High Crag - Route Two


 
Start - Gatescarth NY 194 149 Distance - 2.25 miles Ascent - 2,135 feet Time - 2 hours

 

 
The small car park at Gatescarth Farm is the starting point for this walk
Opposite the car park a gate and signpost beside the letter box indicates the route along a fenced lane
High Crag and High Stile from the fenced lane which leads over Peggy's Bridge which spans Warnscale Beck
Looking back to Gatescarth Farm from the fenced lane
Looking over to Fleetwith Pike from the fenced lane
Buttermere from Peggy's Bridge
Haystacks from Peggy's Bridge
Pass through a gate at the end of the lane and continue straight ahead on the bridleway path to Scarth Gap which loops around a small plantation 
The path above the plantation is the only steep part of the climb to Scarth Gap
Looking back to Gatescarth Farm
Fleetwith Pike from the path above the plantation
Looking back, Low Pike, Rannerdale Knotts, Grasmoor and High Snockrigg across Buttermere
Green Crag and Haystacks from the path to Scarth Gap
Looking up to High Crag
Looking acoss the valley to Robinson above Gatescarth Farm
Looking back to the Head of Buttermere
Scarth Gap from the gate in the intake fence
Fleetwith Pike and Warnscale Bottom from the gate in the intake fence
Looking back, the summits of Wandope, Eel Crag and Sail are just visible over High Snockrigg and Buttermere Moss
The path climbs up to a shelf between Low Wax Knott and High Wax Knott which provides a fine viewpoint
Buttermere from the shelf below High Wax Knott
Fleetwith Pike from the shelf below High Wax Knott
Scarth Gap from the shelf below High Wax Knott
The path resumes the climb to Scarth Gap passing through a gap in a partially ruined wall
The steep profile of Big Stack on Haystacks
Beyond the ruined wall the path passes easily through an area of large boulders 
The North Western Fells from above the ruined wall
Looking across Fleetwith Edge to Dale Head
Looking over to Grey Knotts above the head of Warnscale
Looking up to High Crag.  When AW wote his Pictorial Guide he recommended walkers to follow the ruined wall up the foot of Gamlin End rather than the path from Scarth Gap over Seat which he considered too rough.   But times have changed, the Seat path has been re-aligned and is much improved, this one has fallen from favour but is useful as a quick descent route back to Gatescarth  
Eel Crag, Sail and Robinson from the path to Scarth Gap
Approaching Scarth Gap
Looking back along the route of ascent
Seat and High Crag from just below Scarth Gap
Scarth Gap
High Crag from Scarth Gap
From left to right - Grasmoor, Wandope, Eel Crag, Sail and Robinson from Scarth Gap
Haystacks from Scarth Gap
Great Gable and Kirk Fell from Scarth Gap
Pillar from Scarth Gap
Seat from Scarth Gap
Great Gable and Kirk Fell from the start of the path to the summit of Seat
High Crag from the path to the summit of Seat
Looking back down to Scarth Gap
The head of Ennerdale from the climb to the summit of Seat
Buttermere from the climb to the summit of Seat
Looking over to Kirk Fell
Looking back to Haystacks
Greeen Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell from just below the summit of Seat
The twin summit outcrops on Seat
Buttermere and the North Western Fells from the summit of Seat
Robinson and Hindscarth from the summit of Seat
Hindscarth, Dale Head, Fleetwith Pike and Helvellyn from the summit of Seat
Haystacks from the summit of Seat
Green Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell from the summit of Seat
Pillar from the summit of Seat
Ennerdale Water from the summit of Seat
High Crag from the summit of Seat, the path now gradually descends towards a wide col and a small tarn below the steep prow of Gamlin End
Looking back to the summit of Seat from the col
Looking over to Robinson and Hindscarth from the col
Gamlin End on High Crag from the col.  Most of the ascent path has been stone-pitched and re-aligned since AW drew his diagram of this ascent 
Kirk Fell and Pillar from the col below Gamlin End
Looking back to the col from the start of climb up Gamlin End
The Helvellyn range and Fairfield on the distant horizon
Initially the stone-pitched path avoids the scree by keeping to grass on the southern flank of Gamlin End 
Looking over towards Pillar and Steeple
The head of Ennerdale over Seat
Not all the scree can be avoided as the path turns and traverses it to gain the spine of the ridge
Blencathra appears over the col between Robinson and Hindscarth
The path follows the line of old iron posts on the the spine of the ridge, the last remnants of The Ennerdale Fence
Pillar, Scoat Fell, and Steeple from Gamlin End
Looking back down the scree slope from the upper part of Gamlin End
The final slope leading up the summit of High Crag
The summit cairn on High Crag
Pillar, Scoat Fell, and Steeple from the summit of High Crag
Little Gowder Crag, Caw Fell, Iron Crag, and Boathow Crag from the summit of High Crag
Ennerdale Water from the summit of High Crag
The connecting ridge to High Stile
Grasmoor, Whiteles Pike, Wandope, Eel Crag, and Sail from the summit of High Crag
Robinson flanked by Skiddaw and Blencathra on the distant horizon
Hindscarth, Dale Head, and Fleetwith Pike from the summit of High Crag
Haystacks from the summit of High Crag
The head of Ennerdale from the summit of High Crag

 

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