Online Fellwalking Club - Eagle Crag from Stonethwaite

Eagle Crag from Stonethwaite

Written by Andrew Leaney

Saturday, 25 August 2007

Click to see the route annotated

1,300ft of ascent, 2 miles

Wainwright offers two options for the ascent of Eagle Crag. His 'A' route is 'direct' up the front whereas the 'B' route outflanks the crags by an ascent from Greenup Gill.

Eagle Crag with Sergeants Crag behind right

Back in January 2002 Anne and I parked at Stonethwaite with the intention of climbing Eagle and Sergeant's Crags as part of our Wainwright round. It was a cloudy and windy day and the 'A' route looked intimidating so we went for option 'B'. The route follows part of what is now Wainwright's Coast to Coast route following first Stonethwaite Beck and then Greenup Gill. We crossed Greenup Gill after about 1.75 miles and then it was a long slog up the fell side to the summit with no difficulties.

Looking up Greenup Gill with the slopes of Eagle Crag on the right

Since then I have revisited Eagle Crag a number of times and always ascended via the 'A' route. It still looks intimidating but is not as bad as it looks. From Stonethwaite cross Stonethwaite Bridge and follow the Coast to Coast path as far as Smithymire Island at the confluence of Greenup Gill and Langstrath Beck. Cross over Greenup Gill by the footbridge and almost immediately turn left on a smaller path and cross a fence by the stile.

The view down the steep bracken cover fell side to Greenup Gill

The next section can be a bit boggy as you head for a gap in the wall ahead. The path continues to a second wall at which point the hard work starts. The path, on the far side of the wall, ascends steeply through the bracken. Towards the top it heads across left to a stile. On reaching the stile the hard slog is over. Mark Richards in his Lakeland Fellranger guide to the Central Fell says that at this point you should "prepare for a fell ecstasy lift off".

The Stile above Bleak How

Shortly after the stile the path turns left and ascends a short gully, the key to the ascent. You may need to use your hands and the ground is normally damp but this gully, the steepest part of the ascent, is straight forward and should not present any real difficulties.

Not the way ahead

Above the gully head up left and across to a view point to look down on Greenup Gill and at Eagle Crag from which the fell takes its name. Retrace your steps to above the gully - there is no way ahead - and begin a long traverse above Heron Crag.

The short gully, the key to the ascent, from below

At the end of the traverse the path zigzags up a series of terraces leading you to the summit. There are a number of different options for this section and I seem to take a slightly different route each time.

Ascending the short gully

The views throughout the top part of the ascent are breathtaking with Skiddaw appearing over Great Crag to the north as you gain height. There is a marvelous view up Langstrath to Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and Esk Pike. As you approach the summit High Raise comes into view and Rosthwaite Fell and Glaramara can be seen across Langstrath.

The view up Langstrath from the ascent

All too soon the summit is reached, a large slab of rock with a small cairn on its highest point.

Eagle Crag summit

From the summit there are a number of options; head back down the 'B' route, follow the ridge to Sergeant's Crag and then head down into either Langstrath or to Greenup Gill or for a longer walk carry on to High Raise (and beyond). The choice is yours…

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