Rossett Pike, Allen Crags, Great End and more

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Rossett Pike (5.6 km, 547 m)

   Climb of about 547 m over 5.6 km (around 10% average).

   Starting from the Old Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale, this route begins with a flat, 3-kilometre walk up the U-shaped valley of Mickleden. At the head of the valley the route branches left onto the Rossett Gill path, a relentless, steep, stone-pitched staircase that zig-zags up the fellside. Nearing the top of the pass comes the final pull: the route cuts sharply right (north-east) off the main thoroughfare and crosses grassy and rocky ground to the summit of Rossett Pike.

   Waypoints

   Old Dungeon Ghyll / Mickleden: The flat, valley-bottom approach. Stake Gill Footbridge: The point where the flat walk ends and the climbing begins. Rossett Gill Pitched Path: The steep stone staircase up the pass. Rossett Pike Summit (651m): A small cairn on the edge of the crags, looking back down into Langdale.

   Decision point

   Valley Walls: Mickleden is straightforward to navigate, between the Pike of Stickle on your right and Bowfell on your left. The Pitched Path: Once on the Rossett Gill path, it is a clear handrail to the top of the pass.

   Easy to get wrong

   The Stairmaster: The pitched path up Rossett Gill is exhausting. In summer, this enclosed ravine traps the heat and offers little breeze, so heat exhaustion is a real risk. Icy Stones: In winter, the stone pitching turns into an ice slick where runoff freezes solid across the path. False Sense of Security: The long, flat walk-in often causes walkers to set off too fast, leaving them drained before the climb begins.

   If you need to get off

   If the heat or gradient is too much, turn around and descend the pitched path back to the flat ground of Mickleden.

2. 2

   Rossett Pike → Allen Crags (2.1 km, 216 m)

   Descent of about 77 m, then a climb of about 216 m, over 2.1 km.

   From Rossett Pike, drop a short distance west to Angle Tarn, in a dark corrie beneath Bowfell. Cross the tarn's outflow and take the rocky, well-trodden path climbing north-west towards Esk Hause. Before the cross-shelter, the route veers north onto a rough, rocky path to the summit of Allen Crags.

   Waypoints

   Angle Tarn: A deep, cold tarn and a major crossroads. Angle Tarn Outflow: The stepping-stone crossing point. Allen Crags Summit (785m): A rocky summit on the ridge toward Glaramara.

   Decision point

   Angle Tarn: A clear landmark. Keep the tarn on your left as you descend from Rossett Pike, and on your left again as you climb away from it toward Esk Hause.

   Easy to get wrong

   Boggy Approaches: The ground around Angle Tarn and its outflow can be deeply saturated and messy to cross. Undulating Rock: The approach to Allen Crags is uneven and rocky, and needs constant care with your footing. Esk Hause (and the ‘false’ Esk Hause close by, which walkers often take for it) is a notorious place to go wrong: several paths meet and in cloud it is easy to set off toward the wrong valley — Langstrath, Grains Gill, Langdale or back to Sty Head. From Allen Crags, do not bail off into Langstrath. This desolate valley will deposit you in Borrowdale, miles from your Langdale start point.

   If you need to get off

   Retreat: Go back to Angle Tarn and take the Rossett Gill path back down to Langdale.

3. 3

   Allen Crags → Great End (1.8 km, 180 m)

   Descent of about 48 m, then a climb of about 180 m, over 1.8 km.

   Retrace your steps south from Allen Crags to drop into Esk Hause, a major crossroads. From the cross-shelter, the route heads west, then swings north up to Great End. The path largely breaks up into boulders and shattered scree, and the climb is a rough, high-stepping scramble through the rocks to the broad, surprisingly flat summit plateau.

   Waypoints

   Esk Hause Shelter: A low stone cross-wall, a windbreak and a navigational anchor. Calf Cove: The rocky bowl on the approach to Great End. Great End Summit (910m): Marked by a cairn set back from the sheer northern crags.

   Decision point

   The Cross-Shelter: The stone shelter at Esk Hause is the starting point for the bearing up Great End. Cairns: A line of cairns marks the usual route through the boulder fields to the summit.

   Easy to get wrong

   The Esk Hause Wind Tunnel: Esk Hause is a notorious weather trap where winds from multiple valleys converge. Expect the temperature to plummet here. Ankle-Breaking Terrain: The ascent of Great End is heavily boulder-strewn, needs constant concentration and is hard on the ankles. Lethal Crags in Clag: Great End’s northern face is a series of sheer cliffs. In low visibility, navigate to the summit cairn on a strict bearing and go no further north. Esk Hause is where most navigation errors occur. Do not descend north (to Sty Head/Borrowdale) or south (to Eskdale).

