Gavel Pike

After crossing the beck servicing Coldcove Gill, I climbed an obvious track on my right. It followed the beck for a while before heading southwards towards Lattershaw Crag. The route from here to the top of Gavel Pike was of my own making. The terrain was grassy and it wasn’t too boggy and so it was easy to forge my own route. I wanted to keep those incredible views across the Deepdale valley to those crags in sight and so I made my way gradually upwards and along Braw Crags. Gavel Pike’s summit came into view again and I figured it was time to head more steeply up the fell to the col between its top and Lord’s Seat. It didn’t take long to reach the col and this opened up views over Gavel Moss to the north. I could see some people making their way up the ‘tourist’ route to St Sunday Crag. I’d be making my way down there later on in the day. The last stretch to the summit was a little rocky and involved holding a rock or two in places. It most definitely was not a Pinnacle Ridge. A cairn adorned the top of Gavel Pike. I find it an impressive summit and well worth a short out-and-back from St Sunday Crag, even if you don’t want to ascend to it from Deepdale. I had a break and sat on its southern side, escaping the chilly northerly that was blowing across it. The hill fell steeply below my feet into the head of Deepdale. It is those views across to Fairfield and Hart Crag that you can’t stop looking at though. I could also see the rocky lump of Cofa Pike on the route up to Fairfield. I couldn’t see anybody traversing at the moment. Once I’d had my fill of my cheese sarnie and that amazing view, I donned my rucksack and started following the ridge to the top of St Sunday Crag. 

St Sunday Crag

After the ascent to Gavel Pike, the one to St Sunday Crag seemed easy in comparison. After 10 minutes or so, St Sunday Crag’s summit cairn came into view. I was surprised to have it to myself since I’d seen a few people making their way up the tourist path on my way across from Gavel Pike. The cold wind urged me to keep moving and I headed off north westwards to those fearsome crags above the Grisedale valley. The terrain got steeper as I approached the crags and I stopped when I got a decent view into the valley. It certainly was an impressive sight.  Striding Edge was directly opposite me across the valley. This led up to those mighty crags that drop below Nethermost Pike, High Crag and Dollywagon Pike. It is well worth dropping down from St Sunday Crag’s summit to witness this amazing view. I followed the tops of the crags north eastwards in the hope that I might get a glimpse of Pinnacle Ridge, but I wasn’t close enough to the edge to be able to see it. Eventually I merged back with the ‘tourist’ route and started making my way down.  

A met a group of a dozen youngsters on their way up. Some of the girls displayed bare shoulders as though it was mid July, rather than the start of April. They’d certainly notice the cold once they hit that wind on the summit. I almost caught up with another large group of people who were also descending, but they headed off on the path towards Birks just before I could reach them. I continued along the well defined path towards Elmhow and Harrison crags. The advantage of coming down, rather than up this path, is that you have a constant and magnificent view down the valley and over to Ullswater. If you come up the path, then you generally just see sweat dripping off your forehead into your eyes. A C-130 Hercules made its way low over Patterdale, banking right at the dog leg along Ullswater before disappearing behind Place Fell. A few minutes later I heard a chugger-a-chugger and two Chinooks flew down the Grisedale valley almost at my height. I could see soldiers looking out of its windows. They also followed the military tourist route down Ullswater.  I thought some Typhoons might fly down to make it a threesome, but it never happened. There was a steep final drop off Thornhow End and then I came to a crossroad of paths just before reaching the fields. 

Valley Walking

I turned right at the crossroads and followed a path along the contour of the hill towards Patterdale. Just before reaching the road I came across my first new Coast To Coast fingerpost. The trail is officially going to be opened as a national trail in 2026 and so it is getting a makeover with new signs embellished with the acorn symbol and AW’s initials (Alfred Wainwright was the creator of the route). I’m hoping to do the trail later this year and so will be able to assess how well the signage is coming along. 

I crossed the A592 and walked down the lane to the small collection of houses at Rooking. I was out of the wind now and the day had really warmed up. After the steepness of Gavel Pike and St Sunday Crag, the walk along the valley seemed easy. Across the valley the two peaks looked spectacular. At the farm at Beckstones, two farmers were sorting sheep out in some pens. Their dog sat at the back of their ATV, watching their activities with a look that said he  wished he could be out rounding the sheep up in a field. I branched away from the east side of the valley and used a permissive path to cross towards the A592. This joined me up with the woodland trail on which I’d set out earlier in the day. Within 10 minutes, I was back at the carpark.   

Is it the best route up St Sunday Crag? Yes it is, in my view. If you disagree, then be aware I’d have my day in court to fight it out.