We decided to concentrate on the
remaining highest fells this year, so for our second trip to the
Lakes this year, we decided to stay at Wasdale. Our only previous
trip to this area was in 2000, when the weather was so dreadful
that we could not even see the Wast Water Screes properly, so we
were hoping for some better views this time of what we knew from
photos to be one of the most beautiful areas of Lakeland.
As we were not familiar with the Wasdale area, we found the WasdaleWeb
(www.wasdaleweb.co.uk)
invaluable in providing information, and through it we found a lovely
campsite at Nether Wasdale: Church Stile Farm.
We arrived on the 15th to a glorious hot and sunny day, which allowed
us plenty of time to get our tent up and settle in without having
to rush, and the following morning the weather was equally as good,
which meant we got our first proper views of the magnificent Screes
on our way to our first walk, Lingmell, which we had chosen as being
relatively short and a good way of getting back in the swing of
things. |
 |
The wast water screes
from the shore path |
 |
Wast water with great Gable and
lingmell, and the start of the wast water screes |
Having parked in Brackenclose Car
Park, the route we took was identical, until Hollow Stones, to our
first ever walk in the Lake District, when we climbed Scafell Pike
in April 2000. Today, however, we could
see where we were going! |
 |
Footbridge at Brackenclose |
| Lingmell was in clear view as we set
off along the main path across the footbridges towards Brown Tongue,
though the actual summit, as is usually the case with the high fells,
could not yet be seen. |
 |
Lingmell from Brackenclose |
 |
The large footbridge at brackenclose
with lingmell behind |
| Initially we took a diversion from
the main path just after the large footbridge with a view to ascending
via Lingmell's shoulder. This gave us spectacular views back across
Wast Water. |
 |
Wast Water with illgill head and
the wast water screes to the left and middle fell to the right from
Lingmell's shoulder |
| It was not long, however, before we
found our route to the ladder stile over the wall that crosses Lingmell's
should about halfway up "blocked" by a very large bull.
I have no doubt the Cumbrian bulls are of a much friendlier disposition
than their relatives in Dorset, but we were not in the mood to test
the theory out, so we made our way back down to the track, which we
re-joined by the kissing-gate below Brown Tongue. |
 |
The kissing gate by lingmell beck
on the way to Brown Tongue |
| As we walked along the long path towards
Hollow Stones today, would see Pikes Crag and Scafell Crag appearing
in front of us in the morning sunshine. |
 |
The path to Hollow Stones, with Brown Tongue ahead |
 |
Brown Tongue with Pikes Crag and scafell crag behind
|
| And behind us we could see the coast
clearly. |
 |
Wast Water from Brown tongue |
 |
Walking up Brown Tongue towards
Hollow Stones with pikes Crag and Scafell Crag behind |
 |
Still walking up Brown Tongue with
Scafell Crag Behind |
| By the time we reached Hollow Stones
it was extremely hot and we, and the hoardes of walkers making their
way to Scafell Pike, were getting quite tired, so we decided that
this was a good spot for some lunch and a rest, while we admired the
scenery around us. |
 |
Pikes Crag from Hollow Stones |
After a sandwich, some fruit juice
and a rest, we made our way towards Lingmell Col. |
 |
The path towards lingmell col from
Hollow Stones with Pikes Crag to the right |
| Looking back, we had some stunning
views of the awesome Scafell Crag, though capturing a good photo of
it was not easy, as the sun was almost directly above it. |
 |
Scafell Crag, with lord's rake,
though not very visible as the photo was taken into the sun |
| As we left Hollow Stones at the side
of Pikes Crag, we got our first glimpse of Lingmell's summit, which
we were pleased to see was not that far away. |
 |
Our first glimpse of Lingmell's
summit as we leave Hollow Stones |
| The path to the summit from Lingmell
Col was quite rocky, but nowhere near as bouldery as we remembered
the path to Scafell Pike to be from there. |
 |
The path to lingmell from lingmell
Col |
Seeing the summit so close gave
us an added spurt and before long we reached the summit cairn, which
is a very shapely structure, and we had to agree with Wainwright
that it is the nicest of any of the Scafells.
The views from here were absolutely spectacular. We stayed for
ages, looking at not only the adjacent fells, but right through
Borrowdale to the Northern Fells, including Blencathra!), which
were surprisingly free from too much heat haze, considerring the
glorious weather. |
 |
David feeling the heat at the formidable
summit cairn on lingmell |
 |
Great Gable with styhead Tarn to the right from the
summit of lingmell |
 |
Pillar and Kirk Fell from Lingmell's Summit |
 |
Mosedale with YEwbarrow, REd Pike, Pillar and the
shoulder of Kirk Fell from Lingmell's summit |
 |
Styhead tarn with seathwaite fell and glaramara behind
from lingmell's summit |
 |
Styhead tarn with seathwaite fell and glaramara behind
and great end to the right from the summit of lingmell |
 |
Great end from Lingmell's summit |
 |
Great end, Ill Crag and Broad Crag from Lingmell's
Summit |
 |
Broad Crag and scafell Pike, with broad crag col in
between from the summit of Lingmell |
 |
Scafell pike from the summit of lingmell |
 |
Great gable, with styhead tarn on the right, from
Lingmell's summit |
 |
Yewbarrow, with Seatallan, Haycock, Red Pike and Scoat
Fell behind |
 |
Illgill Head and Wast Water from Lingmell |
 |
Scafell Crag, with the path to Scafell Pike from lingmell
Col to the left from Lingmell |
| Eventually it was time to go back
down, and we did so reluctantly, this time cutting across directly
towards Hollow Stones rather than going back to Lingmell Col. |
 |
Pikes crag and Scafell Crag from Lingmell |
 |
DAvid descending to hollow stones |
| As we walked back down the improved
path of Brown Tongue, we could see Brackenclose clearly below. |
 |
Looking down from Brown Tongue towards Brackenclose
with Yewbarrow behind, and lingmell's shoulder to the right |
 |
David on brown tongue |
| The path crosses Lingmell Gill below
Brown Tongue, but today there was not a lot of water flowing and there
was no danger of getting wet feet. |
 |
Crossing lingmell gill below Brown Tongue |
| Further down, above Brackenclose,
there were still plenty of Bluebells in flower, as well as the ever
present Tormentil, and Milkwort was a welcome sight too. |
 |
Bluebells above Brackenclose with Pikes crag and scafell
crag in the background |
 |
Kirk Fell from Brackenclose |
| As we arrived back at the car, the
sun was hotter than every, and we were glad to sit down and rest after
our first fell walk since January. |
 |
david looking pleased with himself on Arriving back
at Brackenclose Car Park, having achieved our first "tick"
of the week |
| We then drove to Gosforth for some provisions for the
week and an ice cream(!), pausing briefly at the brow of the hill
on our way back to Nether Wasdale, to take in the stunning views towards
Wasdale Head. |
 |
The view of wasdale on the road to nether wasdale
from Santon Bridge and Gosforth, with (from Left to right) Middle
fell, Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell, Illgill Head and Whin Rigg |
