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I should have written this ages ago, now it’s just a vague memory, so only a short summary of what I can recall.
My brother Pete and I set off on the morning of Friday 24th May 2019 from Derbyshire for a 3 day trip in the Lakes. Arriving at sunny New Dungeon Ghyll Inn around early afternoon we parked up in te field opposite and went in for a pint.
We didn’t have a route planned as such, just a rough idea sketched out and a few camp locations penciled in. While we worked on our plan of attack we enjoyed a couple more pints in the sunshine!
We eventually decided to cross the road over to Side House and follow the path running West, South of the valley and climb Pike of Blisco. As always the minute we left the pub the weather turned. The sunny warm weather was replaced with gloomy overcast skies with a dark threat of a soaking. Up into the cloud and over Pike of Blisco we descended slightly before climbing to Great Knott, again in clouds, and on to Crinkle Crags (aka Mordor) . We intended to camp at Three Tarns just below Bow Fell, however the wind speed was ripping through the saddle from the South, so we opted to drop down to the North along to White Stones. Here we found a flat pitch relatively sheltered from the wind.
The next morning was a nice bright day.
After breakfast we made the climb back up the path we’d descended the evening before and up over Bow Fell. Crossing Ore Gap we climbed Esk Pike and down to Esk House. For those less familiar with the Central Lakes, this is a busy crossroads that connects the most popular flanks to the busy central Wainwrights. A brief stop for lunch we made our way up Allen Crags and over to Glaramara. The cloud dropped as we made a start on Glaramara, the wind decided to whip up and just for good measure it rained. With a numb face I traversed the never-ending Glaramara cursing the weather along the way. Pete and I stopped to check the map as we should be North of Glaramara by this point and starting our descent. Visibility was down to only a few dozen metres now, not good. Trusting the compass we followed a bearing that would insect a footpath down. Disaster was narrowly avoided as we stumbled upon a gut wrenching cliff edge. Quick about turn and a slight adjustment to the compass we found our path. Unfortunately it was below us, beyond a rather dicey climb down. Shuffling down on our arses, like all pro rock climbers do, we slowly inched our way down passing our packs to each other at each bum clenching drop.
We finally made it to Stonethwaite, greeted by the swinging sign of The Langstrath Country Inn, after much deliberation (yeah right) we opted to go for a pint. The pub was packed that evening and the beer was flowing nicely, so we decided to camp in the field / campsite by the pub.
We awoke to a wet and windy day, no point in going high again, so we followed the Cumbria Way back to the Langdale Pikes. It was a cold windy day with frequent downpoors. As we traveled through the Langstrath valley we came across a family swimming in the Langstrath Beck. There is a large arrangement of boulders that force the fast flowing river / beck into a narrow funnel. The family (granny as well) were jumping off the rocks into the swirling rapids, it looked like good fun, although relevantly life threatening.
Climbing up Martcrag Moor we headed over to Pike of Stickle. I waiting at the bottom while Pete legged it up to the top (one I’d already bagged the year previous, no enthusiasm left). Finally we dropped off the end of Loft Crag and down to the car by the pub.
A great adventure with just the right amount of beer, mountains and danger.