Our latest route is one of the finest ghyll scrambles in the Lake District when dry with sound rock and amazing views guaranteed.
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Grade: 2
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The River Esk from Great Moss to
Lingcove Beck runs through a narrow, but beautiful, gorge
and In dry weather this stream dries enough to make this one
of the most scenic and sporting beck scrambles in the Lake
District.
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Equipment: ropes and protection
equipment ooptional.
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Online Map link
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Views: 3
Technicality: 3
Exposure: 2
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GIBBER FACTOR* 2
*out of
five.
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Overview The River Esk from Great Moss to Lingcove Beck runs
through a narrow, but beautiful, gorge on its way down to Boot.
Walkers between Eskdale and Great Moss can look down on a series
of cascades and pools, but in dry weather the stream dries enough to
make this section one of the most scenic and sporting beck scrambles
in the Lake District.
The final reward of emerging to be surrounded by the Scafells,
Bowfell and Crinkle Crags is worth the effort alone, and the action
of the water gives superbly sound rock when dry.
Approach The best approach is from a
layby
at the foot of the Hardknott Pass, east of Boot, by a telephone box.
A well-trodden path takes the right bank of the river through fields
rising gently to the old packhorse crossing at Lingcove Bridge.
Route The first section of the route, the lower cascades,
starts from just beyond Lingcove Bridge. Take the right hand bank of
the river to pass the first pool to a grassy shelf.
Where the rock juts across your path start low down then climb
steep but stable ground to an obvious ledge before traversing left at
water level by the side of the cascade. Walk from here through the
main gorge bed, with a waterfall beyond the pool.
Take the left hand side here to climb through rocks to a narrowing
in the gorge. The narrows opens onto a wide pool with a 40ft
waterfall feeding it. The right hand wall provides a superb ascent on
excellent rock to gain the next pool, which is again passed on the
right using first an obvious ledge then a steep ascent up a groove.
Now follow the river bed before crossing to the left as the gorge
narrows again. A groove gives solid holds at the right hand side of
the next steep wall, then you cross the stream back to the right and
take the steep crack alongside a flake with a small tree proving a
good identifying marker.
A short descent at the rib ahead leads to the end of the next deep
pool and an ascent again on the opposite side up a steep rib to
grass. The next pool is smaller and round, and gives no option but a
thigh deep wade through the water on the left even in dry conditions.
Upper Eskdale panorama by Phil
Walker from his OM album
Now cross to your right and take a crack at a flake, then the left
rib at the next pool. Now move onto the central rocks before a leap
over a deep channel. A ramp leads to a large block above which is
taken easily before crossing right again to the wall
Avoid the next pool completely on the right then move back to the
stream bed and across. As the gorge becomes deeper take the left hand
side to a long and deep pool, where the right wall alongside a
waterfall gives delicate but sound scrambling.
Cross the stream again, onto the left hand side toa rib then wade
across the next pool to the slabby right wall. The next pool also
requires wading on the left where the walls are steeper to a
prominent ledge.
Take the ledge above the next, deep, pool before a slight and
tricky descent. The next section provides one of the most difficult
manouvres, with a traverse on less solid ground across a shattered
wall.
The traverse starts by descending from a block that sticks out
prominently, before rising to a shelf. Continue traversing on slabs
to an enormous boulder that blocks the gorge, using a steep but well
sized crack on its left to gain the top.
The last fall is taken on the right where the rock slopes towards
the fall, or alternatively by a much easier easy scramble up the bank
and onto flat ground at the edge of Great
Moss.
Descent: The choices from Great Moss are almost
limitless, with Cam Spout, Little Narrowcove and Esk Hause giving
access to Scafell and Scafell Pike, or across right to Crinkle Crags
and Bowfell.
The Scafells from Esk Pike by
Graham jackman from his OM
album
The easy descent is to follow the main path back down on the left
hand side of the stream to Lingcove Bridge, or across Lingcove beck
for a descent down Moasdale.
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.
