Pike O'Blisco

The top of Pike O'Blisco is quite craggy and the path takes a direct route with a short scramble up a rock band. It is a fairly easy scramble and I've done it a few times. I find it easier though to contour along the bottom of the rock band southwards and then head for the summit when the gradient and terrain is easier. Maybe I'm just lazier nowadays.

I remember approaching this rock band with Fatboy once. He'd not been here before and I told him that the path went straight up the rock band but we'd find an easier way to the summit, over to the south. He didn't like the sound of having to do some extra walking and so he launched himself at the rock band.  I watched with intrigue as he neglected the normal scramble route in favour of another one that had the grade and danger of the Hinterstoisser Traverse on the north face of the Eiger. I suggested to him that it looked rather precarious and that maybe he should come down and follow me on my alternative route. 'It only adds another ten minutes', I offered. Hanging on buy three fingertips he shouted down to me that he wasn't coming down to just come back up again. As I got my mobile out of my rucksack, to inform Mountain Rescue that they might want to start the rotors on their air ambulance, Fatboy admitted defeat and made a tricky descent. We walked my alternative route to Pike O'Blisco's summit. 

Today, as we approached the summit we spotted a radio mast and a man speaking into a CB radio. We'd come across him before when we climbed Dale Head (See I Spy High Spy).

It really was a tremendous sight from the summit of Pike O'Blisco. The crescent of Cold Pike and Crinkle Crags stretched off to the west. Down in the valley, we could see the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel from where we'd set off, early this morning. In fact I could even see 'Growler', my car. I'd named my car 'Growler' soon after I bought her, in reference to the sound her 1 litre engine made struggling up steep hills. It was a few month's after my purchase that Calse informed me that Growler was actually urban slang for an unkempt vagina. I did wonder about the differences between a kempt and an unkempt vagina, but I decided not to press the matter. It gradually began to dawn on me though that this was probably the cause of  the curious looks people had given me when I mentioned Growler...'Just give me a few minutes to fire Growler up, and I'll be over in a tick', I would say, and...'I'm just taking Growler out for a spin'.  It was too late to change my car's name now of course, and I don't mention it much in conversation.

Cold Pike

It is a fairly easy descent down from Pike O'Blisco to Red Tarn. It looked more blue than red, although some of the surrounding rocks are the reddest I've seen in the Lakes. We joined the motorway of a path that headed west towards Crinkle Crags. Once the path started to become flatter we branched left, off-piste towards Cold Pike. There was only a few minutes of trackless walking until we picked up a vague path that took us to Cold Pike's summit. The mountain is well named, since it was freezing up there. Again, there were amazing views over the Langdales and also over to the Coniston fells too. At the foot of Harter Fell we could just see a tiny strip of road that led up to Hardknott Pass.

Rather than head back and use the Crinkle Crag motorway to get to the Crinkles, we took a more direct route, using a vague path across the fell. It had the advantages that it didn't lose height and was shorter, but it was far boggier than the motorway.

Crinkle Crags

I've traversed the Crinkle Crags many times in every sort of weather. On a clear day, the route is obvious having been scarred by many walking boots and being well cairned. In bad weather, the route can be disorientating, especially if track and cairns are covered by snow. There was no problem today though. Visibility was 100% giving us some spectacular views down into the Langdale Valley. 

On Crinkle 1, a woman scared me to death by jumping up behind a rock and shouting a haughty 'hello'. I told her that she'd made me jump. 'I'm the Crinkle Crag Slasher', she responded and raised both hands in the form of claws. For once, I was rather glad I'd got Mo and Calse with me.

On Crinkle 2, two young lads were throwing large rocks off the edge and watching them break on other rocks. It seemed an odd occupation, but they seemed to be enjoying it. 

We caught up with the Crinkle Crag Slasher on the summit of Crinkle 2 and we waited until she disappeared to terrorise somebody else  before claiming the Wainwright for ourselves.

Crinkles 3, 4 and 5 were traversed without incident. These Crinkles opened up the views over to the craggy flanks of Scafell and Scafell Pike, whilst straight ahead were the huge buttresses of Bow Fell.

The Band

I always prefer coming down The Band than up, since the views down into the Langdale valley are so good. It is also a gradual descent making it easier on the knees. Additionally, it gave a fine top to tail view of Wainwright's Wonder, Pike O'Blisco, The sun even came out to play as we got near to Stool End Farm.

On the road back to Old Dungeon Ghyll, a couple walked in front of us with a Spaniel. Every so often, the dog would flatten herself on the road and they had trouble coaxing her back on to her feet again. As we walked by, the woman explained that she did it because she was scared of traffic. Poor thing.

It had been a superb day. The Crinkle Crag Crescent really is a Lakeland Classic and should be on every walker's bucket list.