Drizzly Day in Langdale

I am now interupting LTD’s rampage of sniffing, leg cocking and barking (at other dogs) for a brief and misty expedition into the Lake District on the occasion of another little trundlette with The Bro and Ria.

The objective of our attentions was a small, cute and fluffy (that is to say, boggy) Synge luring suspiciously above Mickleden named Martcrag Moor, or, if you had a very old one-inch map, Martcrag Moo. This may have been one of those OS deliberate mistakes to root-out copyright infringements. Or it could have been a morning-of-Christmas-Eve-in-the-office-post-sherry-can’t-be-arsed-cos-we’re-off-to-the-pub-at half-eleven things. (Or was this just an NHS type of thing?)

Anyway, the Met Office said it would be mild and wet and that it would brighten up in the afternoon. It was, indeed mild and a bit damp and there were hints of a brightening at first. The, in the words of Homer Simpson, it just got worse and worse.

So, we set off up the steep, slippery and, in places, badly paved path beside Dungeon Gill and, after bagging the viewpoint Synge Pike Howe, we traversed on a thin/little used, unadulterated and perfectly safe path which emerged just a little way above Stickle Tarn and heaved and balanced our way up the random stones to Harrison Stickle summit where the rain started to become a bit heavier.

After lunch in a small nook or cranny beneath the top, we headed off towards Pike O’Stickle, with a small but bijoux diversion for the summit of Loft Crag on the way.

Pike O’ Stickle (aka Pike Of Stickle according to the Ordnance Survey peeps) was acheived by a short scramble and another short and slippery scramble to get back down again.

In the mist, we considered that we had found the top of Martcrag Moo(r) but the “mound” marked on the map which seems to delineate the highest point, was not obvious. That is to say, we didn’t find it at all. However, we did seem to be at the highest bit.

A long descent of Stake Pass followed on paving which was better than the Dungeon Gill paving, but nevertheless managed to provide of a couple of “whoops” moments which, had they not been controlled by deft rebalancing, would probably have resulted in  a brain-stem injury and/or a broken neck. Its not a surprise that in places, alternative paths exist in the more grippy grass to the awkward and unpleasant new trip and slip hazards. What we really need is some proper handrails and public first-aid kits every half a mile or so. 

We did just 7 miles and 2800 feet of up and down.

And it rained.

Now handing control back to LTD who is currently snoring in his dog bed by the radiator. He’ll be left to fester for a bit, then we’re off for a walk.