Causey Pike, Scar Crags and Sail
Walk date – 21st May 2025
Distance – 7.1 miles
Weather – sunny and dry, very warm at lower levels, cool easterly breeze at height, hazy
The Eden Valley was hidden under fog when we set off for Braithwaite this morning but as soon as we were on the A6 we were back in sunshine. By the time we reached Eamont Bridge we were under cloudy grey skies with the weather looking extremely dull and unpromising. When we reached Blencathra the weather once again changed completely with blue sky and bright sunshine above us and that’s the way it stayed all the time we were out. As the forecast had mentioned that it would be sunnier in the west perhaps the west, in Cumbria at least, begins at Blencathra! No matter, we had already decided to drive over to Braithwaite anyway to walk up Causey Pike, which we haven’t set foot on since 2017, so the glorious weather was just the icing on the cake. It was a little nippy on Sail summit thanks to the ever present easterly breeze these days but apart from that we had a great walk and the views from the tops were fabulous, as they usually are.
Route
Stonycroft off road parking – Stonycroft Gill path – Causey Pike – Scar Crags – Sail (ascent via zig-zags, descent via grass path) – descent from col to High Moss – Stonycroft Gill – Stonycroft off road parking
We parked up in the off road parking area at Stoneycroft, out of shot to the left where the road is. Apart from one car which was already empty of its occupants and one camper van with its tent roof extended but with nobody visible around it, the area was empty of vehicles so we parked up without difficulty. We got our gear together, made sure the car was locked, switched on the gps and set off along the path beside Stonycroft Gill which begins directly opposite the parking area. The above shot shows the view of Rowling End ahead of us.
The path eventually turns around the lower slopes of Barrow and we begin the long steady climb up beside the gill, which is in the dip over on the left of the shot. Also in our view was Causey Pike (L) and just the top of Outerside in the distance.
A look back down the gill path as we paused to wipe the beads of sweat from our faces. It was very warm along here with no breeze to speak of, just a slight movement of air from time to time, and we were already down to t-shirt and shorts level so casting a clout wasn’t an option. Its a steady climb but the path is very stony which doesn’t make for smooth and steady walking. We were thrown off balance several times along the way when the pebbles and stones rolled away under our boots.
I’d intended to take a shot of the top of Causey Pike earlier to show the alternative route via Sleet Hause but I forgot to take one. This is a side view of the top taken as we rounded a bend in the path, which reminded me of my earlier intention, oops!
We arrive at the path junction which leads over to Barrow Door from where walkers can walk up to Barrow or Stile End should they be so inclined. Outerside also comes into full view at this point. Time for another face mop!
Almost at the point where we will turn off the main path and take the one leading up towards Causey Pike as its just a few paces beyond the sheepfold.
We dropped down to the sheepfold to take a short break, in other words to let the legs relax before the next climb, have yet another face wipe, eat a chocolate bar and have a drink. J tells me that his plated ankle is aching which is hardly surprising given the nature of the path we’ve just walked over.
A look back at one of the paths rising up Outerside, the path we have been walking along is the horizontal one across the middle, the turn off path for Causey Pike we are now standing on, and the sheepfold we had been using for our mini break over on the right. We saw a runner coming down the path we are now standing on while we were at the sheepfold and our paths crossed as we reached the junction. The male runner crossed over to follow the path up Outerside and, just as we were about to turn up this path, a female runner came towards us from the Sail direction who exchanged slightly breathless greetings with us.
As we had already stopped to take the previous photo I turned to my right for this view of Stile End and Barrow. The hazy group beyond them are some of the northern group of fells, the Skiddaw group and Blencathra in particular.
From higher up the path I took a look back for this view of, from L to R, Sand Hill, Hopegill Head, Hobcarton Crags and Grisedale Pike. We’ve just had a chat with a chap coming down from Causey Pike during which he mentioned that he had walked up to the summit by the same route as we were taking. He had considered the Sleet How route but had been deterred from taking it as he didn’t fancy the final mini scramble up to the top, and especially so as he had his dog with him. He didn’t know how the dog would manage it and he didn’t welcome the thought of having to carry the dog up it if it had been too difficult for the dog to manage. He made us laugh when he regaled us with several tales of how, accompanied by demonstrations of the various methods used, to get previous dogs owned by him or his mates up scrambly sections. We eventually parted company with him and his dog and continued on …..
….. up the path until we eventually joined up with the ridge path between Causey Pike and Scar Crags. The shot is looking up towards the first of Causey Pike’s ‘knuckles’ from the ridge path. The highest point is at the far end of the ‘knuckles’ above Rowling End so we still have some distance to go before we get to it.
The view behind us as we climb is a partial view of the Coledale Horseshoe, partial because Causey Pike and Grisedale Pike are missing from the shot. Causey is behind us and Grisedale Pike wouldn’t fit into the viewfinder so …..
