Langdale, The Band, Climbers Traverse, Bow Fell, Buscoe Syke. Cumbria.
[ 21.8 km] Fri  22 May 2009

Start/finish OS grid ref: NY 2851 0529
Considering it is the start of a Bank Holiday Weekend there was little traffic about as I drove up the Langdale Valley. I left my car above Wall End and walked back down the road then up the farm track to Stool End farm. After the farm I took the main path up The Band. Although the weather wasn’t particularly warm there was no wind so it soon got a bit sweaty. The cloud level was just above Rossett Pike so I had good views down the Langdale Valley but up ahead was Bow fell and that was in cloud. I’d been this way many times but never been on the climbers traverse to Bow Fell Buttress.

Waterfall on Buscoe Syke.

As the gradient eased on Earing Crag the minnow branch to the right becomes visible. I followed it up into the cloud and was surprised to see that some sections had been improved by stone steps. The cloud wasn’t too thick and as I walked along the flat section of the climbers traverse the views were quite eerie. The path is easy and quite exhilarating to walk along. I knew that at the base of Cambridge Crag was a water spout but I wasn’t too sure which crag that was. I came to a nice clear spring issuing from the base of a rock face but it turned out to be below the feature called the Great Slab. Further along I came to the spout and it was unmistakeable. It was still gloomy in the mist but I could see Bowfell Buttress looming up ahead. A small path heads up to the left and follows a line of scree along the edge of the Great Slab.

I followed it up and found it quite easy and safe. I joined the main path over Bow Fell summit but didn’t go to the actual summit because of the cloud and lack of visibility. I turned left towards Three Tarns and found shelter behind a rock to eat my sandwiches. Descending the scree to Three Tarns there were many bags of large boulders ready for the path makers to do their work. I was still in thick mist when I reached Three Tarns and planned to go over Crinkle Crags if the weather had been clear. So I decided to descend, but this time via Buscoe Syke which is a route I’ve not taken before. It’s not a well trodden path but is fairly easy to follow. The biggest plus is that it is a delight. Further down at Hell Gill is a very impressive gorge and a series of spectacular waterfalls. Crossing over the footbridge at the bottom I soon came to the main Oxendale path and retraced my steps through Stool End and back to the car.