Crinkle Crags via The Band

A fantastic walk atop some of the Lakes' most iconic peaks.

TOTAL DISTANCE: 13km

APPROXIMATE TIME: 4hrs

START: Sticklebarn Tavern, Langdale

FINISH: Sticklebarn Tavern, Langdale

The first of my Rediscovered Walks in the Lake District, Crinkle Crags sits, along with its neighbour Bowfell, at the head of Langdale. This valley sits at the heart of the Lakes, and is easily accessible from Ambleside and Coniston. It is also home to the Old Dungeon Gill Hotel, which is possibly as iconic as Langdale and the fells which surround it. The fells themselves gain their fame due to their rocky scenery: Crinkle Crags certainly lives up to its name. 


The walk begins at the car park outside the Sticklebarn Tavern. This car park is a great start for many a walk in Langdale, though it is perhaps best suited to the Stickle Tarn/ Langdale Pikes walk which I will no doubt touch upon in a later post. All information about the car park itself - including pay-and-display prices - can be found at the National Trust website. 


View this route in a larger map 

After you have parked in the car park, head back onto the road, then head west. Continue over the picturesque little bridge and past the aforementioned hotel. When the road swings sharply to the left towards Blea Tarn and Little Langdale, instead continue straight ahead, onto the tarmacked track. 

Langdale.

Continue along the track and, weather permitting, you should be able to see the jagged cliff faces of Crinkle Crags sitting alongside the buttress of Bowfell, with the bulky ridge of The Band sitting modestly between them. 

Crinkle Crags sit with cloud hugging their small peaks; Bowfell sits to the right of the picture, with the Band in the middle. 

Soon, you will come to a farmyard. Follow the sign posts indicating "footpath"; the path slaloms between the farmhouses until it finds itself at a junction. Here, take the right-hand path which ascends up The Band. 

The Band is a long, gradual ascent, suitable for all ages. Be sure to remain on the path and  you will be able to admire the unfolding view about you. 

The Langdale Pikes from part-way up The Band.

Towards the top of The Band you will come to the junction. Take the left hand path: the left hand path takes you to the Three Tarns between Bowfell and the Crinkles; the right hand path is a narrow path leading onto Bowfell. 

At the Three Tarns the view really opens up: to the east, Fairfield and Helvellyn begin to appear behind the Langdale Pikes; the lofty peaks of Scafell and Scafell Pike and their intricate cliff patterns dominate the western skyline. The Three Tarns is a great place for a break, so take a seat and admire the view!

Scafell and Scafell Pike, with one of the Three Tarns in the foreground.

From this pass, head south, turning your back on the rocky Bowfell ascent to the north and instead embarking on the undulating climb onto the Crinkle Crags. As you ascend, be sure to concentrate on the path, as it is rather indistinct and you do not want to be roaming too far from it. 

Bowfell

Crinkle Crags is a set of small tops in quick succession. As a result, keep ascending until you reach the highest - with the best view. 

The Scafells from the ascent up the Crinkles. 

And what a view. Crinkle Crags offers one of the best views in the Lake District. From the wide base of its highest peak, the walker feels a sense of superiority at looking down on the normally fearsome-looking Langdale Pikes, with the whale-backed hill of High Raise rising up above Pike o' Stickle and Pavy Arc. The uniqueness of this view means that not only can the western flanks of Helvellyn and the Fairfield horseshoe be glimpsed in their fullest, but fells even further east can be glimpsed: Saint Sunday Crag juts out to the north of Fairfield, its eastern ridges falling into Patterdale, at the other side of the Lake District. To the south you can see the points of the Coniston fells, with Black Combe sitting lonely to the south west. The Scafells and Bowfell for the most part block many of the views to the north, though their rugged cliffs and buttresses are more than enough compensate for this, and Skiddaw and Blencathra can still be glimpsed to the north east. On a clear day you may even see the Isle of Man across the Irish Sea to the west. 

Blue-sky views towards the south west.

There are two options for descent. For the safe, recommended route, pick up the path which descends round the west side of the fell. This is a gentle descent; you can choose to miss out the final Crinkle if you choose. For the more adventurous, take the Bad Step. The Bad Step is a  wall of rock just off the south-east of the highest Crinkle, and you will need to do a spot of climbing to ascend or (in our case) descend it; a degree of climbing experience is recommended for the descent. You can see somebody ascend the Bad Step here.

The Bad Step

After you reach the bottom of the Bad Step, either following the path up and over the final Crinkle, or take the less-trodden path round the west side of this final peak; they both lead onto a wide, rocky path. 

Our group descends the Bad Step

Take this gentle descending path, keeping Pike o' Blisco ahead of you and the wet plains of Cold Pike to your right. The track will soon narrow slightly into a form of staircase, which hugs Cold Pike's eastern edge before the decline becomes more gradual and you cross a small river; you may be able to see Red Tarn's reed-beds to your right. 

The path descends. Pike o Blisco can be seen in the left-hand side of the photo, with the flank of Cold Pike to the right of the group. 

Just after the river, you will come to a cross roads. The main track heads round to the right and towards Wrynose Pass; ahead takes you onto Pike o Blisco; you should take the left hand path, descending back into Langdale. 

The path descends into Langdale, with the sun shining on The Band in the distance.  

This is a relatively steep path, so take your time and be careful where you put your feet, particularly on the staircase towards the bottom. 

A lovely view of the Langdale Pikes from the descending path. 

When you reach the bottom, you will be greeted by the river you crossed further up and a little wooden bridge. Cross this bridge and you will soon find yourself back at the junction at the foot of The Band. 

The Bridge.

From here, it is just a case of retracing your steps; be sure to look back from time to time on your way back along the road to see the summits of Crinkle Crags, in the knowledge you had conquered them just a few hours previously!

A fantastic walk with great views and stunning scenery, offering both a gentle walk for all ages and a challenge for the more adventurous types, Crinkle Crags is highly recommended.