Pike o’ Blisco is a rugged Lake District mountain that overlooks the Langdale Pikes from the south. It is often added to a Crinkle Crags walk but also makes for an excellent, if steep, climb on its own.
2304′. An irresistible name combined with a true mountain profile makes Pike o’ Blisco one of my favourite mountains in the Lake District. I have categorised Pike o’ Blisco under Easy Fells but this is no easy fell such as a Catbells or Helm Crag…. unless it is climbed from the top of Wrynose Pass. The route from Langdale is steep, rocky with some genuine scrambling near the summit. In fact the difficulty I had coming off the summit last time has persuaded me to alter the more traditional route down to the east and use this as the ascent. The return is via lovely Red Tarn, Brownley Gill and the farm at Stool End.
The twin cairns of the summit are dramatically situated above a circle of rock. Some careful, or careless, route finding can take you either smoothly up or leave you with a ‘sporting’ hands on scramble. I prefer the latter although to be fair I bailed out on one cliff face as I was descending. It’s all good fun. The large, and perfectly formed, cairn on the main summit has been the subject of much debate over the years. Wainwright was much taken by the cairn when he wrote his guides. However he was then much distressed when it was vandalised a few years later. Today the cairn is once again showing signs of wear and tear. It probably needs the dedicated folk of the National Park to repair it before it crumbles once again in to a pile of rocks.
Visit the wood hut on the western slopes. It is not a refreshment hut but storage for the National Park footpath erosion team.
There are excellent if rough paths up Pike o’ Blisco. However the summit is a twin both with a rocky scramble so the paths are not obvious. In bad weather this can be confusing. The true summit is the north one. From here the path heads due south and then bends west after a couple of minutes.
If in any doubt the main summit has the large cairn!
Todays target Pike O Blisco in Langdale,conditions torrential rain and high winds,Im joined again by Skiddaw Steve from Ouse Bridge House,we set off from the car and after a short walk we are heading up the steps towards our target,the weather is atrocious but were here and its got to be done,we cross the stream half way up the path.Looking upwards the visibility is not bad but will it stay this way.Moving on towards The Pike the ground levels out and our target can be seen,we scramble upto the next level by now we are both soaked through,but on we go,we are now below the top both Cairns can be seen it looks like a great scramble through a gully,water is pouring down the face but heads down and we are at the top.Left hand Cairn first the wind is so strong we can hardly stand up it has to be 50 to 60 mph,we drop back down and make towards the main Cairn which looks in good order……..great climb but its time to get off here this is dangerous.We drop down towards Red Tarn and pick up a well made path and off we go,water is pouring down this path and the wind is blowing us down.onto our backsides on more than one occasion,eventualy as we drop down we see the farm and in the distance my car,only negative my mobile was ruined even though it was inside my new Goretex Jacket all my numbers and pictures of all of my climbs lost I am devastated.but a great climb with Skiddaw Steve another Wainwright done see you next time
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