Mountain Scrambling, Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell

Route: Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell

Meet at: New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel car park, Great Langdale, postcode: LA22 9JX, OS map reference NY295064. As an environmentally conscious group, we actively encourage car sharing. Further details of car sharing arrangements from Sheffield, Manchester and elsewhere will appear in the comments section nearer the time.

A classic Lake District mountain outing which we will spice up by throwing in some high quality scrambling.

Rising to an altitude of 902 metres, Bow Fell is the highest mountain in the Langdale valley and indeed one of the highest in England. The best approach to its lofty summit is via the spectacular chain of five monolithic rocky outcrops known as the Crinkle Crags. Our route to the mountain will of course incorporate the Crinkles followed by the wonderful scramble up Three Tarns Rib.

Crinkle Crags offers an adventurous and undulating traverse with optional scrambling possibilities all along the route. Three Tarns Rib provides delightful scrambling up a series of delicate airy slabs.

The full day will include a level stroll in from the car park leading to a steep pull up the banks of Browney Gill which will get most of the day’s hard work out of the way, a crossing of all five Crinkles with little bits of scrambling at regular intervals to take us to the col at Three Tarns from where we will make a Grade 3 scrambling ascent of Three Tarns Rib to lead us to the summit of Bow Fell, we will then descend via the dramatic but amenable Great Slab and contour across the Climbers Traverse to return to Three Tarns before descending via The Band on our way back to the valley floor.

The Grade 3 scramble can be avoided by taking an easier line at Grade 1 or a simple walkers path.

Photos from our previous outing on Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell can be seen here:

https://www.meetup.com/sheffield-mountaineering-rock-climbing-meet/photos/34738110/

Difficulty: Grade 3 scrambling or Grade 1 if all the main difficulties are avoided. For more information on scrambling grades see:

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/understanding-scrambling-grades

Experience Required: Some previous scrambling or mountain hiking experience is highly recommended.

Ordnance Survey Map: OL6 The English Lakes South Western Area 1:25,000 scale.

Guidebooks: Scrambles in The Lake District Volume 1: Southern Lakes published by Cicerone Press, Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides, Book 4 The Southern Fells.

As always, if everybody wants to contribute £2.00 towards our Meet Up site fees and other operating costs that will be great, thanks.