TR Great Howe, Grey Crag, Harrop Pike, Grey Crag from Sadgill Sat 21 Feb 15

[April]

Beefy and I were like excited schoolchildren getting on the train at Carlisle and going to Oxenholme last Saturday. Karl and Sooz were collecting us from there to drive up to Sadgill to do some Birketts and Aws, Great Howe, Grey Crag, Harrop Pike and Tarn Crag. It was a lovely sunny day but bloomin’ ‘eck the wind was cold.
 
Sadgill Bridge

 
We climbed up through the field to the exit stile and it was a steep start no time to warm up on this route. Then we went up the gully, even more steeply now.
 
Karl and Sooz on the steep route up the gully

 
Looking up Longsleddale  

 
Karl, Sooz and Beefy on Great Howe the first Birkett of the day

 
The wind was colder and stronger as we got higher and there was a bit of snow about but not icy enough to warrant spikes.
 
On Grey Crag summit. Beefys 197 and another of my sixers.

 
Looking toward the Howgills from Grey Crag

 
This was our view point for our lunch and Beefy set up his camera to do a timelapse. Sadly the wind blew the camera over after about 20 mins and poor old Mr Sam Sung took a blow to his nose (zoom lens). Beefy says he thinks it may be fatal  He has managed to retrieve the time lapse he recorded on it.
 
Harrop Pike the second Birkett of the day

 
Karl having a bit of a slide on the way to Tarn Crag. Or he might have been drunk and kept falling over. Or he may have done it deliberately.

 
The route was very wet between Grey Crag and Tarn Crag the snow was beginning to thaw and it was a bog skirting exercise getting across.
 
Beefy on Tarn Crag 198 for beefy and another sixer for me.

 
The survey tower on Tarn Crag

 
We took the descent route left down beside the fence directly down to Wrengill Quarry to avoid the wet and boggy bits in Brownhowe Bottom.
 
Waterfalls near the quarry

 
On the way back to Sadgill through Longsleddale

 
Looking back at this wonderful valley

 
What a wonderful day out on the fells in great company. Thanks Karl and Sooz it is always a pleasure walking with you and thank you for picking us up at the station, what a lovely journey it is up to Sadgill from the south.
 
Our route was 9.52k with 533m ascent according to Viewranger.

[Rhino]

As usual a very nice read and great pictures April    I was wondering where your TR was. It looks like Karl was having fun    and sorry to hear about poor old sam sung, you might be in time to buy Beefy a new one for his birthday if its kaplunk 
Does the descent route down of Tarn Crag that you took lead to the Gatescarth Pass? I was thinking of missing out Branstree on my way to Harter Fell by looking for a more direct route to the pass to come down Kentmere Pike.
 
 

[Ridge]

It's Thursday, THURSDAY!    What have you been doing all week when you should have been posting your lovely TR!

[Silver fox]

Looks great. Nice pics
Great stuff.

[April]

and sorry to hear about poor old sam sung, you might be in time to buy Beefy a new one for his birthday if its kaplunk 

Thanks Rhino 
Beefy's birthday has come and gone. Sam would be a lot of money to replace  I will have to save up to buy him one next birthday

Does the descent route down of Tarn Crag that you took lead to the Gatescarth Pass? I was thinking of missing out Branstree on my way to Harter Fell by looking for a more direct route to the pass to come down Kentmere Pike.
 

It leads directly to the path beside Wrengill Quarry. You would then have to climb up to the top of Gatesgarth pass to get onto Harter Fell. The route is in the Wainwright guide to the FE Fells on Tarn Crag 3 + 4 as a dotted line from the gate beyond Buckbarrow Crag

It's Thursday, THURSDAY!    What have you been doing all week when you should have been posting your lovely TR!

  I have been waiting for Karl to do the TR, it had been agreed that he would do it. Sadly he has been admitted to rehab  Or he may have been busy at work.

Looks great. Nice pics
Great stuff.

Thanks silver fox 

A link to Karls blog with his pics
http://www.karlswalks.co.uk/2015/longsleddale-21-02-15.html

[beefy]

great TR and pics as usual Ape' ... 
was a great day

the camera will be an expensive repair im afraid ... 
heres my timelapse from our lunch spot,
you can see at the end where Sam took a dive in the snow ... 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfW6d70Zzl4

[karl h]

Great pics from another lovely walk
I thought that snow would be slippy and make a great slide but it was very grippy and flipped me over with all the grace of a falling cowpat

  I have been waiting for Karl to do the TR, it had been agreed that he would do it. Sadly he has been admitted to rehab  Or he may have been busy at work.

