Tarn Crag and Grey Crag make up the twin peaks of Longsleddale. They are rounded hills of rough grass which are easily linked. It is a long drive up the Longsleddale valley.
2176′. I have now been up Tarn Crag four times which, I suspect, is unusual! Three of these climbs followed the slightly nerve racking six mile drive up the single track road of Longsleddale. Lots of blind corners. The other approach to the twin peaks was from Haweswater. I prefer the approach from Longsleddale. In particularly I like the valley because it is so quiet and totally unspoilt. I also enjoy the area around Tarn and Grey Crags because it signifies an obvious boundary between the peat moorland of the Pennines and the more rockier, mountainous landscape of the true Lake District.
Longsleddale is one of the three or four hidden valleys that lie off the A6 between the more populated Kentmere and Haweswater valleys. The Other Borrowdale, Swindale and Wet Sleddale are similar. There is no pub or settlement in Longsleddale, no through road and in addition the mountains themselves are fairly nondescript. The fact the Wainwright fells of Grey Crag and Tarn Crag exist at all is what brings people to the valley and makes it marginally more popular than the other A6 valleys. There is a second reason of notoriety for Longsleddale. Apparently Postman Pat was conceived here (!?!). Certainly it was more popular seven hundred years ago when it was used as a major walking and trading route for the abbeys and other religious centres, as an example Yewbarrow Hall was a posting station on the route.
The O/S 1,25,000 map has Harrop Pike only one metre below Grey Crag, it is also the better vantage point so well worth including on the walk.
The crossing between the two Wainwright fells can be very wet. The best option is to follow as close to the line of the fence as possible.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Δ
