Lakes Backpack

I was going to write something uprariously funny about how Alex really can't navigate so we walked in ever-decreasing circles around the car for two days. Or maybe explain how despite having written a 96-part magazine series on navigation, the redhead can't either. But then I remembered something about stones and glass houses, so I won't actually mention either, except to point out that Alex was entrusted with map and compass and we didn't get lost once, ever, at all...

Anyway, it was Easter in the Lake District, the sun hung like a great golden orb in the perfect azure sky etc. The three of us dumped the car near the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Great Langdale, slapped on the sun screen, bunged on the sacks and took off across the fells for a wild camp somewhere above Wasdale.

The route we actually followed was up The Band towards Bowfell, but cutting directly up to the summit, then down to the Ore Gap - where compasses don't work - over the top of Esk Pike before dropping down to Esk Hause and taking the craggy, rocky way up over Broad Crag to the densely-populated summit of Scafell Pike.

Then, as everyone else descended to the bubbling fleshpots of Wasdale, we dropped a few hundred feet down to the first dribbles of Lingmell Gill, set up the tents, cracked open the wine and gazed vacantly at the big, rocky face of Scafell Crag in the middle distance. You could just make out the line of Lord's Rake and the corner above Mickledore where Broad Stand lurks in a slippy, polished sort of way.

Next day dawned bright and sunny - actually slightly grey and misty, but what the hell. Porridge, yum. Then packed up and took off over Lingmell Col following the Corridor Route beneath Broad Crag and Great End.

I'd not been there before, but it's a fantastic, atmospheric way, tucked in among glowering rock scenery and craggy ballustrades with just one, short, scrambly section on grippy rock dragging hands out of pockets. Then from Styhead, up and past Sprinkling Tarn - another popular wild camping spot in the shadow of Great End.

From there it's an easy, rolling walk below Esk Pike this time, then a gentle drop down to Angle Tarn and a perfect lunch spot. From there we could have dropped straight down and into Great Langdale again, but it was still early and with the Spring sunshine compensated for by a cooling breeze, instead we opted for the gentle tramp round across Martcrag Moor and over the Langdale Pikes.

Weighed down with last night's wine bottles, we bottled out of the Pikes proper and dropped smoothly down under Thorn Crag and back down to the road. Great weather, fantastic scenery, good company and fabulous navigation, what more could you ask for? Oh, yeah, pictures. Okay then...