Walking BritainLake District Walk
Bowfell Circular from Great Langdale
Maps 
| Ordnance Survey Explorer OL6 | Sheet Map | 1:25k | BUY |
| Anquet OS Explorer OL6 | Digital Map | 1:25k | BUY |
| Ordnance Survey Landranger 90 | Sheet Map | 1:50k | BUY |
| Anquet OS Landranger 90 | Digital Map | 1:50k | BUY |
Walk Route Description
Click image to visit gallery of 7 images.
Bowfell is one of the classic Lakeland mountains and this Lake District walk features a circular route via The Band, returning down the valley of Mickleden. I did this walk on New Year's Day 2006, a day when the mountains were still partly covered with snow, a very cold day but with bracing fresh air and an almost alpine feel about the fells. The photos shown were taken on that day.
Start from the car park at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and follow the road to Stool End Farm at the foot of the ridge know as The Band. Once you have passed the farm, a track ahead climbs up the ridge. Crinkle Crags appear on the left and the Langdale Pikes, across the Mickleden valley, are to the right. The gradient eases off as the track goes to the right before it going left up to the col where Three Tarns are situated. These tarns offer a foreground to a fine view of the two Scafells (Scafell and Scafell Pike) across the valley to the west.
Next begins a steep route up rocky and rugged terrain to the north with the summit of Bowfell being the next objective. The summit, marked by a cairn, offers a fine view down the valley to the south west towards Eskdale.
The route now descends Bowfell to the north, then north-west down as far as the col between it and Esk Pike. At the col, bear right at Ore Gap and descend the grassy, pathless felllside as Angle Tarn comes into view below on the right with the Langdale Pike seen from the back, therefore showing a less familiar profile. The descent leads to the main path leading from Rossett Ghyll to Great End and beyond and here you turn right along the path to cross the outflow of Angle Tarn before ascending the fellside ahead. At the top of this rise, Rossett Pike is an optional extra as a digression from the main route to the left. Otherwise, it is time to set off down the steep, rocky path going down Rossett Ghyll. The gradients eases off as the Mickleden valley is approached and the necessary height has been lost. A walk of a couple of miles or so (though it may well seem further) back down the Mickleden valley brings you back to the walk's starting point.
Other walks nearby
| Walk 1132 | The Crinkle Crags from Great Langdale | mod/hard | 7.0 miles |
| Walk 1157 | Bowfell and Esk Pike from Old Dungeon Ghyll | hard | 8.8 miles |
| Walk 2037 | Bowfell & Rosset Pike via the Climber's Traverse | hard | 7.5 miles |
| Walk 1739 | Crinkle Crags and Bowfell (Oxendale Horseshoe) | hard | 7.8 miles |
| Walk 1207 | Great & Little Langdales | moderate | 8.5 miles |
Recommended Books & eBooks
The Cumbria Way
A guidebook to the 73 mile Cumbria Way, an easy long-distance walk though the heart of the Lake District National Park, from Ulverston in the south to Carlisle in the north, with good transport links to either end. The route is largely low-level but this guide offers alternative mountain days to climb some of the famous fells en route.
More information
Outdoor Adventures with Children - Lake District
Guidebook to 40 outdoor adventures in the Lake District with children under 12, including walking, cycling, orienteering, paddling, boating, hostelling and more. Graded activities for varying age ranges or for families with children of different ages.
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The End to End Trail
Further Information
Walk Location Map
Lake District Walking
The Lake District National Park is seen by many as one of the scenic gems of the British Isles. The natural beauty has attracted many artists and writers through the centuries and today the same scenery provides the perfect backdrop to a wide variety of walks. The National Park is located wholly within Cumbria with Windermere, Ambleside and Keswick the main tourist towns. For many this is the finest area in England for walking with a wide variety of scenery. Even on the busiest weekends it is possible to get away from the crowds by carefully selecting one of the less-visited fells. More Information
Walk grading - Learn how each walk is assessed and select a walk to suit your ability and experience by going to Walk Grading Details.
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