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Crinkle Crags, Lake
District
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Grade: 1
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There's no single outstanding scramble
on Crinkle Crags, but you can thread three grade ones
together for an entertaining day, plus we've included the
Bad Step section of the main ridge for good
measure.
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Equipment: None
necessary
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Online Map link
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Views: 4
Technicality: 1
Exposure: 1
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GIBBER FACTOR* 3
*out of
five.
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Overview Crinkle Crags hasn't got an individual scramble of
outstanding character, but you can happilly spend a whole day there
doing several scrambles, or take in one en-route to the summit as
part of a longer trip.
The three scrambles below are all grade 1, and for good measure
we've also included the notorious "bad step" ascent. One thing you
can rely on with Crinkle Crags is an amazing viewpoint with Bowfell,
The Scafells, Langdale Pikes and Pike O Blisco giving a stunning
panorama whichever way you look.
Crinkle Gill
Approach From Langdale take the main path to Stool End,
taking the left for to follow Oxendale. At the footbridge as you
approach Hell Gill turn half left to the start of Crinkle Gill
Route Enter the narrow Crinkle Gill gorge, taking care at
the large pool as this can get deep and dangerous in wet weather.
Follow the gill as it turns sharply to the left to approach the small
waterfalls, where a series of easy steps takes you onto easy walking
territory.
Follow the stream on its right hand side to emerge at the base of
Mickledore where the stream splits into several feeders. Take the
left hand branch to follow the main stream to the base of the
obvious small fall. The best route here takes the left hand side of
the fall, keeping as far away from the water as practical while still
remaining on the rock.
At the top of the fall join a path leading to a final rib that
puts you on open ground a couple of hundred yards below the obvious
large buttress that contains the next scramble, Crinkle Crags
Buttress.
Crinkle Crags Buttress
Route:From the top of Crinkle Gill approach the large
buttress directly. A gully on the left hand side of the buttress
avoids the steeper ground, keeping within the overall grade 1 nature
of these routes.
The main part of the buttress itself is an alternative, but much
harder route. Look out for a large area of dark stained wall to find
the gully, which is slightly to its right. Now continue up a series
of large ledges, meandering left and right to keep to the rock. After
zig-zagging your way up you emerge at a steep wall where a right turn
avoids the difficult ground.
Now move left again onto large boulders and broken ground to
complete the ascent to the summit of Crinkle Crags.
Mickledoor
Route From the base of the Crinkle Crags Buttress route
cross the large scree slope of Mickledoor to the large buttress on
the left. A diagonal line is immediately apparent cutting across the
buttress, and this provides a mixture of walking and low grade
scrambling as an alternative way to the summit.
The Bad Step
Route As you approach Long Top from the south you come to
an obvious 10ft high wall with routes heading both left and right to
avoid it. The left hand path is the easiest route round follwed by
most tourists, while the right hand route is narrower but more
direct.
The "Bad Step" itself can be climbed on the right hand side using
a couple of small holds followed by a ledge to half height. The final
move is to pull yourself over the ledge then continue straight ahead.
This route is much easier to ascend than descend, as the holds are
invisible from above.
Descent
From the summit of these routes you have a wide choice of descents
or continuations. You can carry on North over the remaining crinkles
then descend to Three Tarns, with choices left or right down to the
respective valleys of Eskdale and Langdale or continue ahead over
Bowfell. South from the summit of Long Top takes you down a wide and
obvious track to Cockley Beck and the Wrynose Pass.
Caution Scrambling is potentially dangerous and, particularly
at the higher grades, requires technical skills and equipment to
minimise the risk. We suggest that you take professional instruction
or climb with an experienced partner.
chillipadi
