Side Pike above Blea Tarn and opposite the Langdale Pikes is a place I’ve only visited once before when Thomas and I walked up Loughrigg Fell. It’s been a while since I’ve done any form of walking and wanting to get out with the kids. I thought of Side Pike due to the tight rock squeeze under the summit which should add an element of excitement for Thomas 9 and Lewis 4.
Parking by the cattle grid we headed up the fell side, the conditions were changeable should we say.
No there yet Lewis.
Great views over Mickelden the valley below the Langdale Pikes and Bowfell.
Are we there yet?
We may get wet.
Rain over The Band, Bowfell and Crinkle Crags.
I guess in many walks you reach a point of no return, the point where it’s as far to carry on as it is to turn back, at this point the weather changed, you could see it coming in over Bowfell. Had we have been there, we’d have been soaked for sure. I thought this isn’t going to go down well with the kids, however as luck would have it the approaching rain was blown away from us and over the start of Wrynose Pass toward Coniston.
Worse than that though it became apparent that I had left my big camera battery at home. I cannot tell you how bad this feels. Carrying such heavy equipment over this sort of terrain for nothing. I surely don’t need the extra weight at the moment, neither do I need the extra reason to feel frustrated. However when you’re here in the middle of it, what can you do. Make the most of it and press on. Sulking about it will not make it better so I used my iPhone to capture what I saw. Ironically I posted the results on my Instagram account with an honest account of events and this quickly became one of my most popular posts on there.
The Langdale Pikes from Side Pike.
Lewis trying his hood out.
Looking over towards Blea Tarn with the rain passing us by.
Eventually we reached the rock squeeze and it didn’t disappoint the kids.
Stopping for lunch we were sufficiently refueled and I thought it maybe worth walking on a bit further to take in the view of Side Pike from the ascent up Lingmoor Fell.
Looking up to Lingmoor. Well worth the extra effort of a relatively easy-going ascent.
A gentle stroll form Side Pike up to Lingmoor following the dry-stone wall.
A fine viewpoint into the head of the Langdale Valley.
We turned back at this point and called it a day. An interesting turn of events and all in all I was pleased with what I captured and how and more so how I dealt with it.
Heading back down to the car.
All these photos were taken with my iPhone. As they say the best camera you have is the one you have with you…. That has a battery.
Here you can see some of my Lake District Prints from Langdale.