Er.. I remember it as more like "2000 words lavishly illustrated with great photos by Monday night, or I'll kick your head in"
Nobody can work under that pressure

[Rhino]

Thanks April I thought you would be able to and I can actually see the path on one of Karl's pics looking up to riggindale. Shame about sam, I hate it when stuff like that happens. Once had a expensive Fuji and dropped it in sand knackering the lens cover mechanism. Great time lapse though inc the dreaded end.

[karl h]

Rhino- if you are carrying on up to Harter fell I still think you would be better coming down the way we did even though you have a little more re-ascent than if you followed the fence down to Mosedale which can be very boggy and the stream is quite wide when it's been raining. I always think a little climbing on a good path is better than bog trotting anyday

[Rhino]

Cheers Karl I'll probably take your route down then up to the pass and then on to Harter and down the ridge. I was hoping this may be the case.

[April]

the camera will be an expensive repair im afraid ... 
heres my timelapse from our lunch spot,
you can see at the end where Sam took a dive in the snow ... 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfW6d70Zzl4

  Poor Sam. Great timelapse with a very sad ending.

it was very grippy and flipped me over with all the grace of a falling cowpat

You weren't as graceful as that Karl 

I remember it as more like "2000 words lavishly illustrated with great photos by Monday night, or I'll kick your head in"
Nobody can work under that pressure

Hmmm.... Still under the influence. That rehab is useless 

Rhino I have done a similar route to the one you are talking about where I've actually parked at Mardale Head and come over the Gatesgarth Pass to go up Harter Fell over Kentmere Pike and then back over Grey Crag and Tarn Crag down to Wrengill Quarry and then back over the pass again to Mardale Head. A long hard day walking but I preferred to do that than driving a lot further to get to Sadgill.

[Innominate Man]

I second Ridge's comments :- If I had known who to complain to I would have given them a piece of my mind (as loose as it is). Ah well, I suppose Thursday is better late than never !
You'll need to submit a request if your going to have any time off in the future though 


But on a brighter note :- Many years ago me and the family had endured a long drive up to the Lakes for a jaunt in Longsleddale and once off the main road and heading up into the valley my better half became desperate for ...... well, you know what and this was before shewees had been invented. I suggested nipping over a hedge, as it works wonders for me. Not one for doing such ungainly things she flatly refused.I said there was no other option as you weren't going to find a loo up here in the middle of nowhere.
How wrong could I be. We came into a small hamlet (that I can't remember the name of) and lo and behold there was the nicest, well kept set of toilets you've ever seen. Lace up at the window and flowers in a vase plus a note from the ladies of the Womens Institute proudly stating their service of providing ....... a service. Mrs I smugly returned to the car stating there were some very nice ladies in that valley that knew just what women wanted. Clearly I don't 
It's been a few years since we were back there but at that time the loos were still immaculate. So a big cheer for the ladies of Longsleddale. My day would have been hell if she'd tinkled herself !  Don't tell her I told you this story or it'll be hell this time too.

[April]

I second Ridge's comments :- If I had known who to complain to I would have given them a piece of my mind

Karl. We had told him his addiction to wine gums and lumpy custard would lead to trouble

You'll need to submit a request if your going to have any time off in the future though 

It is a bit like being at work this is

We came into a small hamlet (that I can't remember the name of) and lo and behold there was the nicest, well kept set of toilets you've ever seen. Lace up at the window and flowers in a vase plus a note from the ladies of the Womens Institute proudly stating their service of providing ....... a service.

The loos are still there. I was really surprised when Sooz asked if anyone needed the loo on the way up to Sadgill as we passed through a hamlet. The WI in Longsleddale are to be commended for providing the ..... service 

[karl h]

Those facilities are a real surprise, completely unexpected and very welcome. INMHO just  another example of the greatness of our lovely country. 

Karl. We had told him his addiction to wine gums and lumpy custard would lead to trouble

I'm just the pathetic end user    You are the ruthless dealer backed up by your evil henchman Mr B 

[Ridge]

I second Ridge's comments :- If I had known who to complain to I would have given them a piece of my mind (as loose as it is). Ah well, I suppose Thursday is better late than never !
You'll need to submit a request if your going to have any time off in the future though 

I know this sounds like we are being selfish but, when we hadn't heard from them, I was concerned about their welfare.
I was seriously considering contacting Mountain Rescue and asking them to find April and Beefy and then to arrange for Air Sea Rescue to winch them on to a mountain.