Langdale Pikes

Langdale Pikes

Central Lake District

Route: Langdale Pikes

Area: Central Lake District

Date of walk: 1st October 2015

Walkers: Andrew

Distance: 5.1 miles

Ascent: 2,500 feet

Weather: Sunny and warm, no cloud, no wind

I parked in the National Trust car park at Sticklebarn near the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (parking is free for members of the Trust) and headed uphill towards Mark Gate. After passing through a gate I made a schoolboy error and without checking the map followed some other walkers along a path which leads up the wrong side of Dungeon Ghyll. The path was very clear at first, no doubt others have made the same mistake, and it’s not until higher up the fellside that it peters out. Retracing my steps would have wasted considerable time so I clambered down to the ghyll and then up a very steep grassy bank – a horrible 10 minutes or so, with the constant risk of a slip back down to the ghyll. For anyone following this walk, the maps page shows the correct route

I emerged panting at the proper path and continued up to the first fell on this round of the Langdale Pikes, Loft Crag. From there it was a short walk to Pike o’Stickle. The final rocky section of the pike is very steep, needing hands on the ascent and bottom on the descent, but there are no difficulties

I then made my way across to Harrison Stickle, an easy climb. From this third and final fell of the round I made my way down to Stickle Tarn, and from there back to the start via Stickle Ghyll

For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)

Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow

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