Langdale Valley

Category: Hiking & Routes

  • LANGDALE PIKES HIKE

    LANGDALE PIKES HIKE

    View from Pavey Ark, one of the Langdale Pikes, out over Stickle Tarn to Lingmoor Fell.
    Pike of Stickle, perhaps the most recognisable of the famous Langdale Pikes
    View down the gulley next to Pike of Stickle

    My first time hiking the Langdale Pikes

    Driving up the Langdale Valley towards them, the Langdale Pikes somehow looked a lot an awful lot bigger than I remembered them. I think I saw them differently knowing that this was the day I was actually going to climb them.

    I’ve admired them from so many places over the years, but always from below, whether that’s from the Langdale Valley, Blea Tarn, Side Pike, Mickledon or Lingmoor Fell. The Langdale Pikes dominate the surrounding area and provide a magnificent focal point for so many photos and views.

    Over time the feeling that I needed to get up to the Langdale Pikes and see those views the other way round had grown ever stronger. However, as someone who can get lost going up even the smallest Lake District fell I didn’t like the idea of bumbling around and hoping to find the right route.

    Hiking the Langdale Pikes is very doable if you are fit and healthy, but it’s important not to take safety lightly. I found Rob Green Guiding was leading a group walk on the Langdale Pikes and so I booked on straight away as I really liked the idea of being guided up for my first time. I then joined a gym to lose some weight and build up my fitness as I didn’t want to be bloke at the back holding everyone else up.

    Stickle Tarn

    It was just as well that I did, the 12th of August was the hottest day of the year and the climb up to Stickle Tarn from the car park at New Dungeon Ghyll was pretty hard work, like walking up many hundreds of uneven stairs.

    From the photo of Stickle Tarn below you can see that there was absolutely no breeze. With the heat and the climb we had just done the water looked very inviting but we settled for filling our caps with the cold water from the Tarn and having a bit of a breather.

    Stickle Tarn with the Langdale Pikes behind

    Pavey Ark

    From here we followed the path to the end of the tarn and then turned left and up around the side of Pavey Ark (leaving the challenge of Jakes Rake for another day!). After another steepish climb we got to the top of Pavey Ark, our first Wainwright of the day. This presented us with a fantastic view back down over Stickle Tarn, with Lingmoor Fell and Side Pike looking pretty small behind Stickle Tarn.

    Pavey Ark summit gives views over Styickle Tarn to Lingmoor Fell and Side Pike

    Harrison Stickle

    From there we made our way across to Harrison Stickle, our second Wainwright of the day. Rob picked a route that avoided dropping down and having to climb back up. I really enjoyed the fact that someone else was responsible for navigating and I could fully concentrate on my walking and the views. The image below is looking back to Harrison Stickle.

    Looking back to Harrison Stickle from Loft Crag, two of the Langdale Pikes

    Pike of Stickle

    We dropped down a little from Harrison Stickle and then headed across to Pike of Stickle, with it’s distinctive domed shape. We paused to take a look down the rather steep gully into the valley way below, before scrambling up to the top of our 3rd Wainwright.

    The domed peak of Pike of Stickle,one of the Langdale Pikes
    View down to Mickledon Valley from the Langdale Pikes

    Loft Crag

    We returned to the gully in the photo above for our lunch break before aiming for the 4th and final Wainwright on this route, Loft Crag.

    The view across to Loft Crag from Pike of Stickle is absolutely stunning with the Langdale Valley floor way below. Blea Tarn in Little Langdale is just visible in the distance (to the side of Lingmoor Fell),

    Loft Crag seen from anothe of the Langdale Pikes, Pike of Stickle
    Loft Crag and Great Landale Valley floor

    The walk across to Loft Crag is easy going, but the views from there back to Pike of Stickle and down into Mickledon are truly spectacular.

    Pike of Stickle in the Langdale Pike range

    From Loft Crag we started the steady descent back down to New Dungeon Ghyll for some well-earned refreshment at the Stickle Barn.

    Final thoughts

    The Langdale Pikes are as impressive close up as they are from distance, and I am really looking forward to my next visit in the Autumn. I can’t wait to see them under different conditions and to take in some of the other nearby summits like Thunacar Knott.

    I’d also like to take my big camera and tripod up there, so l think I will have to keep going to the gym between now and then.

    It would also be nice to be able to spend more time taking photos enjoy the Langdale Pike summits and views without being harassed by great clouds of flying ants on every one of the peaks…

    Footnote – Ants and the Wainwrights

    Arriving at the summit of Pavey Ark we noticed a lot of ‘flies’ that on closer inspection turned out to be a swarm of flying ants, so many that we couldn’t really stop and take photos from there and had to drop down a few feet to some nearby rocks.

