Thursday, June 2, 2022
Back O'Skiddaw
Monday, January 11, 2021
Bowfell - Mountain Profile
Bowfell is the 6th highest mountain the Lake District. It's pyramid shaped profile stands at the head of the Great Langdale, Eskdale and Langstrath valleys.
It forms part of a continuous horseshoe ridge of high rocky ground from Crinkle Crags at the south eastern end to Slight Side at the south western end, with Great End and the Scafell Massif occupying its northern apex.
Angle Tarn sits in a glacial corrie under the steep eastern crags of Bowfell. A cluster of much smaller tarns called '3 tarns' (but varying between 1 and 5 bodies of water depending on weather) nestle in the col between Bowfell and Crinkle Crags.
Bowfell is most commonly climbed from Stool End Farm in the Great Langdale valley via the 'Band', or as part of a ridge walk from Crinkle Crags. It can also be climbed from the Eskdale or Mosedale valleys from where its steep gully scarred southern aspect (Bowfell Links) can be best appreciated.
Bowfell Walks :-
: from Oxendale via Crinkle Crags
: from The Band & Climbers Traverse (and then on to Scafell Pike)
: from the Band & Climbers Traverse in Winter
Bowfell Summit View Panorama
Crinkle Crags and Bowfell over the Oxendale valley |
Bowfell Links from Shelter Crags, at the northern end of Crinkle Crags |
Bowfell and Esk Pike from Esk Hause |
Bowfell over Angle Tarn |
Great Slab and the Boulderfield from Rossett Pike |
A Classic Lakeland View - The Great Slab on Bowfell |
Bowfell Summit, looking south over Crinkle Crags |
Bowfell summit panorama west - towards the Scafells |
Bowfell summit panorama east - towards Langdale |
Friday, December 25, 2020
My Top 10 Best Lake District Mountain Photographs
I can’t get out and up into the fells at the moment for reasons explained in my previous post and so I’ve been trawling through my photos from the last few years and have selected my favourite 10. I thought I would stoop to the title of ‘Top 10 Best ...’ as I read somewhere that this is a favoured search term on google eg. ‘Top 10 Best Smart Phones’, ‘Top 10 Best Oil Tankers’, ‘Top 10 Stickiest Glues’ etc. So here we go. Drum roll please.
In no particular order ...
1) Let’s start at ‘Lakes Level’ with a lovely Autumn scene looking over a glass calm Grasmere towards everyone’s favourite mini-mountain, Helm Crag and its bigger brother across Dunmail Raise, Seat Sandal. A circuit of Grasmere on a fine day is always a joyous affair but particularly so in autumn when the trees are at their very best.
Grasmere with Helm Crag & Seat Sandal |
2) This is Side Pike on the path up to Lingmoor Fell. I love this view, with the dry stone wall, the heather and the Langdale Pikes in the background. It’s a lovely little fell within 30 mins walk from Blea Tarn. Well worth a visit at any time of year but even better in late Summer when the heather is in bloom.
Side Pike in late Summer |
Wetherlam in Winter |
4) This next picture was taken from the summit of Grasmoor in the late evening during a summer wild camp. The light seeping through the clouds was just stunning and reflected beautifully off Loweswater and the Irish Sea.
Loweswater Gold |
5) Next is another winter scene. This is Dow Crag (left) and Coniston Old Man (right) from the same hike as picture 3) was taken. It looks quite calm and serene but the wind chill was around -15 degrees C as it was blowing a hoolie!
Dow Crag and Coniston Old Man |
6) This next picture is of Ullswater with Gowbarrow Fell and the Great & Little Mell Fells in the background. The Ullswater Steamer and its wake sets the scene nicely. The picture was taken on a hike of the Deepdale Horseshoe in late November.
Ullswater from Thornbrow End |
7) This photo was taken from the summit of Bessyboot and looks down the Borrowdale valley over Derwent Water and towards Skiddaw in its lovely winter apron.
Snowline on Skiddaw |
8) This picture was taken on a winter hike of the Kentmere Horseshoe. I had hiked the route clockwise so the view is looking back over the ridge I had just hiked. The scene appears almost alpine with the 3 peaks of Yoke, Ill Bell and Froswick in their winter coats.
The Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick Ridge |
9) This is the view that will reward you if you make the easy climb up onto Rannerdale Knotts by the banks of Crummock Water. In fact you don’t even have to make it to the summit as this picture was taken from a small promontory about half way up. The view is of Mellbreak, a stunning mountain dominating the western shore of the lake.
Mellbreak over Crummock Water |
10) One the of best winter hikes in Lakeland must be the classic route up Helvellyn via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. I was lucky to have a perfect calm, cold winters day for this hike. The view is looking back along the route I had already hiked, along Swirral Edge and towards Helvellyn.
Helvellyn over Swirral Edge |
11) I know I said the top 10 best photos but having just shown shown you Swirral Edge in winter, it would be remiss of me not to show you Striding Edge from the same day. So this is the view that greets you as you stand at the start of this magnificent arete just before you take the plunge. Just stunning!
Striding Edge & Helvellyn |
So that’s its. My 'best 11' fell photos of the past few years. Hopefully more to come in 2021 if this bleedin virus does one!
Friday, November 29, 2019
The Deepdale Horseshoe
Start/Finish: Bridgend/Patterdale
Wainwrights: Birks, St Sunday Crag, Fairfield, Hart Crag, Hartsop above How
Distance: 10.5 miles
Max Elevation: 2864 feet (Fairfield)
Total Ascent: 3415 feet
Time Taken: 6-7 Hours
The Route - Anticlockwise from Bridgend |
A 10 minute video of the whole walk
Patterdale |
Black Crags |
Ullswater |
Views over the Grisedale valley |
Frosty ground on the path to Birks |
The onwards route to St Sunday Crag |
Birks |
Views to Helvellyn from St Sunday Crag |
St Sunday Crag summit |
Mist and glare over the Deepdale valley |
The onward route to Cofa Pike and Fairfield |
Grisedale Tarn |
Cofa Pike |
The Deepdale Valley |
Dollywagon Pike, Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn |
Looking back over St Sunday Crag |
Grisedale Tarn |
Fairfield summit views |
The path to Hart Crag |
Looking down the Rydal valley to Windermere |
The head of the Deepdale valley |
Hart Crag summit views towards Dove Crag … |
... |
… and back to Fairfield |
The Deepdale valley and the forward path to Hartsop above How |
Views back over to St Sunday Crag |
Hartsop above How summit view |
The forward view back to Bridgend ... |
… and the backward view to Hart Crag |
Sun just setting on Angletarn Pikes and Place Fell |
Nearly back, in the fading light |
When I did this route 10 years ago it took me around 5 hours. Today it more like 7 hours. This may be because I'm now 10 years older and less fit … Or it may be because the ground conditions were quite icy and careful foot placement was required. I'm going with the latter ….