Around the Head of Langdale


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By pistolrider on 03/01/14 at 11:03pm

Hills walked:
Shelter Crags (Birkett, Hewitt, Nuttall, Synge, Sim, and Tump)
Crinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Birkett)
Crinkle Crags - Third Crinkle (Birkett and deleted Nuttall)
Shelter Crags North Top (Nuttall and Synge)
Crinkle Crags - Fourth Crinkle (Birkett)
Crinkle Crags South Top (Birkett, Hewitt, Nuttall, Synge, Sim, and Tump)
Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Wainwright, Birkett, Hewitt, Nuttall, HuMP, High Hill of Britain, Clem, Fellranger, Synge, Sim, and Tump)
Bowfell North Top (Nuttall and Synge)
Date started:02/01/2014
Distance:14.7 km or 9.1 miles
Ascent:978m or 3209ft
Start OSGB:NY276056
Time taken:5:45
Naismith:4:34

As usual I started out from work at 06.00hrs. I was tired but felt better after the intake of Pro-Plus and Red Bull, as I journeyed North to Langdale. I arrived at The National Trust Campsite just after 08.30hrs and set up my Tent. Having sorted all my kit and got dressed for the hill, I stopped for a chat with the warden before setting off toward Stool End.

After passing through the farmyard I headed towards the bealach between Pike-O-Blisco and Cold Pike. on the way I came across this waterfall

Un-named waterfall in Brown Gill

Looking back across Langdale I could see the Pikes

Langdale Pikes from Brown Gill

These were the only two photos taken as I soon ascended into the clag and visibility was down to 30mtrs, for the rest of the day. I soon arrived on the ridge, where the snow started. The conditions were horrendous, greasy rock covered in wet slushy snow, with wind gusting to around 50mph and poor vis.

I battled on over the Crinkles and Shelter crags, eventually arriving on Bowfell at 15.45hrs. I had a look around the summit area to see if I could find any remains of the aircraft crash I attended in November 1987 but nothing was to be found. Realising that it would be dark shortly, I hurried off towards Ore Gap but I could not find the path downhill,so started to descend towards Angle Tarn, (thinking that I may have to bivvy out for the night by the side of the tarn), through Hanging Knotts. After a few hairy moments of scrambling across some exposed crags, I arrived at the Tarn and proceeded around it to where Angle Tarn Gill flows out and took the path past Rossett Pike and down towards Mickelden. My night vision, thankfully is quite good and it wasn't until I met the Mickelden path proper that I needed my head torch.

With a failing head torch I arrived at ODG about 18.00hrs, where two pints of Old Peculiar hardly touched the sides. I got back to the campsite and cooked myself some tea and then after being awake for 34.5 hours, I slept for a whole 12 hours, without waking.

An epic day to say the least!



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