So just 19 days after completing Black Fell and Holme Fell I was back in the Lake District but this time all on my lonesome. Bit of a last minute decision to come to the lakes but with a couple of days annual leave booked I thought "why not".
Over the years, the family has been to Langdale and walked part of the way up Stickle Ghyll, this time I was determined to get to the top and see Stickle Tarn. Once at the Tarn the promise was of being able to cross off a couple of Wainwrights whilst I was there.
The slog up to the Tarn is hard! It is a staircase that seems to go on forever with a cheeky little hop over stepping stones near the top of the climb the only endearing moment of the ascent. Once there though you see Stickle Tarn. Wow, it truly is a beautiful spot.
This picture really doesn't do it justice. Wainwright said "a walk in lakeland is like a walk in heaven" - well, if there is a heaven then the walk from the bottom of Stickle Ghyll to here could be described as "the staircase of life is a struggle but heaven is at the top of the climb". Maybe that'll be printed on T-shirts someday! If it is I want the royalties!
The great buttress you can see above is Pavey Ark - more of that on the next blog.
Having spent 20 minutes enjoying the tranquility of Stickle Tarn I came over all adventurous and thought, if I go to Blea Rigg first I can bob back and do the 5 Wainwrights I had in mind at the start of the day.
Off I went - seemingly away from the direction everyone else was going (it was quite busy up there). Soon I was in proper fell country.
I kept on what looked like the correct route and had to traverse a fair bit of slightly boggy ground until I reached my goal. I may be wrong but I couldn't see a cairn or a definitive top so I got to the highest point and thought "this must be it".
I mean, it does like like the top of something doesn't it. Anyway, obligatory picture of me at the top is below. As I was on my own so it was selfie time - sorry if I'm not looking directly into the camera!
