Maria & Dorian High Atlas Challenge: Long Weekend in Great Langdale

Our first big weekend of our training schedule, we headed to the Lakes and in particular Great Langdale. For people not familiar with the area, Great Langdale can be found west of Ambleside and is nestled below the Langdale Pikes and Bowfell. This weekend we managed to hike a total of 41.75km with a total climb of 2,910m!

Friday 28th March 2014 - arrival and set up camp

As the heading suggests it was the day we got there and set up camp - oh yeah the camping bit is all part of the training as we will be camping for majority of the trek! We arrived a bit later than planned - M6 roadworks - anyway after pitching the tent it was too late to hike across to Elterwater and back so we decided to stroll up Mickleden and back to the Sticklebarn Tavern still this was 7.45km with a total climb of 314m.

Obligatory photo of tent Illuminated from inside

Pen at the end of Mickleden

Looking towards Langdale Comb with Stake Gill

Looking towards a cloud covered Bowfell

Saturday 29th March 2014 - High Rise the hard way!

We started from the National Park Campsite back towards the Sticklebarn Tavern (sadly not for a beer) to follow Stickle Ghyll up to Stickle Tarn, then onto Blea Rigg and Sergeant Man before reaching High Rise. At High Rise we had a well earned break then headed on to Thunacar Knott and the Langdale Pikes before heading back down via Stake Pass to the Old Dungeon Ghyll for a well earned pint! We walked 16.9km with a total climb of 1,089m which took us 5hrs 28mins.

Stickle Tarn

Maria at the top of High Rise

Dorian at the top of High Rise

Heading towards the Langdale Pikes

Snow covered mountains

Well deserved pint at the end!

Sunday 30th March 2014 - Pike of Blisco, Crinkle Craggs and Bowfell

Again starting from the campsite we took a path towards Side Pike before heading across to Pike of Blisco then onto Great Knott, Crinkle Crags and then to our final peak of the day Bowfell, the descent was via Rossett Gill a steep and relentless path. We walked 17.4km with a total climb of 1,507m which took us 7hrs 33mins.