I saw a Ring Ouzel but it disappeared before I could photograph it. It's not really a traverse, more of a diagonal descent on big boulders, almost down to tarn level; I'm sure that the commotion I saw was caused by seagulls attacking a dog or person swimming in the tarn.

After another climb up the eroded slope, I got again, to the bottom of Jacks Rake, and this time I didn't ignore it; there was nobody else there, I felt intimidated even though I had been there several time before. It is a steep and exhilarating climb, close to a big drop; the water running down the rock makes it slippery in places and even more exhilarating. The obvious Rowan Tree that you can see from the bottom of the rake, marks the top of the first section; there is no rest though, as you immediately have to make an intimidating climb upwards, above the top of a steep gully.

As you continue climbing, still at an angle of forty degrees, you reach a narrower gap in the rocks; you'll have trouble getting through it with your rucksack on, and it is slightly less intimidating to scramble up onto the exposed narrow ridge. After another scramble, up past a cannon-shaped boulder, you are at the top of Rake; the path turns right, and there is another scramble onto bare rock slabs. There are small notches in the rock, and with it being dry it's a fairly straightforward haul upwards.

The clamber upwards can be harder or easier according to your personal preference, but it's not far to the usually un-cairned summit of Pavey Ark. You have to descend slightly before a straightforward walk up to the summit of Thunacar Knott; the nearest cairn is actually the summit, I can tell the difference now I have a watch with an altimeter.

I descended to a col, and followed the worn path towards Harrison Stickle; an insignificant cairn marks the start of a short-cut scramble up to summit. I descended a steep rocky path to another col; I crossed the stream and followed a path up towards the top of Thorn Crag. I walked towards Loft Crag; I didn't follow the eroded path, but clambered up the rocks, there was a bit more rock than I thought there would be, before I found a grassy rake leading up to the summit of Loft Crag.

I followed the path towards Pike o'Stickle, the ascent is a manufactured path at first but then you have to find your own scramble; my favourite is around the back. I descended a different route as always, and then walked across lots of grass on easy slopes in the direction of High Raise; there is no path after the turn-off to Thunacar Knott, and I rejoined the main path at a shallow col to climb to the summit.

I walked across the flat, usually swampy ground, not really wanting to be on my way back to Pike o'Stickle; I made a course correction, and after a slight descent I made the climb to the rocky summit of Sergeant Man. I descended to the flat slab and then found the easiest way possible, on steep grass, down towards Stickle Tarn; I found a good path part way down, and after reaching the tarn, descended on the left hand side of Stickle Ghyll back to the New Dungeon Ghyll Car Park.

© Andy Wallace 3rd Jul 2010