England - Lake District - Glaramara Panorama

Walk Summary

A magnificent walk across the interesting fells around Glaramara. Most of the walk is across remote and trackless fells. Wonderful views from Garamara, Combe Head and Rosthwaite Fell.

Date: 05/08/2022

Length: 9.36 miles

Height Gain: 804 m

Terrain: Boggy paths, grass paths, stony/rocky paths, stone steps, trackless fell, stepping stones, lightly used roads.

Navigation: The path from Alan Crags to Bessy Boot could be a navigational challenge in bad weather. A significant portion is trackless. Many crags and knolls make the terrain confusing in bad weather. Map/compass/gps required. There are some tarns that make good reference points.

Start: Roadside parking near Seathwaite Farm

Route: Seathwaite Farm, Stockley Bridge, Esk Hause, Allen Crags, Glaramara, Combe Head, Rosthwaite Fell, Bessy Boot. Coombe Gill, Old Mill Cottage, Thorneythwaite Farm

Map: OL4 The English Lakes North Western Area, OL6 The English Lakes South Western Area

Weather: Sunny with intermittent showers

Walkers: Nun, Calse and Mo.

Gallery

Tarn At Leaves

View From Rosthwaite Cam

Looking To Eagle Crag And Sergeant's Crag From Combe Head

View To Seathwaite From Below Great End

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Great End

Captain's Log

Scousers, Peeers And Rainbows

Seathwaite is the wettest place in England with about 3.5 metres of rain a year. It felt like it as we sheltered in the car at the roadside parking near Seathwaite Farm. Eventually the rain went from drumming to pattering, and then to a drizzle. Two people got out of the car in front, opened their boot and started making sandwiches for their breakfast. I looked in my passenger wing mirror and the person in the car behind had got out and was having a pee against the wall. I didn't know where to look and so I looked up at the waterfall at Sourmilk Gill and saw a rainbow forming. Once our neighbour's breakfasting and ablutions had been completed, we got out of the car and started kitting up.

Sandwich man was a scouser and he asked me for the directions to the top of Scafell Pike. He said he wasn't getting a reception on his phone and so couldn't get his mapping app working. I showed him the route on the map, but I don't think the detail was sinking in. I told him we were doing the first part of the Scafell Pike route and all he had to do initially was to make sure they chose the same route as us. I told him the route was probably going to be busy with people after that and he could ask somebody else. We caught up with the couple at the other side of the farm. He was scratching his head at which way to go. I pointed down the valley and they both walked in that direction.

Rainbow Over Sourmilk Gill

Jet Over Allan Crags

Allen Crags

We made the gradual plod up the valley towards Allen Crags. Halfway up the path we came across an elderly man walking so gingerly it made me wince just looking at him. He said he'd damaged his knee and that he'd climbed Scafell Pike last week. I had to admire his effort, although I doubt whether he would attain the same height today. We passed the Scousers a bit further on and he gave me the thumbs up. Just after reaching the massive crag of Great End we turned left to ascend the path up to Allen Crags. As we neared the top I looked back and saw that the Scousers had picked up the Scafell Pike path okay. Somebody else was following them and I hoped they would help them with further directions.

We sat down for a break near the summit of Allen Crags. After a while a couple of jets flew low near to us and headed off down the Langdale valley. It was a very impressive display. Unfortunately they brought the rain with them too, and we had to get the wet weather gear back on.

Glaramara

I've never seen many people between Allen Crags and Bessy Boot. The terrain can be tricky to cross with lots of crags and knolls. Navigation can also be difficult, especially when misty. The first part of the walk, from Allen Crags to Glaramara is the easier bit. There is a sketchy path for most of the way and even a few cairns thrown in. From Glaramara to Bessy Boot, a map and compass is useful, even on a clear day.

We did see one man on his dog near the summit of Glaramara but he was too far away for a chat. Mo struggled to pronounce the name of the hill, coming up with a noteworthy Glamourrama. We detoured around Glamourrama's northern crags and made our way across to Combe Head. At the top, the earth just falls away to a wonderful view of The Combe valley

View To Derwent Water From Glaramara

The Combe Valley From Combe Head

Tarn And Crag Near Rosthwaite Fell

Rosthwaite Fell And Bessy Boot

Apart from the terrain being confusing, the Wainwright identification is too. Wainwright labelled Bessy Boot as Rosthwaite Fell. Bessy Boot is really a subsidiary peak of Rosthwaite Fell. The highest point of the fell is Rosthwaite Cam and has a distinctive knobbly top. It is an easy scramble up to the top of Rosthwaite Cam. We decided to cover our bases and go to the top of both Rosthwaite Cam and Bessy Boot.

Two ducks had taken up residence in the charming Tarn At Leaves, just below Bessy Boot. They looked quite content. Bessy Boot's summit was our last Wainwright of the day. It had been a tough walk from Allan Crags, but very enjoyable.

We followed the gill from Tarn At Leaves, down into The Combe valley. The path starts off gradual but then gets reasonably steep. It was a relief when we finally hit the track that gradually descends to the stream at the bottom of the valley. There are some large boulders in the stream and I've always been able to cross it without any problem. If there is too much water coming down then it is possible to cross via a bridge further downstream (see alternative route on the above map).

As we joined the road leading to Thornythwaite Farm, the heavens opened and we put our wet weather gear back on. I'd brought my distinctive electric red jacket. Both Mo and Calse smirked at this as we walked through a gate that had a 'Beware Of The Bull' sign on it. We saw plenty of dung, but no bull.

Back at the car I noticed that the Scousers had departed. I wondered whether they had got the top of Scafell Pike. I'm sure they'd have met more people than we did on our Glamourrama walk.

Rosthwaite Cam

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