….. I included it in this shot. I think the average time to walk the horseshoe is about six hours but of course the length of time it will take will always be dependent on individual rates of walking, ground conditions, weather, stops to remove or add clothing, take photos, and have breaks for all manner of other reasons. It really doesn’t matter how long it takes anyone to complete the horseshoe, simply view and enjoy the wonderful scenery around you and forget about the time because that’s what it is really all about. We last walked the Coledale Horseshoe on 10th June 2015 if you want to see what it entails before attempting it. I remember being quite weary when we got back home and we were both ten years younger then so we probably won’t be doing it again no matter how good the weather might be.
From a flatter area between the ‘knuckles’ a look down to Stile End, Barrow Door and Barrow where the path we used to begin with is just visible above the edge of the grassy rim. The northern end of Bass Lake is just visible over on the left of the shot.
Looking towards the Skiddaw group and Blencathra from the highest “knuckle” on Causey Pike with just a smidge of Derwentwater over on the right …..
….. a slight turn to my right brought practically the whole of Derwentwater into view as I looked along the Vale of Keswick …..
….. the view beyond Rowling End towards Catbells, the Dodds and the Helvellyn group are on the distant skyline …..
….. looking across the Newlands valley for this view of Maiden Moor and High Spy …..
….. looking towards the col at the head of the Newlands valley between High Spy and Dale Head. On the skyline between are Wetherlam, Combe Head and Glaramara, Bowfell and Esk Pike …..
….. Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson are the most prominent peaks. On the skyline between Hindscarth and Robinson is Kirk Fell …..
….. the skyline beyond Robinson is the High Crag, High Stile, Red Pike ridge while in the immediate foreground is the Ard Crags – Knott Rigg ridge. Also just visible behind the ridge between High Crag and High Stile, although it will need a zoom in to see them, are Scoat Fell and the pointy top of Steeple …..
….. looking ahead to our next two fells which are Scar Crags and Sail behind which rises the great bulk of Crag Hill which we won’t be climbing today. As photos have been taken of just about everything on view today we made our way down from the summit of Causey Pike …..
….. with a look back at the summit area before we lost the view of it.
While we were clambering down over the rocks I noticed a better view of the Ard Crags – Knott Rigg ridge which brought lots of memories to mind. One particularly humorous one was when we were coming down Knott Rigg years ago as three chaps were sweating their way up it. The chap in the lead was trying out his new gps gadget while the red in the face and breathing heavily one was bringing up the rear. He pointed up to the summit and asked us if that was the top, we replied that it was to which his response was ‘Thank God for that, we’ve already climbed three other tops on the way up here and him at the front said that all three of them were the top. Fat lot of good that gps thingy is then if it keeps telling him we were on the top when we weren’t.” Or words to that effect because he wasn’t best pleased and uttered a few swear words to emphasise the point! Conversations with other walkers are often the highlight of many of our walks.
Walking along the ridge now and heading for Scar Crags whose high point has temporarily obscured the view of Sail, so all we could see ahead was the great bulk of Crag Hill.
A look back at Causey Pike’s ‘knuckles’ from the ridge path over to Scar Crags. The path we used to reach the ridge line can be seen joining the ridge path over on the left just below the first ‘knuckle’. Walking across to the highest ‘knuckle’ at the far end felt like being on a roller-coaster at times.
The summit cairn on Scar Crags from where we were able to view some of the zig-zags on the path up to Sail.
On the skyline from L to R is the ridge walk from Whiteside over to Hopegill Head, the pointed top on the right skyline The full view of the ridge line is obscured by Sand Hill which is just below Hopegill Head. The Whiteside ridge walk isn’t really part of the Coledale Horseshoe although it begins/ends at Hopegill Head which is part of the horseshoe.
Robinson dropping down across Buttermere Moss at the end of which it becomes High Snockrigg.
We begin to descend Scar Crags and plan to have a short break at the bottom where we can take the brakes off and let our legs relax for a few minutes before we take to the zig-zag path up to the top of Sail.
Having had a short stop down at the col we began the less than exciting walk up the zig-zags with a look back to a similar path on Scar Crags . To while away the tedium we made a count every time we reached a bend in the path, there were eighteen bends altogether before we reached the ‘no more bends’ section of the still rising path leading up to the summit. It is what probably might be termed ‘a dreary trudge’.
A view of Crag Hill and part of Wandope from Sail’s summit cairn. The little ditch which is behind the cairn usually holds water but it held nothing apart from dry, cracked peat today.
After taking the previous shot of the summit cairn we strolled back to the path for a look down towards the start of the path up Crag Hill. It does have a few awkward spots here and there in the form of outcrops but they are easily dealt with which does make it a little more interesting than the climb up Sail.
