Lingmoor Fell & Side Pike
DIFFICULTY MEDIUM DISTANCE 10.75KM
TIME 6 HOURS
TOTAL ASCENT 545M PEAK BAGGER STATS
WAINWRIGHTS 1
1
NY327047 From Elterwater village, cross the river and fork left on the lane, passing the hostel on the right. Fork right again, just before the hotel, and walk uphill for 200m. Go right on a rough track through woods and turn left after 600m onto a bridleway – fork right after 100m.
2
NY320044 Follow the track uphill to pass old quarry workings and go through a gate at the start of Open Access land. Lingmoor Fell certainly lives up to its name – the swathes of purple ling which carpet this bumpy ridge between Little Langdale and Great Langdale stand out like a fiery beacon in late summer. A path continues ahead, past more evidence of mining activity, and turns sharp left, just before an old building, before rising to an iron gate in a wall on the ridge. Turn right and keep on the path for 1km to a stile near Brown How summit cairn.
3
NY302046 Descend north-west, on a path through heather, with the wall on your left and cross a stile by a wall junction after 1km. Continue, now with the wall on the right and pass a kissing gate below the crags on the east of Side Pike.
4
NY293053 Follow the path up to foot of the cliffs and turn left onto a ledge leading to a narrow hidden gap behind a tall rock. It’s a bit of a squeeze, but once through, traverse along the shelf and then turn right up the bumpy ridge to the top of Side Pike.
Take the path, west then south, down to the road at the head of Little Langdale. Go right at the kissing gate and walk downhill, with zigzags, to the edge of a larch plantation.
5
NY286055 Turn right before the trees and take the permissive path east through fields, via ladder stiles, to Side House, where the path meets the Cumbria Way. A kissing gate leads to a paved path, turning into a rough track/path between walls with Great Langdale Beck on the left. At the next house, Oak Howe, fork left and just before the bridge go right on the track across the field and close to the edge of the beck.
6
NY317052 Cross the beck on a stone bridge, fork right just before the road at Chapel Stile, walk between houses and continue on a track past Thrang Farm to the road. Turn right, then go right after 100m over a footbridge. Turn left on the path and track for 600m to return to Elterwater.