Four Fells from Longsleddale • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Four Fells from Longsleddale
Date of walk	2012-03-26
Distance walked (miles)	8
Duration of walk	6 hours 0 minutes
Weather	Blue skies and sunshine
Peaks on walk	Grey Crag, Harrop Pike, Tarn Crag, Branstree
Walked with	Ged and Kas the blind dog
Parking	Roadside parking by Sadgill Bridge

The weather was really hot this weekend, but still very hazy so I decided to do some gardening instead of walking and save the walking for Monday when the visibility should be better. Monday turned out to be a hot, cloud-free blue sky day so Ged, Kas and I drove to Sadgill to climb Grey Crag (2093ft), Harrop Pike (2090ft), Tarn Crag (2178ft) and Branstree (2339ft), then to descend to the Gatesgarth Pass and down the Longsleddale valley. A walk of just under eight miles. This is a walk I had been wanting to do for a while, but needed a period of dry weather so that the bogs would be passable!

We drove to Windermere then along the A591 turning off at Bowston to Garnett Bridge via the Potter Fell Road. The long road to Sadgill is several miles of single track. Thankfully there were no vehicles heading in the other direction......unlike on the way home when I had to reverse quite a way for two tractors and a car! I stopped to take a lamb photo.....my first of the season.

We stopped off at St. Mary`s at Longsleddale

We parked in the free car parking spaces by the bridge at Sadgill. There is room for about ten cars and we were only the second to arrive, but several more came just after us so get there early! We went through the gate and followed the grassy track up the fell to a gate and stile. It is a steep ascent! Looking up the Longleddale Valley from the field.

Looking down on Sadgill Bridge and my car.

View from much higher up.

Looking down the valley we drove up.

The track is grassy and clear all the way to the summit cairn of Grey Crag.

A clear view to the Pennines.

Mist in the valleys.

We take a detour to Harrop Pike ahead. We last came here when we did the 13 mile walk from Swindale..

The cairn on Harrop Pike. We were in T-shirts all day. It was warmer than summer and did not seem to be March 26th!

The view down the valley towards Swindale. Mosedale Valley on the far left

Thankfully the peat hags were not too boggy. We head for Tarn Crag ahead.

The survey post on Tarn Crag with Harter Fell behind.

Ged looking down Longsleddale with Windermere to his right....Shipman Knotts is the fell across the valley to his right and Green Quarter to his left.

Harter Fell to the left. The Gatesgarth Pass centre and Branstree on the right.

A view of Mosedale Cottage (a remote Mountain Bothy) that we visited last year on a walk from Wet Sleddale.

It was a long, hot, steep walk up the grass of Branstree to reach the bare summit. We head down the other side of the fell to find a lunch spot with a view!

Close-up of Blea Water

Haweswater is looking really blue today!

Kas.

Kas. What a dog!

We found some flat rocks to sit and admire the view while we had lunch. Panorama of the slopes of Harter fell, Mardale Ill Bell with Blea Water below, Riggindale ridge leading to High Street, Kidsty Pike, High Raise and the glorious length of Haweswater.......and of course Kas!

We then head down to the Gatesgarth Pass.

Heading down Longsleddale.

View back to Branstree.

Kentmere Pike on the right. To the right of the path is the River Sprint which has numerous cascades and pools. It was so warm we were tempted to take a dip, then remembered it was only March! The water would be icy!

The bottom of a series of cascades and waterfalls.

One of the many tempting pools.

Fancy a dip?

Still a fair way to go.

We watched some climbers on Buckbarrow Crag.

A panoramic shot of our last view back before we reach the car.

Sheep being herded.

The only people we met all day were at the top of the Gatesgarth Pass! A super, grassy walk, much easier on the knees than Friday`s rocky walk in the Langdales. Although the path down Longsleddale is very stony and awkward in places. The walk took us six hours.

Jo.