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" Bannerdale Crags and Bowscale "

Date & start time: Monday 3rd September 2012, 10.45 am start.

Location of Start : The red phone box, Mungrisdale Village, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 362 303 )

Places visited : Glenderamackin Valley, up to Bannerdale Crags East Ridge, Bowscale, down Bowscale East Ridge back down to Mungrisdale.

Walk details :   5.85 mls, 1800 ft of ascent, 5.5 hours including lunch.

Highest point : Bowscale Fell  2,306ft - 702m.

Walked with : Ann, Jo and the dogs, Amber, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Really nice, summer weather with a warm breeze on the summits.

 " Bannerdale Crags and Bowscale " at EveryTrail

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Summer continues with another lovely day on the fells

so we meet up with Jo to walk a route we haven't done for a long while. 

The exact route was only decided as we went along . . . as befits the relaxed nature of the day.

Parking at the end of the road to the fells in Mungrisdale Village.

This gravel area is by the phone box at the top of the hill beyond the Village Hall and the Pub (suggested parking fee £2).

Our route follows the track out into the Glenderamackin Valley past this delightful white-washed cottage.

Mmmm . . . where shall we go today . . . the route had not yet been decided

but the rigged East Ridge up onto Bannerdale Crags looks good today.  That's it in the distance to the left of The Tongue.

There's a fine track into the valley which splits two ways

one up the side of the Tongue (seen above) and the other stays low and follows the river (hidden in the bracken).

Further back our track had been nearly washed away by the river.

Now it is just plain damp with all the summer rain draining off the fellside and running down the paths.

It has always been a damp path . . . today it seems more muddy than we remember previously.

Ann on Bannerdale Beck Crossing . . . taking advantage of the stepping stones.

" Don't just stand there . . . try and look natural and say something to each other".

Our route now takes a right turn and up alongside Bannerdale Beck.

Climbing steadily, we gradually gain height . . . hot work in today's warm temperatures.

To our left as  we climb the view starts to open out to the south . . . giving us a hazy view of High Street and Place Fell in the far distance.

The main valley path that we turned off continues on below and curves round to the foot bridge at White Horse Bent (out of sight).

The option to climb Souther Fell on the opposite bank was rejected in favour of a round trip on this side of the river.

Jo point to the fells opposite . . . by now our route is decided.

We will climb up through the slate workings onto the top of Bannerdale Crags

and then follow the skyline around to the Bowscale, the summit that Jo was pointing to just now.

The sunlight was strong and was highlighting what looked like an "Angel of the North West"

. . . a tree at the bottom of the steep climb ahead pointing out the start of our route ahead.

" Steep Hill ahead . . . engage low gear now "
The dogs lead the way up through the old slate waste.

An old wall could have been a shelter or even the walls of a collapsed mining hut.

Bethan claims the high ground as Amber waits for us to catch up.

Time to stop for another photo for Jo . . .
. . . and one for Ann too.

Climbing steadily , we are nearly level with the top of the crags.

There is a small cairn created out of a pile of stones on the rim of the crags

but the accepted summit of Bannerdale Fell is a short distance west, on the higher ground nearby.

The cairn was in a poor state . . . so needed a little attention
. . . perhaps a small stone on this side to steady it.

A better cairn for a proud Wainwright summit.

Behind is the distinctive 'saddle' outline of Blencathra (or Saddleback as it was often referred to by people of my parent's generation.)

The Sharp Edge climb starts on the green shoulder and rises to the right hand summit of Atkinson Pike.

Back to the edge of our crags now and we look down on the amphitheatre of Bannerdale Valley.

Souther Fell is now ahead and the spur on the left hand side is The Tongue.

Our route will follow round the crags and up onto grassy Bowscale Fell.

We'll descend, not by The Tongue but down the heather covered ridge, one further on.

A reverse shot before we settled into the summit shelter for a spot of lunch.

The summit cairn on Bowscale is thirty yards further on

and gives us views across to High Pike as we resume our walk.

The left hand path would take you down to Bowscale Tarn

but we opt for the track straight ahead, heading east towards Mungrisdale once again.

Walking towards the edge of the ridge we get views of the classic mountain tarn of Bowscale

deep blue in the summer conditions today.

A wider shot of the tarn and Carrock Fell on the opposite of the Caldew Valley.

Clear skies with a few clouds to add interest, lead away south across the Vale of Eden.

We walk down the wide ridge, passing several stone cairns on the way off the fell.

Our earlier route up the valley this morning followed the river

now shining silver in the strong afternoon sunshine.

Onward and downward, this part of the route is new to us.

A steep descent was notable for the lack of steps or anything to hold on to.

What looked like an easy descent turned out to need a considerable amount of concentration to avoid slipping on the gravel-covered path.

I detect a "Water Board" influence on the design of the building below.

It seems to be a private house now.

Down on the meadow was the small church of Mungrisdale with its neat little graveyard.

In concentrating on the route forward, we missed a side turn in the path and ended up at the bottom of the slope,

yards from the road yet with no visible means of exit from the fell.

Someone had tried to be helpful by placing a metal farm gate but it was a little too small and insecure to be really practical.

Apparently there was a gate by the big house, had we turned sixty yards further back up the hill, but we weren't going back up

. . . so it was over the fence as graciously as possible.

A short walk along the road and we were at the end of the walk and ready for a little light re-hydration ;o)

Okay . . . so we were feeling a little peckish too !

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon Sureshot SX220 or my Canon G10 digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . simple stile and dog gate at the foot of the Raven Crag fell please.

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Previous report - 2nd September 2012 The Loweswater Show 2012

A previous time up here - 18th April 2009 Bowscale Bannerdale in the sun

Next walk - 5th September 2012 Jo, Jamie and Crummock