Gregg Neilson's Walking Journals

A small group of us four elderly gentlemen were down early for breakfast at 7:30. We ordered and got served, no squabble. A class act for the breakfast crew. Jeff and I both left about 8:30, he was anxious get onto the Langdales and climb Gimmer Crag. I think it was a bucket list kind of thing for him. I headed off along the Cumbria Way above the beck and soon passed by Wainwright’s Inn. I’ll have to stop there sometime and find out if the name has historical significance.

 

I came to the New Dungeon Gyll Hotel after 1 1/2 hours. This is the normal stop on the Cumbria Way, so I fell in with a few other walkers starting out late. After passing the Old Dungeon Gyll Hotel, it’s a fairly level path skirting the fells high above Mickleden Beck curving around from west to north to the foot of Stakes Pass. Here, most walkers will continue on the CW over Stakes Pass while I and several others turned left (west) to ascend Rosset Gill to Rosset Pass and on to Angle Tarn. The sign painted on a boulder actually says Esk Hause which is beyond the Tarn.

 

Ascent to the pass and tarn is from 500 ft to about 2000 ft. Part way up there is an option to go up the gully on right side of the path but it looked exceptionally steep, rocky and slow; best stick to the switchback path. I played leapfrog with two younger walkers but they plunged ahead after reaching Rosset Pass. There was a 200 ft descent to
Angle Tarn which is quite beautiful, framed by the mountain.

 

As impressed as I was by Angle Tarn, I was positively enchanted by a small unnamed tarn that I dubbed “Little Tot Tarn.” It was certainly worthy of recognition.

 

An escape path led back down to the CW and Langstrath Beck. Otherwise, my path led up to a junction at 2370 ft. Straight ahead would lead me to Eskdale, left to Esk Hause and right, my route, to Allan Crags at 2512 ft and the Glaramara ridge. Views here were spectacular if a bit hazy and cloudy which unfortunately affected photographic clarity.

I turned right and met a local couple who just came across Glaramara. We talked awhile and he pointed out all the peaks around us. To the south, Bow Fell and Esk Pike. Turning west, we could see Scafell Pike, Great End, Great Gable, Green Gable, and further west, Pillar. It was quite a magnificent lineup. The weather was not bad, but not good either. Lot’s of gray clouds which the eyes can penetrate and adjust to, but the camera cannot do justice as you can see.

 

I climbed to the top of Allan Crags and discovered a couple having lunch behind the summit rocks, hiding from the cold wind. I sat with them and ate a pear. They were on vacation from the south of England and came to the lake District often for walking.

It was a very rocky path with several summits on the way to Glaramara. The path was followable but could be indistinct among the rocks, especially over the abrupt wall in front of me. I finally reached the summit of Glaramara at 2560 ft and had a fabulous view to the east, the Langdales and a whole lineup further away.

 

I tried to spot Jeff in his distinctive orange jacket, but could not tell which was Gimmer Crag. To the north, I could see the long valley of Borrowdale stretching all the way to Keswick against a tumultuous sky.

 

After the summit, there is a precipitous drop, part of it is almost like a chute (think Striding Ridge), rock scrambling and hanging by fingers. Then, on a flat part of the ridge, as I passed two exquisite tarns, a dark storm swooped in from the north throwing some sleet at me but mostly passing just east, a glamorous show of nature.

 

A gradual descent followed, rocky and hard on my feet. At Thorneythwaite Farm, I chatted with an older couple out for a little walk on the fells. At the road, it’s only a mile to Rosthwaite where my hotel awaits. I met a South African who had just said goodbye to his girlfriend who boarded a bus to go back home. He works at the Scafell Hotel, next to the Royal Oak (my hotel). He said the Riverview Bar in the Scafell is excellent. I’ll have to remember that.

The Royal Oak is an old fashioned hotel with a set dinner at a set time which is mandatory for all guests. Tea, coffee and scones (complimentary to guests) are served from 3 to 5 pm, excellent and classy. I arrived at 4:45, just in time to dump my pack and partake of the goodies. I had a nice, large en suite room with a big bed. This was the most expensive lodging of the walk, but was well worth it. No other rooms were to be found on this night, even the hostel was full.

After cleaning up, I was down to the bar by 6:30 to drink till dinner at 7:00. Theakson’s was the only ale on tap, very good, but I wondered what the bar in Scafell’s was like. Dinner was a mushroom and cauliflower soup, pork medallions, potatoes, bread and vegetables; lemon cheesecake and ice cream for dessert. For those who didn’t want sweets, there was a cheese table with crackers. Then everyone retired to the drawing room for coffee or tea and chocolate mint leaves, all very proper.

I made friends with four recent retirees from Manchester, doing the coast to coast walk, bags carried by Sherpa, and having a grand old time. After exchanging stories, I went up to my room for journal writing and reading. I was ready for a good night’s sleep.

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