The Lake District: Cumbria Way Walk

Cumbria Way Walk

This walk was a great combination of easy and challenging terrain and some lovely views

We awoke early to glorious sunshine and a cooling breeze: perfect walking weather for our Cumbria Way walk! After a fortifying bowl of porridge we headed out of the campsite and turned left towards The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. Resisting the urge to nip in for a swift half (it was early, even by our standards!) we carried on past the entrance to the car park and followed the path, passing Middle Fell farm, until we joined the Cumbria Way. Turning left, we headed towards Mickleden. With Mickleden Beck to our left, and the Langdale Pikes to our right, this flat path along the valley floor offered spectacular landscapes, as you’d expect from this part of the world.

We continued along the Cumbria Way until the path crossed a small stream and split in two. There is a handily placed stone pointing the way to Stake Pass (staying on the Cumbria Way) or Esk Hause. We headed West towards Esk Hause.

This walk starts with the relatively flat path along the valley

From here the path becomes decidedly steeper as we climbed up to about 600m. It is steep, but a well worn path that is easy to follow. After stopping at the peak to admire the views, we headed  towards Angle Tarn. Sitting looking down on the Tarn proved to be the perfect place for a quick breather and a spot of lunch.

Angle Tarn is an ideal spot for a lunch break

We had planned to carry on a bit further, but our organisational skills (and water) were lacking, so we instead walked down until we were level with Angle Tarn, and then took the footpath on our right. This path heads North East, before turning South East around Mansey Pike and rejoining the Cumbria Way. Once again, the path down is steep, but clearly marked with plenty of stone steps to help you along. We carried on until we reached the valley floor and headed back to camp.

This walk took us about 5 hours. It was challenging enough for a pair of novice walkers, but easy to navigate along well trodden paths and certainly offered plenty of scenery to admire.