Starting point: Seatoller NT car park, Borrowdale  (NY 245138)  Distance: 9 miles  Ascent: 3024'

A walk along the Glaramara ridge ascending Allen Crags, Glaramara and Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot).

Route: From Seatoller car park walk along roads to Seathwaite Farm before taking a well-defined route to Stockley Bridge and ascending Grains Gill to pass under the crags of Great End, before turning up the ridge at the Esk Hause wall shelter (NY 235083).  The ridge path crosses the summit of Allen Crags en route to Glaramara, passing several small attractive tarns.  From Glaramara there is little sign of a path. Skirt east, then north-east around Combe Head, heading north for Tarn at Leaves.  Just past the tarn, climb Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot).  Descend the summit by the same route and find a shallow valley heading WNW to pick up a path heading down the fell.  Cross Combe Gill at a sheepfold where a path leads back to Mountain View and the main road back to Seatoller.

Seathwaite Farm - starting point for many walks

Grains Gill - Great End can be seen ahead

Looking back down Grains Gill towards Borrowdale

It's a warm day - that pool looks inviting!

Reaching the top of Grains Gill, the path turns east towards Esk Hause
This is Ruddy Gill looking towards Allen Crags

Beattie cools down!

From the pass below Esk Hause there is a fine view of Great Gable

The wind shelter below Esk Hause

The first summit of the day - Allen Crags

The summit cairn on Allen Crags

From the summit, the ridge route to Glaramara

Looking south-west towards Ill Crag and Great End
According to AW, Ill Crag is often mistaken for the summit of Scafell Pike

According to AW, this is 'a perfect mountain tarn' and 'a splendid subject for an artist's canvas' (Allen Crags p. 7)

The summit cairn of Glaramara

From Glaramara, the ridge is pathless to Rosthwaite Fell
This is The Combe and Borrowdale in sunlight below

Tarn at Leaves with Bessyboot beyond

The summit cairn of Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot)

From the summit, there is a simple descent back to Mountain View
Head for the sheepfold (seen bottom left on this photograph) and join the main path from here

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Photographs taken with a Fuji MX-2900 Zoom or a Canon EOS 20D
Copyright © 2008 Derek Cockell     All Rights Reserved