Worthwhile enduring today’s uncomfortable weather to see Langdale in such interesting light. A full autumn day hiking out from the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel, past an old tractor at Stool End (it’s a farm); the old tractor’s driver’s chair is now being taken over by bracken.
The gate to the fells is the boundary between organised farming and National Park “wilderness”; this is one of the most unwelcoming: “No cycling” and “Sheep worrying is an offence. Dogs caught will be shot”, which makes the gap in the stone wall for the tree seem fantastically tolerant as well as visually interesting, representing farming as the organisation of natural life to provide food for humans.
Reaching the ridge at Three Tarns (~720 m.) you see Scafell Pikes (978 m.), England’s highest peak. Today it was in cloud and anyhow, at this time of the year, you’d need head torches for the pre-dawn start and return also in the dark. There’s a route choice between Crinkle Crags (859 m.) or Bow Fell (902 m.) and back via Angle Tarn. A number of us arrived at about the same time via different routes up from Great Langdale, two young guys in jeans from Penrith, a group of four guys also from London and one other guy hiking on his own. The consensus was that the paths via Crinkle Crags would be more exposed to the unfriendly breeze and showers. Angle Tarn is at the head of Langstrath so an opportunity to join up some dots with previous hikes up from the Borrowdale side.