Carlisle & District Rambling & Fellwalking Club

Walk & Event Reports

Sunday 6th August 2017

Bowfell & Esk Pike via Climbers Traverse

 10 Miles Grade 1

Leader: David Bulman

Report by Peter Flynn

Photos by Pete Rutland

The Langdales must be among the most beautiful corners of the United Kingdom.  The rocky summits of Harrison Stickle,  Pavey Ark,  Pike of Stickle and all the attendant fells never cease to appeal with their unique grandeur.  They are surrounded by other higher and no less lovely fells in Bowfell and the aptly named Crinkles.  The six of us – plus two dogs - in the A party led by David aimed first of all at Bowfell.  We went up the Band and then crossed over by means of the Climbers traverse, crossing under a series of scary looking rock faces.  We turned left up the side of the slabs,  just before the friendlier face of Bowfell Buttress, with at least one party climbing it.  The weather up till then had been cool but dry and that changed very suddenly and dramatically into blustery,  cold and very  wet.  It rained as it can only rain in the Lake District.  After quite a while with dry and mostly sunny weather almost every Sunday it came as a shock to realise that the Lakes can be so unhospitable.  Instead of carrying along over Esk Pike,  which was enshrouded in mist,  we took the footpath from Ore Gap,  down past Angle Tarn and followed the path down Rosset Ghyll and Mickledon.  It was the sort of driving rain that quite simply penetrates through the very best of waterproofs,  and for such as (Christina and myself) had forgotten to pack wet-legs,  it became singularly unpleasant.  Near the bottom,  Andy was approached by a couple – not particularly well equipped from the look of them – asking where Scafell Pike was. The correct answer should be “same spot as last week / year / century” but we are too polite in the A party for such flippant remarks. He told them it was a long way off,  and our trusted ex policeman was so concerned that he chased after them and told them that an expedition like that on a day such as today could be suicidal.  They politely said “thank you” and continued on the path towards it.  Whether they will be the next call out subjects for the mountain rescue is up to them,  but we made it down, dripping wet,  to the Old Dungeon Ghyll for a welcome cup of tea and cakes.  Many thanks to David for leading in what can only be described as rather challenging circumstances.  

Peter