Bowfell & Crinkle Crags - part 2

November 21, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Bowfell & Crinkle Crags - part 2

I hadn't planned to go up Crinkle Crags so I hadn't really investigated the route very well. I had read that it could be difficult to find your way through the Crags, especially when it's foggy. Fortunately it was a lovely sunny day but having picked my way up and down very rocky slopes I can understand how you could get lost in poor weather. The views from the various peaks, however, are well worth the effort.

This first image shows the view back to Bowfell and Bowfell links from Three Tarns, with Scafell and Scafell Pike in the background.

The main views from the Crinkle Crags are down Langdale, with Pike O'Blisco on the right.

I tried to frame the view using the different rock formations found along the different Crinkles (the summits).

Is the distance (top right) you can just made out Lake Windemere.

Looking back this is the view of Bowfell, which I had climbed earlier in the day. You can just make out the main route to the summit in the right of the picture.

The main summit of Crinkle Crags is called Long Top. This is the summit cairn, with Pike O'Blisco on the left and the Coniston Fells to the right.

Time for another stop and some refreshments, taking in the views.

There are a couple of routes off (and onto) Long Top. One notorious route is called the Bad Step, which is a huge step in the rock, that is more of a climb, and for a long time was considered impossible for walkers. Another route bypasses this by skirting right along a very exposed slope. There is, however, a simple route off the top which goes a longer, but much easier way round.

My route eventually took me along the path to the right, to the right of the smaller peak in the middle of the image below (effectively between the two tarns as you look from this viewpoint). I then walked down the valley with Pike O'Blisco on my right - down the gap in the peaks you can clearly make out in the photo - down into Oxendale and back along the valley floor.

As I came down from the tops the early evening sun made nice patterns in the floor of the valley.

And gave a lovely warm glow to the Langdale Pikes.

This was a great day and a terrific walk - one I would highly recommend. It is often described as the reverse of the route I have described here. But I wonder if the early part of the walk - up to the Crinkles - would be a bit of a dull slog, whereas the walk up The Band produces almost instant views. Whichever route you take, the views from both Bowfell and Crinkle Crags are spectacular!

For more photos please go to the Bowfell & Crinkle Crags gallery here, where you find nearly 80 images from this walk.

Keywords: bowfell, crinkle crags, lake district, langdale, langdale pikes, pike o'blisco

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