Pike O'Blisco, Cold Pike & Crinkle Crags - Tuesday 12 November 2013
Route
Old Dungeon Ghyll (ODG) Hotel - Brown Howe - Pike O'Blisco - Cold Pike - Great Knott - Crinkle Crags - Three Tarns - The Band - ODG
Parking
ODG Hotel, Langdale (Pay in Hotel) - Grid Ref NY285060
Mileage
9.3 miles
Terrain
Very good paths apart from the pathless ascent of Cold Pike. Care should be taken on Crinkle Crags.
Weather
Occasional sunshine with fair visibility - cold and blustery on the Summits
Time Taken
6hrs
Total Ascent
3822ft (1165m)
Wainwrights
3
Map
OL6 - The English Lakes (South Western Area)
Old Dungeon Ghyll (ODG) Hotel - Brown Howe - Pike O'Blisco - Cold Pike - Great Knott - Crinkle Crags - Three Tarns - The Band - ODG
Parking
ODG Hotel, Langdale (Pay in Hotel) - Grid Ref NY285060
Mileage
9.3 miles
Terrain
Very good paths apart from the pathless ascent of Cold Pike. Care should be taken on Crinkle Crags.
Weather
Occasional sunshine with fair visibility - cold and blustery on the Summits
Time Taken
6hrs
Total Ascent
3822ft (1165m)
Wainwrights
3
Map
OL6 - The English Lakes (South Western Area)
GPX File
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Walk Description
We had been looking forward to our first visit to the Langdale Valley for such a long time and it did not disappoint. Todays walk started at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and we were there nice and early to pay a decent amount for parking in the Hotel Car Park rather than getting fleeced by the National Trust. We were set fair with the weather and made our way through Oxendale and Stool End Farm to Red Tarn via the path between Brown Howe and Great Knott. We took our time today as the views were so good during the entire walk. At Red Tarn we took the clear path up to the summit of Pike O'Blisco where the rest of our route to Crinkle Crags stretched out before us.
Leaving the Summit we returned to Red Tarn and followed the path to Crinkle Crags but made the short detour to Cold Pike. There is no real path to the top therefore we made a beeline for it and once bagged came back down the same way to rejoin the Crinkle Crags path. We then began the transit of Crinkle Crags which is an exhilarating ridge walk that has everything and it really is a mile to savour as you pass up and down the 5 Crinkles to reach Three Tarns and the junction with the path to Bowfell and the descent of The Band.
Time was against us otherwise we were very tempted to get up Bowfell as it was so close but we turned right and made a very pleasant descent on a good path down The Band to reach the farm at Stool End and the short walk back to the car. Another super day on the fells and we will certainly be doing this walk again at some point, this time adding in Bowfell for good measure.
Leaving the Summit we returned to Red Tarn and followed the path to Crinkle Crags but made the short detour to Cold Pike. There is no real path to the top therefore we made a beeline for it and once bagged came back down the same way to rejoin the Crinkle Crags path. We then began the transit of Crinkle Crags which is an exhilarating ridge walk that has everything and it really is a mile to savour as you pass up and down the 5 Crinkles to reach Three Tarns and the junction with the path to Bowfell and the descent of The Band.
Time was against us otherwise we were very tempted to get up Bowfell as it was so close but we turned right and made a very pleasant descent on a good path down The Band to reach the farm at Stool End and the short walk back to the car. Another super day on the fells and we will certainly be doing this walk again at some point, this time adding in Bowfell for good measure.
Nice early start and its sunny - Crinkle Crags are on the skyline ahead with The Band right
The Langdale Pikes - Pike O'Stickle, Gimmer Crag and Harrison Stickle
The route ahead through Oxendale with Great Knott centre
Crinkle Crags from Oxendale Beck
The Langdale Pikes and our route of ascent
The Summit of Pike O'Blisco with Lingmoor Fell left and Windermere also visible
Bowfell, The Band and Pike O'Stickle
Red Tarn
Pike O'Blisco from the ascent of Cold Pike
Angie & Fudge on Cold Pike
Looking across to the Crinkles
The notorious "Bad Step" up to the third Crinkle - not as difficult as it looks but definitely not to be climbed with a dog!
Angie showing just how windy it was on Long Top, the Summit of Crinkle Crags
Bowfell from Long Top on Crinkle Crags
Fudge just about to go in Crinkle Crags Tarn (or has he been in?)
Couldn't resist another photo of Bowfell
The Langdale Pikes from Crinkle Crags
The Scafells and Mickeldore across Three Tarns
Come on - who farted? Lots of Herdwicks at Stool End Farm
The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel