Walk : Esk Pike (2,903
ft), Great End (2,984 ft), Allen Crags (2,572 ft) from
Seathwaite via Grains Gill / Esk
Hause
Date : 19th May 2018
Weather : Glorious, Clear blue sky, bright sun @ 23°C
Distance : 12 miles round trip
Time
Taken : 2 hours 45 mins to
summit (Esk Pike) and a total time of 9 hours out on
the fells
Which
part of Lakeland is this walk situated
Terrain
Overview
Overview
The forecast for the weekend starting 18th May was extremely
favourable. We had decided earlier to escape from all the Royal Wedding
nonsense.
We had planned to do this walk about a month ago when
we where in Ambleside for a week, but the weather had different ideas. This
weekend
however was shaping up
nicely so we travelled up on the Friday evening to a B&B in Ambleside called The
Quayside Club and I can highly
recommend it.
If any readers of this page would like to do all or
parts of this walk, then allow plenty time to take in the most marvellous
mountain scenery. The path
From Seathwaite Farm up
Grains Gill is excellent and dominated by the awesome and intimidating sight of
the North face of Great End. The major
junction that is Esk Hause allows you to take your pick of some of Lakeland`s more loftier heights (including Scafell Pike)
via a number of
ingenious well marked
paths
The walk starts from Seathwaite
Farm along the beautiful
the verges close by
being blocked off with boulders. As you can see this was the choice of hundreds
today
We arrive at the farm and the public path skirts
between two rows of buildings out to open pasture
Arriving at the first series of barred
gates on the path to Stockley Bride. Ahead
is the massive bulk of Seathwaite Fell
Further down the path and the view opens up to reveal
the mouth of the valley. The path itself climbs gradually to quite a lofty
height but the
gradient is favourable
and tends to ease you into the climb
Taylorgill Force – whilst
not immediately en route does merit a small detour from the path if time
permits
Onwards with the walk and the cobblestone path leads
on to
Crossing Grains Gill
Over the bridge and through the gate and make an IMMEDIATE left turn to
take the path that runs parallel to the wall
Starting off on the gradual climb up Grains Gill
All navigation worries are put aside now as the path follows unerringly
to the top of the Gill. The stone stairway helps with the increasing gradient
Higher on up the path and a view of what will be our third fell of the
day … Allen Crags
One of the several points along the route where the Gill cascades from a
height
Higher still and the path gets steeper as we
catch our first proper sight of Great End
The view back down the valley to Seathwaite
and a distant Derwent Water
The intimidating aspect of the North face of Great End … yes Ste that’s
going to be the second fell of the day – have you brought the ropes !!!
The couple taking a rest in front of us kept over taking us
then kind of hanging on to let us catch up …. We found out why a bit later
At the top of the Gill now and this is the major highway to all the main
attractions. From here take a left and follow one of the several paths
That lead up to the pivotal junction of Esk Hause
Looking across right at the impressive sight of Great and Green Gable
with the path to Sty Head tarn meandering westwards
We,
however turn right up Ruddy Gill to start up on the cobbled path towards Esk Hause
So .. the couple who kept
“waiting” for us …
The lady fully kitted out, the gentleman wearing a flimsy pair of trainers ..
Them : “Are you going to the Pike ?”
Me : “Yes
.. Esk Pike”
Them : “Oh !
– which way to
Me : “Give us your map and I`ll show you where you are now and which routes you have
available”
Them : “We don’t have one, we was
sort of waiting for you”
Me : “Oh right … Any Nav device ?”
Them : “No”
Seeing as they had come so far up from Sty Head I sort of pointed them
round the Great End / Ill Crag route …
Them : “Oh !!!
– didn`t realize – is it
hard up that way as Im not too keen on walking that
far “
Me : “See ya
…. Good luck !!!”
Looking back down the climb to Esk Hause and a fleeting view of Sprinkling Tarn … our final destination of the day
At Esk Hause and a clear view of Esk Pike our first Fell of the day
From Esk Hause a view south towards Ill Crag one of the Scafell subsidiaries
Approaching the summit of Esk Pike – a boulder highway !!!
On top of Esk Pike and a view East towards the Langdale valley and the Langdale Pikes
From
the top of Esk Pike a view of the summit cairn on
Great End, Great Gable and Green Gable
Looking
North to Skiddaw, Derwent Water and Keswick
From the summit of Esk Pike a Team shot
Click here for a 360 degree view from the summit of Esk Pike … https://youtu.be/_Pq1h_PXjE8
It was at this
point we had the pleasure of bumping into Briony –
who actually recognised me from the web site and said she has used some
of my
previous
she
scooted off to Great End
From the summit we retraced our steps back down to the Hause to pick up the path to Great End
Looking back from
where we came and a view of
Following the path to Great End
On reaching the
top of the dip take the narrow path that rises over the top of Calf Cove which
leads
Lingmell and the
Great and Green Gable from the summit of
Great End
Click here for a 360 degree view from the summit of Great End … https://youtu.be/HkxxBnismTw
Sue and Ste using the shelter cairn from the strong wind on the summit
Again – we retrace our path back down to Esk Hause and set off for Allen Crags
The scree path leading up to the summit on Allen Crags –
very easy walking
Ste on the summit of Allen Crags
The view north towards Skiddaw in the distance
Looking East to the “pyramid like” Bowfell from the summit of Allen Crags
Heading back down to our final destination of the day … Sprinkling Tarn
Descending Ruddy Gill towards Sprinkling Tarn hidden behind the crop of
rock outcrops
Surely one of the
most idyllic spots in
camping but I
could make
our
fantastic day in the Lakes would, after a
journey home
and back to reality. Until next time …….
Copyright © aloveofthelakes.co.uk
2011 - 2018