Sunday 12 March 2017

12/03/17 - The Langdale Pikes

Distance - 4 Miles
Wainwrights - Pavey Ark (2288ft), Thunacar Knott (2372ft), Harrison Stickle (2414ft), Pike of Stickle (2342ft) and Loft Crag (2238ft)
Geocaches - 1
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine Oct 2013, Walk 15

Last Night

After yesterday's post walk visit to the Old Dungeon Ghyll, the valley offered two more pubs to check out.

The Stickleback Barn provided little.  £3.90 real ales and middle class kids who's home for the night was a glamping pod, wanging the cushions around.  It was a cross between a vegan restaurant and a wacky warehouse and we were not in the mood.

The New Dungeon Ghyll was our home for the night.  Like the OGD, there was an unpretentious hikers bar, where hungry ramblers could sample the lesser spotted Hardy Tup ale and deliberate what exactly constitutes a "Lamb Henry".  I can find little information about Hardy Tup, other than I appear to have been accidentally drinking Mild again.

Food and Ale was exceptional but the only entertainment we could find was in the parlour, where a half hearted game of scrabble was attempted for the first time in years.  Bowfell must have taken it out of us.  We were all tucked up in bed before 10:15pm.

New Dungeon Ghyll
NGD and our Home for the Evening
The Walk

It's safe to say we can blame this on the sunshine.  After yesterday's slog, there is no way we would have faced another walk in the same conditions.  We awoke to mild weather and view of the tops and it had to be done.

That's not to say this wasn't a toughie.  4 miles in 4 hours and 2400ft of ascent.  If we weren't going up, we were going down.

The start of the route is both simple and superb, walking alongside Stickle Tarn on a good path, taking in the waterfalls and enjoying the views of the valley behind.  What a change from yesterday.

Stickle Tarn Path
Follow the Path
Waterfall
One of the larger Waterfalls
On the up
View behind and unusually, I am in the lead

Stickle Tarn provides a natural break in the walking and also the start of the Clag.  Once again, we are denied the best of the views that could have been on offer.  We didn't see enough from the peaks for me to tell you the difference between them all, and route finding was fairly easy.

Stickle Tarn
Stickle Tarn and the Cloud
The Three
The only team shot in two days of walking

The views don't come back until the last Wainwright, Loft Crag.  Another day of "look at what you could have won".

Views, at last
Loft Crag and the Valley below
Coming Down
The Path Home

The path down of Loft Crag is long, arduous and slippy.  Both my walking partners tumble twice, with one even exclaiming "Not Again" mid fall.  Somehow. on both walks this weekend, the descent is more painful than the ascent.  And I never thought I would say that.

Still, we are saved the sight of Dungeon Force Waterfall on our return and the only Geocache of the day.

Dungeon Force
Dungeon Ghyll Force
Two days - hard walking, no views.

We are going to have to come back and do it all again.

No comments:

Post a Comment