From the National Trust car park, we took the quarry access road NW and forked R at a footpath sign to descend to the river. The track curves L along the river and climbs to pass through the quarry yard, where signs show the way through. Crossing a minor road, a track continues SW climbing through the wood to the open slopes. At a waymark, the path bends back L and climbs to a stile/gate. From here the ridge fence leads directly to the summit of Lingmoor Fell. The views from here are very fine on a good day, but the high tops were still misted out and the air was murky today.

The ridge fence descends to the foot of Side Pike, where we descended steeply L to a stile and followed the path above the road to a ladder stile at the cattle grid. A path directly opposite contours around to join the main path to Pike o'Blisco at Redacre Gill. The sheltered position made hot work of the 1300' climb up the cone of Pike o'Blisco, but there was a chilly wind at the top. The tops were all clear now but it was still very hazy. Descending towards Red Tarn, the easiest line to Cold Pike is to follow the main Crinkle Crags highway to the first streamlet crossing the path, then climb the pathless but easy slopes L. The main top is quickly reached, and there are several cairns.

The other tops in Cold Pike's trio of summits can be seen close to the W, each honoured by a cairn, and the way ahead is indicated by a stile below in the new electric fence. This is a good pathless corner to explore, and the Far West top has an attractive tarn below on the L. We headed NW to the bottom of an obvious deep rocky cleft where Gaitscale Gill emerges, and collected good water. From here we slanted up SW towards Little Stand, passing some reedy pools and gaining the cairn, where a most delectable tarn lies right next to the summit, cradled by rocks and perched above the steep plunge to the valley. We pitched the tent above the shore as the sun finally shone forth, and we spent over an hour exploring this fine summit area, descending to investigate another smaller pool perched on a rock shelf well below to the S. This was a splendid pitch, and it's a pity the air wasn't clearer to make the very best of the mountain views.

The sky remained clear overnight and the tent was bathed in the silvery glow of the moon, while the wind made the moonlight dance on the tarn. As the red sun rose in the haze and the tops were silhouetted on the dawn sky, we could hardly bear to leave the summit, but there was a fairly long day ahead. There was to be unbroken sunshine the whole day, but the wind was really cold in the morning.

There is a hint of a path heading N along the broad ridge, and we joined the main Crinkle Crags path via another stile in the electric fence just before the S top. We traversed the whole ridge from here to the N top of Bow Fell in total solitude, a rare treat indeed. The air was still hazy but the local views of nearby mountains to the North and West were clear. At Ore Gap we descended the path towards Angle Tarn, collecting good water at the stream head. The tarn had some tents pitched by it as expected, it will probably resemble a holiday camp later in the year. Comparing this with our beautiful quiet pitch last night, well, each to his own...

Just after crossing the Angletarn Gill outflow, a path branches off L that ascends gently to Martcrag Moor, passing the tarn near the path junction and climbing the soggy moor towards Pike of Stickle. Where the path descends a little and begins the final climb, we left it to cross the stream and head E to the summit of Thunacar Knott and its lovely tarn, decorated today by the last of the snow. Taking the path towards High Raise, just after it begins to climb, a path branches R that leads to another group of attractive tarns near Sergeant Man.

Descending SE and keeping a careful eye on the paths hereabouts, we aimed for the Blea Rigg ridge, with good aerial views of Codale Tarn, Easedale Tarn and Stickle Tarn below. The cairned path is good for a while, but then seems to lose itself in a number of fainter paths amid the complex terrain of rock cliffs and grassy gullies. We ended up descending a steep rock gully only to rediscover the clear well worn path coming round to meet us. The path arrives at a pair of tarns, then weaves around Swinescar Pike to the larger and mainly overgrown Youdell Tarn, not named on the map, which has a small patch of clear water in the middle.

We took the path to the R of the tarn that meanders along the valley edge and descends into the impressive deep cleft of Megs Gill. A narrow alpine-like path contours out above the very steep slope then undulates across Spedding Crag to a dip. A final pair of cairned humps and the descent into Elterwater begins, which is confused by the plethora of paths, none of which appear to go towards the village. We finally emerged at the minor road by Huntingstile Crag and took the track across Walthwaite Bottom to the lane into Elterwater.