Walk 91 - Ullscarf

	Walk 91 - Ullscarf - 18th September 2024
	Wainwright's Walking Guide to the Lake District Fells - Book 3 The Central Fells
	#204 Eagle Crag 1706 ft #205 Sergeant's Crag 1873 ft #206 Ullscarf 2382 ft		Distance	9.6 miles
			Time	9.2 hrs
			Lowest Point	289 ft
			Highest Point	2382 ft
			Total Ascent	2611 ft
	Walk Rating - fairly tough

Mini Route Map
(larger map at the bottom)

Go to start on OS map

Go to start on Google


	10.10 Leaving the NT car park at Rosthwaite.


	10.36 Walking along the side of the river we met a guide setting markers for an event later in the day.


	10.57 Eagle Crag and Sergeant's Crag. Eagle Crag ahead of us seems an impossible climb.


		When surveyed from the valley, Eagle Crag seems well-nigh unassailable, a continuous rampart of the above defending the rocks rising in tiers from the lower slopes. The crags are undoubtedly repelling (the main cliff is quite vertical) and a direct straight ascent is out of the question, but there is just one line of weakness on this front by which the top may be gained by ordinary walking: tracing this line amid its impressive surroundings is enjoyable and interesting.
		Alfred Wainwright - The Central Fells - Eagle Crag 3


	11.33 After crossing the river we bagan the climb up towards Bleak How.


	11.47 Another stop to breathe - err I mean Another photo opportunity of Borrowdale.


	11.51 At the base of Bleak How.


	12.15 Reaching the well known stile as the rocky part of the climb starts.


	12.20 The stile from the other side with the top of Bleak How to the left.



	12.32 Panorama 1001 Ascending Eagle Crag from just below the first scramble


	12.32 The short scramble that is the key to unlocking Eagle Crag.


	12.37 Looking down the scramble. It was steep but short, dry and had good hand-holds.


	12.42 Langstrath Valley.



	13.10 Panorama 1002 Eagle Crag summit. Wainwright #204 1706 ft.


	Eagle Crag summit


	13.14 Scafell Pike visible for the first time.


	13.14 Pillar visible over Brandreth.


	13.38 Looking Back at Eagle Crag while crossing to Sergeant's Crag.



	14.25 Panorama 1003 On the side of High Street.


	13.45 F15 jet over Grey Knotts. We saw lots of jets today, particularly from Ullscarf later on.



	14.25 Panorama 1003 Lunch stop on the summit of Sergeant's Crag. Wainwright #205 1873ft.


		There is a splendid prospect up Langstrath to Bowfell and Esk Pike. Nearer, High Raise and Ullscarf form a vast, high screen eastwards, displaying little of interest, but elsewhere the view is fairly good, with many familiar 'tops' peeping over Glaramara.
		Alfred Wainwright - The Central Fells - Sergeant's Crag 6


	14.48 Crossing towards Long Crag on Greenup Edge. I had thought about revisiting High Raise but about now decided that would have made us a little late back.


	14.56 Looking back at Sergeant's Crag.



	14.59 Panorama 1004 On the way across to Ullscarf we took a good path under Long Crag with a view down into a valley full of drumlins.


	16.12 Fairfield in the distance as we ascend Ullscarf.



	16.17 Panorama 1005 Climbing Ullscarf was a fairly gentle affair. Looking back at the way we have come with High Raise in the distance.



	16.36 Panorama 1006 On the wide summit of Ullscarf. Wainwright #206 2382 ft. We walked across to a rocky outcrop on the eastern side to get a better view of fighters coming over Dunmail Raise.


	Ullscarf summit

	Today was one of the busiest days of fighter jet training over the Lake District I have ever seen. We saw at least 5 groups each with between two and five F15 Strike Eagle aircraft. It was at its most intense when we were on Ullscarf and at that point we could see them running over Dunmail Raise to the east of us but also near Blencathra and Skiddaw to the north and returning over Buttermere to the west and then disappearing towards Coniston to the south. Ullscarf was a good place to photograph them from as we were able to see each run several times although I could have done with a much longer lens (and someone to carry it up there).

	16.37:53 In front of Rosthwaite Fell (west)	16.37:46 Over High Raise (south)	16.38:14 Over Fleetwith Pike (west)

	16.38:19 In front of Great Gable (west)	16.52:09 In front of Blencathra (north)	16.55:24 Fleetwith Pike with High Crag and High Stile in the background (west)

	16.52:17 Over the Thirlmere valley (east)	16.52:27 A different plane from the first picture	16.52:28 The same plane as the second picture, 1 second or so later.



	16.57 Panorama 1007 Descending northwards from Ullscarf onto Coldbarrow Fell and Blea Tarn comes into sight.


	17.00 Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite looking very different in colour as we descend Ullscarf.



	17.08 Panorama 1008 On High Saddle which the path runs over.



	17.31 Panorama 1009 On Low Saddle which is a rather more distinct outcrop than High Saddle. Just a 5 minute solo climb.


	17.32 Looking back at Eagle Crag and Sergeant's Crag as I descend Low Saddle. Will is sitting on a rock on the left.


	17.39 Leaving Low Saddle and heading towards Great Crag - hoping to pick up the path over Lingy End that I had walked up in 2022.


	17.51 The path looked clear before us although there was nothing much marked on the maps. However as the path dropped down it became much wetter and about 15 minutes after taking this picture I stepped into the deepest water feature I have ever met on the walks. I was past my knee with my left leg and up near the top of my thigh with my right. The camera stopped an inch above the water.


	18.09 Dock Tarn.


	18.59 The bottom of the path down through the woods. It had been fairly tortuous, worse than when I went up it in 2022.


	19.17 Looking back at Eagle Crag as we hurry to get to the hotel before the swimming pool closed. We failed and enjoyed a puncture in Borrowdale instead.