Grey Crag to Selside Pike

Sunday 28th April 2019

A very remote walk from Swindale Head alongside Mosedale Beck to Grey Crag, Tarn Crag (Longsleddale) and back via Branstree, Selside Pike and the Old Corpse road

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Distance: 13.4 miles

Duration: 6:30 hours

Ascent: 2935 ft

Difficulty: Moderate

Accompanied By: Ste & Robert

Weather: Mild, Dry with sunny intervals

Wainwrights Visited

Branstree Grey Crag Selside Pike Tarn Crag (Longsleddale)

3D outline of route

Parking

Parking - As far as you can go down the Swindale Head road

Fit and raring to go

A peaceful walk along the road towards Swindale Head

Plenty of wildlife for those that know where to look

Looking back (Swindale Beck) to where we started from. Now to climb up the head of the valley

On the ascent

To cross or not to cross - still not sure which is best - but we did anyway

This little lizard popped up to greet us

At this point we spotted a pair of Buzzards leaving the trees - As I've been attacked by a buzzard before, I was keen to make sure we didn't attract too much attention from them so we had our lunch just inside the very small wood. It was the only cover for miles around so better safe than sorry. I believe buzzards are territorial and if they have young chicks they do warn you away.

Fortunately we had a guide who could tell us which way to go, by studying the moss on the trees - "no need for those GPS things" - we were certainly in safe hands today

We said farewell to our pleasant lunch spot and continued our 'off track' gentle ascent towards Harrop Pike

Again, looking back

Arriving at Harrop Pike

Harrop Pike summit

Soon after Harrop Pike we reached Grey Crag summit

Again, with views of the Longsleddale side of the Kentmere Horseshoe

Looking back the route we had walked from Harrop Pike

Tarn Crag (Longsleddale) summit

The impressive 80 year old survey point built for the construction of longsleddale tunnel conveying the aquaduct from Haweswater.

Heading up Branstree looking back towards Tarn Crag. This was a bit steeper than I remembered

Onwards and upwards towards the top of Branstree

Branstree summit

Haweswater with Kidsty Pike and High Raise behind

Pondering Done - Time to get back to the car to meet up with Ste who had decided to opt out of doing Branstree & Selside Pike and take the lower level route back down Swindale Head via Mosedale.