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This
was a walk on which I set out to "mop up" a few unclimbed peaks in the
Central Fells range. I was aiming intitially for Eagle Crag and
Sergeant's Crag, both "tops" of High Raise. This is Eagle Crag, which stands
dramatically over the Stonethwaite valley off Borrowdale, at the
bifurcation of Langstrath and Greenup.
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Looking into Greenup, a high pass over to
Grasmere that carries the Coast-to-Coast long distance path, with Eagle
Crag to the right.
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A retrospective view down Greenup Gill. It's
quite lush at this level but higher up the scenery becomes drab with a
number of glacial moraines.
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To get to Eagle Crag one has to divert from
Greenup Gill and cross an area of pathless terrain and approach the
summit from the southeast. The tiny cairn, seen here, is perched on the
apex of a huge slab of tilting rock, the summit of the crag. We're
looking along the Stonethwaite valley towards High Spy and Maiden Moor.
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Here we're looking north to Skiddaw, with Grange Fell and
Ullscarf in the middle distance. |
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A
dramatic view along Langstrath from the same point. Rossett Pike is at
the head of the valley and Bowfell rises beyond. Eagle Crag was my
100th Lakeland fell.
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Looking
south from the top of Eagle Crag. High Raise is the rounded hill to the
left, Sergeant's Crag is the turret-shaped summit to the right and is
my next objective.
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It's
a bare half mile from Eagle Crag to Sergeant's Crag but it's quite a
dramatic walk, alongside a stone wall on the edge of a steep slope
plunging down to Langstrath. Here I'm at Sergeant's Crag looking back
at Eagle Crag.
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Looking west. Rosthwaite Fell is on the opposite side of Langstrath, while the Dale Head group is seen beyond.
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Langstrath seen from Sergeant's Crag. Bowfell and Esk Pike form the skyline.
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A
mile and a half to the south, on an ever-improving path, brings us to
High Raise. At 2500 ft it's the highest summit of the Central Fells and
is regarded as pretty much the centre of the Lakeland fells. Here I was
a couple of hundred yards short of the cairn. I wish I'd thought to
take a picture at the actual summit.
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The
weather started to improve rapidly, and on a whim I pushed onwards. A
revised plan took shape, in which I'd take in as many of the Langdale
Pikes as I had time for, and then descend via Stake Pass to Langstrath
and then back to Stonethwaite. Here, on the southern slopes of High
Raise, I'm looking west to Glaramara. The Dale Head group is seen
beyond.
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Strictly
speaking the rest of these images should be on the Langdale Pikes page
but I don't want to split the walk over two galleries so they're
staying here. This is the north top of Thunacar Knott, a mile south of
High Raise. There's only 130 ft of reascent. Thunacar Knott is a
curiosity, little more than a swelling in the moorland plateau to the
rear of the Langdale Pikes yet technically their parent fell. It's
lovely terrain, lush grass flecked with rocks and boulders.
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The summit of Thunacar Knott, 2351ft. Skiddaw can be seen peeping through the col to the right of the cairn.
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Panning a little to the right we see the bulk of High Raise to the north.
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Another part of Thunacar Knott's panorama; looking northeast towards Helvellyn and Fairfield.
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A little tarn laying between the north and south tops.
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That's Harrison Stickle, which lays half a mile to the south east.
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I
began to make my way to Harrison Stickle but realised that I was
pushing my luck and would have to make my way to Stake Pass and the
descent to be in time for the last bus nack to Keswick.
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I've turned to the right and I'm heading for Martcrag Moor. Loft Crag and Pike O'Stickle lay dead ahead.
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Pike O'Stickle looms dramatically in this shot.
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A
good view of Rossett Gill from Martcrag Moor. Angle Tarn lays in that
dip beyond Rosett Gill, and behind it rise Bowfell and Esk Pike.
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The
last shot of the day - the foot of Stake Pass, and I halted for a few
minutes at the scene of our wild camp in Langstrath three years before.
From here I walked the length of Langstrath back to Stonethwaite, for
the return bus to Keswick. It had been a long but satisfying day.
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