As we turned around to walk back to the cairn we saw that another walker had arrived and seated himself on the top of it which made me pleased that I had taken the summit cairn shot when there was nobody else up here. It looked as though he was about to take his lunch break there. We strolled across the top and looked for somewhere suitable to have our coffee and sandwiches, our breakfast having been eaten several hours ago by this time. At this height and with no possible shelter from the wind being available anywhere on the flat grassy top we put on our mid-layers and plonked ourselves on the soft, dry grass. After we had finished eating and while I was still sitting on the grass I took my usual ‘views from the summit’ shots. The shot above, of Crag Hill, was behind my left shoulder …..
….. stretching from L to R is the Whiteside ridge to Hopegill Head behind which is just the top of Ladyside Pike …..
….. directly opposite us are Hobcarton Crags and Grisedale Pike …..
….. over to our right is the Skiddaw group …..
….. and a little further to our right is Blencathra …..
….. the view over my right shoulder is of Clough Head and Great Dodd on the right skyline, Walla Crag just below them with the tops of Causey Pike and Scar Crags just peeping up beyond the grassy summit area …..
….. on the skyline behind us are Stybarrow Dodd and Raise followed by the Helvellyn grouping.
After our lunch break we made our way back to the main path where a little cairn indicates the path over to the summit of Sail. Across the middle foreground we had a view of Maiden Moor and High Spy where the sun was highlighting every detail of their crags high above the Newlands valley.
Descending Sail and making our way back to the col which can be seen in the bottom right corner of the shot. We didn’t keep to the established path all the way back down as walkers, either ascending or descending, during the years since the path was constructed, have taken to walking across the grass thereby creating an informal route which was what the established path was created to avoid. A path can be created but walkers cannot be made to use it, such are the vagaries of human nature.
Once we were down at the col between Scar Crags and Sail we took the left hand path leading us back down towards High Moss and Outerside. On the way down I noticed the sheepfold, towards the bottom of the shot, which despite using this path on previous walks I had never noticed before. The Force Crag mine buildings are also visible which I was unaware of until I looked at the photos when I got back home. The first part of the path was something of a nightmare as it is badly eroded and down to bare, and presently very dry, earth in many places. To make matters even trickier than they were a young lad pushing a mountain bike was coming up the path towards us. As the situation was being sorted out a young man came to a halt just behind us so we began chatting while the cyclist hoisted the bike over his shoulder and started to move up the path. Now that the path was clear again we could all move forward once again and eventually …..
….. we reached the flatter area below Outerside. The young man we chatted with has moved ahead now and is on the path in front of J. He was a stranger to the area and all the way down he kept stopping to ask us various questions about the local area after he had established that we were familiar with it. He was making his way down to Braithwaite and wanted to know if this path would lead him back there. He was carrying an enormous pack containing his camping equipment and was hoping to find somewhere suitable to camp overnight and to be able to do some food shopping on Thursday morning. He was a very pleasant and friendly young man, very willing to ask questions about the area so we hope he managed to arrive at his chosen destination and that he managed to do his shopping the following morning.
The young man had already taken the path by the cairn shown in an earlier photo which would lead him over to Barrow Door and back down to Braithwaite. This path also leads up to Barrow Door but it does involve a climb which he seemed not to want, which was quite understandable given the hot afternoon and that he was carrying a very large pack. I’ve included the photo just to show the existence of a path leading up to Barrow Door from the main path beside Stonycroft Gill.
A look back along the path now that we are a good way down it. The lighter green areas are full of young bracken which is now becoming quite tall even though it hasn’t fully matured at present. It has even managed to establish itself in some of the more heather covered areas and, although its only a foothold at the moment, we can only hope that it doesn’t take over completely.
J is some distance behind me as I stop to take a look back at Causey Pike so I waited until he caught up with me. We’re back on the rough path again and his ankle is grumbling about it.
We’re almost back down to Stoneycroft now and when we round the bend in the path we’ll be back on the path leading to the parking area. We’ve just been passed by two large groups of teenage boys heading upwards, all wearing hard hats, accompanied by their teachers and what we took to be gill scrambling instructors. When we reached the parking area there were two large groups of teenage girls similarly attired in hard hats and getting themselves ready for their afternoon activity. They also headed up the same path as the boys. If they were heading for a gill scrambling activity none of the teenagers were in danger of being soaked to their skins as there was very little water in the gill. I don’t suppose that would make any difference to them anyway, I’d bet they were just pleased not to be stuck inside a classroom on such a lovely day. The parking area was filled with the minibuses which had transported them and a few cars had filled the last remaining spaces. So a quiet start and a busy ending and in between a fantastic walk surrounded by wonderful scenery. Shall we drive home and have a nice cup of tea just to round off the day? Oh go on then, if you insist.