Bowfell from Eskdale

Where to Next?

By LFTO Features Team

Features

19 May 2008 06:30

Nice weekend? Hope so - and if you need inspiration for the next one, try this...

No 2: Bowfell, Cumbria

It's the perfect time of year to take a look at Bowfell.

Most mountains look spectacular from one angle. Some look stupendous from a few sides. A rare few look completely awesome from any side, and one such is Bowfell.

It’s the interlocked lynchpin of two of Lakeland’s greatest valleys – Great Langdale and Eskdale, and from either valley it rises up as a vast, bold pyramid, reaching to a proud summit at 2,949ft.



Unlike Scafell Pike, which is hidden behind lesser heights, and Helvellyn, whose true majesty isn’t revealed until you reach Red Tarn, Bowfell is self-contained and inspiring, even from sea level.

It also forms part of what Alfred Wainwright considered to be the finest ridge-route in Lakeland, from Pike o’Blisco to Crinkle Crags to Bowfell – but be warned, that’s a big day!

The most common ascent of Bowfell is up The Band, a pleasant ridge leading up from Stool End Farm in Langdale. As you reach Three Tarns, with Bowfell’s main superstructure rising above you, you can either opt for the direct path, above the striking Bowfell Links, or branch right to join the Climber’s Traverse.

Staggering view

This is one of the classic high-level fellwalks of the UK – there’s no scrambling, but for a moment, the mere walker touches the world of the rock climber. You’ll pass Cambridge Crags and find Bowfell Buttress, before climbing a rock-strewn gully to the top edge of the Great Slab – a vast, tilted pavement which just screams to be photographed.



With the slab in the foreground and the void across to the Langdale Pikes behind, this really is one of the finest views Lakeland has to offer. It's just staggering.

After reaching the summit, you can descend to Ore Gap, and either add Esk Pike to your day’s bagging or descend directly to Angle Tarn. From there, take the old pony route or Rossett Gill back down into Mickleden, the lonesome, mournful corridor at the head of Great Langdale.

Ascent from Eskdale

Alternatively, for another epic day, start from Boot or Brotherilkeld and climb the length of dramatic, isolated Upper Eskdale, past the gorge of the Esk and Lingcove Bridge. Bowfell’s awesome pyramid is in sight the whole way, making this another fantastic way to get acquainted with a Lakeland fave. And you may not see another soul all day.

Good guidebooks? Well, any Lakeland guide worth it salt will mention Bowfell somewhere, but for chapter and verse, try Alfred Wainwright's Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, specifically Book Four: The Southern Fells (the new edition, with revisions by Chris Jesty); you can get it here.

Incidentally, Wainwright listed Bowfell in his final top six finest mountains in the Lake District - and he knew a thing or two about them.

Bowfell, then: a friendly giant, and an unforgettable walk. Give it a try!