River Esk and Hardknott • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	River Esk and Hardknott
Date of walk	2013-07-22
Distance walked (miles)	6
Duration of walk	6 hours 0 minutes
Weather	Very hot and sunny
Peaks on walk	Hardknott
Walked with	Tom, Ged and Kas the blind dog
Parking	By the phone box

Yesterday, on what was the hottest day of the year so far, Ged, Kas, Tom and I drove to Brotherilkeld near Eskdale to walk up the River Esk to Tongue Pot for a swim. Then we would go over Hardknott and walk back down the Hardknott Pass.
A six mile circuit.

View to Bowfell from the start.....

Kas leads the way. Hardknott on the right

Heading up by the water......

Tongue Pot. Deep, cold and clear, lots of brown trout. Ged about to perform his double forward somersault with pike.....

Tom Daley has absolutely nothing to worry about! Now Ged's exhausted himself!

Tom getting in some lengths

We spent a while snorkelling, but this is a popular spot so it wasn't long before we were joined by others. So we moved on up past Lingcove Bridge to our other swimming spot which is off the path and unknown by tourists. It requires a short climb down. It has been a few years since Tom and I were last here. Looking back down to the bridge from our route up

A cave plunge pool has been formed by water erosion.

Looking back from where Ged was standing. Kas sitting patiently on the left. The pool below is about waist deep in the middle.

The cave pool.

It is from 6 to 10ft in depth, but has a couple of rocks that you can stand on. But it is not a pool where you can ease yourself in gently, and as it is out of the sun it is colder than Tongue Pot.

Ouch!

The boys, being boys, need to climb.

There is an erosion rock hole just in front of Tom. He stands in it and it comes up to his chest.

Later we have lunch out in the sunshine looking back down the valley

Then we walk further up the path before heading up to the Hardknott ridge. Looking over to Slight Side and Scafell....

View back down the valley

Seats with a view to Scafell Pike.....

Bowfell.

The ridge is constantly up and down with rocky outcrops. I would not want to do this in mist from this direction, navigation would be a nightmare! We locate the summit cairn.

Did I mention it was hot? Well today it was bloody hot! No air, no breeze!

Excellent view out though! Slight Side, Scafell, Scafell Pike, Broad Crag, Ill Crag, Great End, Esk Pike, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags.......a bit hot to over walk any of these today!