    The same thing happened at the top of each of Harrison Stickle, Pike of Stickle and Loft Crag. Several square metres near each summit cairn of each of the Langdale Pikes was literally carpeted with ants. The odd thing was that this was only on the actual Wainwright summits and just a few feet away there were no ants at all. It was as if they knew where the Wainwrights were and were guarding them.

    All I can think that perhaps they were nesting in the summit cairns, but it remain a bit of a mystery to me. If anyone can explain why they were there I’d be very interested to hear.

  • Lingmoor Fell Heather (Ling)

    Heather on Lingmoor, view towards Langdale Pikes

    Lingmoor 2.8.2025

    Lingmoor Fell

    Lingmoor Fell divides the valleys of Great Langdale and Little Langdale and is one of the Wainwrights, standing at 469 m (1,540 ft). Lingmoor is named after the heather (“ling”) that covers its slopes. The word ‘ling’ derives from the the Old Norse word for heather (“lyng”), and the fell’s name reflects the prevalence of heather on its northern and eastern sides. When in bloom the heather adds splashes of purple to what is already a truly spectacular landscape. Having seen some amazing images from other photographers I resolved that this was to be the year I would get to see one of my favourite places with the heather in bloom.

    Ling or heather?

    In the UK, the heather known as “ling” is Calluna vulgaris which the most common species of heather. It is a low-growing evergreen shrub that thrives in acidic soils, particularly on heathlands and moors. Its delicate pink or purple flowers appear in late summer and early autumn.  Ling is the most widespread of the UK’s three species of heather and so is known as Common Heather.

    The two other types of heather found in the UK are Bell Heather (Erica cinerea), and Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix). Bell Heather is known for its intensely purple, bell-shaped flowers. Cross-leaved Heath prefers damper areas and is sometimes called bog-heather. 

    Common Heather or “Ling”
    Bell Heather

    Lingmoor Fell visit August 2025

    Having checked the sunrise time (5:26am) I accepted that a sunrise shoot not going to happen, and a 5am alarm was early enough to get me there before the Blea Tarn National Trust Car Park (LA22 9PG) was completely full. I knew the pay & display machine only took cash, but a full day’s parking now costs £9.50, so I had to settle for 4 hours. parking The price may be a little steep, but it is very convenient for Blea Tarn and it goes to the National Trust so no real complaint there. Not being able to pay by card is actually a bigger problem. As it was completely still, I walked the short way to Blea Tarn for a few reflection shots, including the one below. Just after this shot. was taken the reflections disappeared and so I headed off to Lingmoor.

    Lingmoor routes from the Blea Tarn side

    There are at least 4 routes up Lingmoor Fell from this side. The first is the path from just before the car park that goes diagonally across the bracken before heading up to Lingmoor to the summit, which is somewhat confusingly called Brown How, and is the highest point in the ridge of Lingmoor Fell. I chose to walk down the road to just before Blea Tarn House and follow the reasonably steep footpath that joins up with the other track a little short of the top. From the other end of Lingmoor Fell you can also go up Side Pike and then back along through Fat Man’s Agony (“The Squeeze”) and follow the ‘Great Wall of Lingmoor’ up to Brown How. Alternatively you could leave out Side Pike and head directly up from the road and join the same route just after the Squeeze, otherwise known as “Fat Man’s Agony” (see photos below)

    This link opens a map that shows my route as well as the alternatives.

    Heather on Lingmoor Fell

    As you can see from the images above (click to view large) there was plenty of heather on the top of Lingmoor. The colour wasn’t perhaps as intense as I had hoped but the bright sunlight was not ideal, and I don’t think we are quite at the peak of the season. Also the Ling blossom is more of a pale pink than a deep purple. I will definitely try again later as I think it was a bit early in the season.

    Personal Note

    As a final thought, and something of a coincidence, I recently found what must be the very first photo I ever took while sorting through my Dad’s photo collection ahead of his upcoming funeral.

    It’s probably somewhere in Scotland, my Mum and Dad and siblings are sat amongst the heather, and I must have taken the shot on my Dad’s film camera which was loaded with colour slides, when I was about 6. The composition could be improved but it was at least in focus and the heather was in full bloom.

    Rest in peace my wonderful, kind, loving Dad, you will be missed so much.

    One response to “Lingmoor Fell Heather (Ling)”

    1. Ian McFegan Avatar
      Ian McFegan

      Heather looking good this year

      Reply

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