Half of the Ennerdale Horseshoe

on a frozen Red Pike.  The dip on the horizon is Wind Gap between Pillar on the left and Black Crag on the right.  Haycock is the fell on the far right.  Scafell Pike and Scafell are visible through the gap on the left.

plenty of climbing - 22.2 miles

Well I did the other half a few weeks ago.  We had planned to do the whole horseshoe but we ran out of time and energy and so decided to come back along the valley floor path.  Great weather today, a touch of frost, very little wind and cool.  Perfect fell running conditions.  It did start to get a bit cool as we got up on to Green Gable but all in all I have no complaints.

It was frosty on the steep climb up to Great Borne but a nice run down and around Starling Dodd to pick up the Red Pike path.  We went around to the south of High Stile and then picked up the rocky ridge along to the steep descent down Gamlin End.

dead flat Ennerdale Water from near the start

from Great Borne looking down Ennerdale

from Red Pike looking over to Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike and others across Crummock Water

and another looking over to Melbreak on the left.  Look at the shadow cost by Red Pike!

trying to pick out the best way around High Stile

High Crag Summit.  Green Gable is the fell the furthest to the left.  We will be heading up there.

and looking back to High Stile

the descent down Gamlin End, at the end of the High Stile range.  Paul thought he would see what the scree was like

looking back up to that scree descent.  You can just pick out the path winding up to the left of the scree

the further away you get the steeper it looks

We crossed over Seat and started to climb up towards Haystacks before taking a very rough path to the south.  We eventually climbed back up and passed Innominate Tarn and Blackbeck Tarn before trudging on towards Green Gable.  We were both tired at this point and, with a mind on the remaining daylight, it wasn't too much of a negotiation to decided to stop at Green Gable and take the valley floor path back to the car.

Blackbeck Tarn looking up to Green Gable and Great Gable

looking back towards Haystacks and High Crag behind.

looking up at Pillar Rock from the valley floor

almost there now, a good 10 miles from the turn around point at Green Gable.  Here we are looking over to Anglers Crag on Crag Fell which would have been the last fell if we had done the whole route.