   If you need to get off

   Retreat: Take a strict east/south-east bearing from Esk Hause back toward Angle Tarn and the Langdale descent.

4. 4

   Great End → Esk Pike (2.0 km, 136 m)

   Descent of about 156 m, then a climb of about 136 m, over 2.0 km.

   Carefully navigate your way south-east back through the boulders off Great End's plateau, effectively bypassing the shelter slightly higher up the slope. The route then climbs Esk Pike over steep, loose scree and rocky slabs to a sharply defined, shattered rocky summit.

   Waypoints

   Great End Descent: The boulder field returning toward the main ridge. Esk Hause (Upper Path): The traverse bypassing the shelter. Esk Pike Summit (885m): A rocky, pointed summit with views down into upper Eskdale.

   Decision point

   Topography: As you climb Esk Pike, the empty trench of the upper Esk valley opens up to your right.

   Easy to get wrong

   Clag Disorientation: Coming off the featureless Great End plateau in mist is highly disorienting. A compass bearing is mandatory to hit the path toward Esk Pike and not wander off the western crags. Loose Footing: The final pull up to Esk Pike is steep and littered with loose rock that slides away underfoot.

   If you need to get off

   Drop down to the saddle between Great End and Esk Pike, and go east back to the Esk Hause shelter to pick up the Angle Tarn retreat path.

5. 5

   Esk Pike → Bowfell (1.5 km, 115 m)

   Descent of about 101 m, then a climb of about 115 m, over 1.5 km.

   From Esk Pike, descend south-east into the distinctive dip of Ore Gap, where the last big climb of the day begins. The ascent of Bowfell from this northern approach crosses a series of large, tilted rock slabs and boulder choke-points: rugged, hands-on terrain up to the pyramidal summit of Bowfell.

   Waypoints

   Ore Gap: The saddle easily identified by its bright red, iron-rich soil. Bowfell Slabs: The tilted sheets of rock on the ascent. Bowfell Summit (903m): A chaotic pile of shattered boulders.

   Decision point

   Ore Gap: The red earth of this saddle is distinctive.

   Easy to get wrong

   Red Scree Slip Hazard: The red soil of Ore Gap turns into a very slick, greasy mud when wet. Slab Danger: The rock slabs on Bowfell’s ascent are dangerous when wet or iced. They are very slippery in bad weather and require careful route-finding to bypass. From Ore Gap, the valley dropping to your right (south-west) is upper Eskdale, which leads down into Eskdale: a different valley, a long way from the start.

   If you need to get off

   Retreat: If you cannot summit Bowfell, turn left (north-east) at Ore Gap and take the path down beneath Hanging Knotts to Angle Tarn, then Rossett Gill to Langdale.

6. Bowfell → Finish (5.2 km, 18 m)

   Descent of about 793 m over 5.2 km.

   From the summit of Bowfell, pick your way east down the steep, shattered rock of the summit pyramid, then follow the immense descent of The Band, a sprawling ridge that runs down into the Langdale valley. The path starts as steep bedrock and loose scree, becomes a heavily pitched stone path, and ends on the farm tracks at Stool End Farm and the lane back to the Old Dungeon Ghyll.

   Waypoints

   Three Tarns (710m): The prominent saddle featuring a cluster of small pools (which sometimes dry up in summer). The Band: The 3-kilometre-long descending ridge line. Stool End Farm: The valley-bottom farm where the fell path ends.

   Decision point

   Three Tarns: In poor visibility, ensure you hit the pools at Three Tarns before turning east. The Ridge Crest: The Band is a broad, blunt handrail. Stay on the crest of the ridge. Visual Handrails: The Langdale valley floor and the Old Dungeon Ghyll pub are in sight for almost the entire descent.

   Easy to get wrong

   Knee Destruction: The Band is a relentless descent. It is well maintained, but the endless stone steps will severely test tired knees and quads at the end of a long day. Wind Exposure: The upper half of The Band takes the full force of winds funnelling up Langdale.

   If you need to get off

   This is the final descent and the usual way down from the Bowfell massif. Once you turn east onto The Band at Three Tarns, stay on it: do not drop south (right) into Hell Gill or north (left) into the crags above Mickleden; keep to the pitched path on the ridge crest.