Blea Tarn & Side Pike • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Blea Tarn & Side Pike
Date of walk	2023-11-28

I drove to Old Dungeon Ghyll NT car park in Great Langdale to walk over to Blea Tarn and returning via Side Pike. Good weather was expected today. The walk was about five miles and would take three hours.

View from Walney Promenade at 7.30am.

I stopped at Yew Tree Tarn. There was no wind so there were some good reflections.

My car on the right.

I stopped at the head of Great Langdale to take the Langdale Pikes in sunshine. Then drove on and parked in the NT car park at The Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

Crinkle Crags and Bowfell taken from the footpath across the field up towards Side Pike.

A closer view of Crinkle Crags.

View back to the Langdale Pikes from the footpath beside the road.

View of The Band.

View into Mickleden.

I cross the road and head towards the woods, on my left is Side Pike, but I will do a circuit of Blea Tarn first.

Blea Tarn.

Side Pike ahead.

There were only reflections in the sheltered corner.

No reflections here.

Blea Tarn House is referenced in Wordsworth's 'The Solitary'. Side Pike, on the right.

I head up.

Heading towards 'The Squeeze' or 'Fat Man's Dilemma'.

The route up Side Pike is through here. Ruck sack off and in sideways! It is about 10 inches at its widest. Blea Tarn on the left.

Some good views from this exposed section.

I follow the path and head up to the summit.

View to the Landale Pikes from Side Pike's summit.

Bowfell at the top of The Band.

I make my way down back to the path I took this morning. The descent off Side Pike in this direction is quite awkward, quite a few rock steps.

"You shall not pass!"

I come across a herd of free-range goats from the farm on the road bend. They were off down to Dungeon Ghyll. Apparently they do this all the time.

They walked with me. I had an urge to yodel and sing 'The Lonely Goatherd' from 'The Sound of Music', but I'd have been arrested for cruelty to animals!