Cold Pike and Pike of Blisco

From Three Shire stone take the path around the boggy patch behind the stone and head generally north west on the path beyond. There are some more boggy patches and just after a set of stepping stones as the path turns right, bear left beside a small pile of stones and below the large boulder onto a faintly marked path little more than a sheep trod. This sounds worse than it is as there is little overall difficulty following it but you may have to 'keep the faith' and look a little further out to pick it up across the more indistinct sections.

Traverse round the head of the rivers above Duddon Grains, it gets a little boggy at times and you'll need to cross some small streams. Bear left and tackle the grass slopes ahead to gain what looks like the ridge. Cross the small plateau, and bear right up onto the ridge proper. Follow the crest to the shattered summit of Cold Pike. If you worry about which of the three bits of rock is the actual summit, visit all of them, just to be sure!

From the summit area head due north towards Great Knott to pick up another faint path winding its way down to the major path from Red Tarn to the Crinkles, which it joins just before the river. If you miss the path and stray too far left towards the col it gets very wet and boggy. Too far right leads to steep rough ground. Join the major path and turn right. Drop down engineered steps to the junction of paths at the head of Red Tarn. The path here is really rather red.

Continue across the col and where the path turns right, go straight ahead on the rough path which immediately starts to zigzag and climbs. Watch for cairns ahead as the path crosses patches of shattered rocks and could be easily lost. The summit area is cloven in two, the path reaches the higher on the left first. Use the rock ramps to clamber up to the cairns.

The easiest way down is to retrace your steps to the head of Red Tarn. Again watch for the cairns to keep on the path. Back at the junction, turn sharp left and follow the path above Red Tarn. Cross a number of streams and more boggy patches. You might hear the climbers calling to each other on Long Scar - it's a popular venue. Eventually, not far above Three Shire Stone you 'close the circle', continue on the main path back to the parking area.