Cold Pike - Lake District Walk
Saturday 20th September 2008
With the forecast for the weekend being so good we decided on Thursday night to make the most of it and head north for two days of walking. After a very early start we arrived in the Lakes at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning to find the higher fells covered in cloud. Fortunately as we climbed higher so did the cloud base until eventually as we started to descend it lifted completely and we ended the walk in glorious evening sunshine.
Start: Blea Tarn car park (NY 2964 0434)
Route: Blea Tarn car park - Blake Rigg (261) - Long Crag (262) - Pike O'Blisco (263) - Cold Pike (264) - Great Knott (265) - Oxendale - Side Pike - Blea Tarn car park
Distance: 8.25 miles Ascent: 1004 metres Time Taken: 8 hours
Terrain: Predominately on good paths but the start was pathless and very steep.
Weather: Cool with low cloud to start, clearing to a sunny evening.
Pub Visited: Brook House Inn, Eskdale Ale Drunk: Timothy Taylor's Landlord
Sunshine on the Langdales as we set out.
The steep, wet and very slippery route we took to the top of Miller Stands. Not an experience I am in a hurry to repeat.
Looking down on Blea Tarn from Miller Stands. For some reason my lens kept misting over today.
Little Langdale Tarn from the same place.
Looking towards the Langdales from Blake Rigg's summit.
Long Crag and Pike O'Blisco ahead, as the cloud starts to clear from the top of Pike O'Blisco.
Sunshine on Wet Side Edge and Wetherlam.
Lingmoor Fell.
Looking back to Blake Rigg from Long Crag's summit.
Windermere and Blake Rigg from the path to Pike O'Blisco.
Pike O'Blisco's summit.
A misty looking Cold Pike (the lens again).
Cold Pike and Great Knott with the top of the Crinkles sliced of by the cloud.
It appears to be much brighter to the north and west where Skiddaw is visible from Pike O'Blisco's summit.
Looking down on Red Tarn from the descent of Pike O'Blisco.
Great Knott.
Pike O'Blisco from Cold Pike's summit.
Sunshine over the Langdales and High Raise as we reach the summit of Great Knott.
The Crinkles however still have their tops sliced off by the cloud.
Cold Pike from Great Knott.
Early evening sunshine in Great Langdale. It seems like a long way down and we still have to get back to the car and drive to Eskdale before we pitch the tent.
The top of the Crinkles appear as we start down the path to Oxendale.
Bowfell is now clear of cloud.
The shadow's are starting to lengthen in Oxendale.
The last of the day's sunshine lights up Side Pike as we reach the valley floor. Getting to enjoy the evening sunshine setting the fells alight like this more than made up for the early start and having to pitch the tent in the dark.
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