A walk to Cold Pike and Pike o'Blisco

Cold Pike and Pike o’ Blisco, two fine fells separated by a broad flat col, lie to the north of the brow of Wrynose Pass. The path to the col, originally made by miners, leads from the north side of Pass, goes by the Red Tarn and then descends into Oxendale and Great Langdale. It is well used by walkers and the surface had become quite rough from the trampling of many boots and from weathering. However some repairs have been made since last winter and many bags of stone have been delivered to the side of the path and more work is being done.

Cold Pike visited first, on grass – sometimes boggy grass, has three rocky summits and it is difficult to tell which is the highest; it is possible to reach all three and then perhaps you can make up your own mind. The OS map seems to suggest that the one to the north is the highest, but when looking at them from below each one, in turn, seems to be higher than the other two.


To reach Pike o’ Blisco, the reinforced path becomes quite red as you descend from Cold Pike. Look for tiny pieces of the iron-ore, haematite, among the red sandstone. Pick up a small piece and feel how heavy it is.


The path up to shapely Pike o’ Blisco leaves from the col and takes you fairly easily to the summit, the rocks giving good purchase to your boots. The descent, seemingly rarely used, is mainly on grass, a delight to come down to the main track, with only a short distance before you reach the Pass.

The walk

1. From the Three Shire Stone, on Wrynose Pass, take the signed footpath on the same side of the narrow road. Follow it as it winds round a marshy area and then begins to climb. Just before it turns sharp right, look for an easy-to-miss tiny cairn (just a few stones) on your left. This is the indistinct start of the path to Cold Pike. Once away from the main track the path emerges but then it gets lost in a wet area where you will have to find your own way. Beyond, it becomes distinct, taking you half-right over the hillocky fellside, towards the three humps of the Pike.
2. Step across a small stream and go on until you reach a wider beck, the infant river Duddon, which you also cross. Turn right here, even though the distinct path goes ahead. Pick your way over rough ground with small vestiges of a path, remaining parallel with the beck for short way, until you reach a good path ahead. Turn left and follow it straight up the slopes before it slants half-right. The path weaves between rocks and boulders and brings you beside the first craggy summit, with a prominent cairn on top, which you might wish to climb, just in case it is the highest point. If not remain on the path that winds round the foot of craggy slopes to a flatter grassy open area with a cairned summit to your left. Then carry on, winding round the crags on your right, to the north side. Climb up here using grassy patches between the outcrops to reach a fine cairn. This is probably the highest of the three summits (701m/2259ft). From here across a shatter of rocks you can see another cairn. The view of the Crinkles, with Bowfell peeping over the top, and of Pike o’ Bliscoe, is stunning.
3. Descend the same way and re-join the path to carry on beside a small beck, to your left. Then drop down to the wide track, used by many walkers climbing up to start their walk along the Crinkles. Turn right and descend to step across the outlet from Red Tarn and carry on along the now red path. Climb the narrower path immediately ahead in the direction of Pike o’ Blisco. The path has been reinforced in the past and leads you distinctly upwards. When in doubt look for rough cairns, and go on. As you near the top the cairns are larger and it is best to follow them, though there are several other small paths, leading upwards. Eventually a grassy path leads you up a gully to the summit plateau.
4. To reach the splendid colourful summit cairn (705m/2304ft), turn left and walk along the plateau, winding between the rocks and ledges, and then curve round right on easy rocks to reach the cairn, situated on a platform of naked rock. Just below are shelves of rock, out of the north wind, ideal for your lunch break. Return along the plateau towards the second top, not quite so high or so perfect a cairn, which you might wish to ascend. Descend from this by the same route and continue on, a little east, ignoring any paths heading down to Great Langdale or Blea Tarn.
5. Wind right, west, below the southern face of the Pike, on a clear grassy path. This drops pleasantly down, passing through low ridges of rocks to go on following the path in the direction of Black Crag. As you approach you can see the cairn on the top and may wish to make the short climb to it. If so, return by the same route to pick up the path once more. Stroll on the path as it curves a little east below Black Crag and passes through a small but very wet area, where it gets lost, only to reappear in a few steps. Pause here to look at Black Crag’s Needle, which so impressed Alfred Wainwright. He described it as follows “The smooth and slender pinnacle, detached from the face of Black Crag, is precariously balanced on a massive plinth of rock, 12 ft high, the total height to the tip being 35ft”.
   
   
   
6. Carry on along the path so that you can by-pass Long Crag, keeping to its eastern end. Then the path slants right, goes on down and becomes fainter and fainter, passing an unusual sheepfold away to your left. Keep on down in the same general direction, past a walled sheepfold to your right, from where you can probably spot the cars on the brow of the Pass. Suddenly you arrive at the main path where you turn left to descend to where you have parked
   

Practicals

• Start/finish: The brow of Wrynose Pass, close to the Three Shire Stone, grid ref 276027, where there are several spaces. Just beyond, in the direction of Little Langdale, is a larger hard standing area, on the south side of the road, with enough room for eight to ten cars.
• Map: OS Explorer OL6, Lakes south-western area.
• Distance: 9.5km/6miles
• Time: 4-5 hours.
• Height gain: 1428ft/345m.
• Terrain: Grassy paths for most of the way to Cold Pike. Reinforced paths, rough in a few places, from Cold Pike summit to Pike o’ Blisco’s summit. Grassy descent almost to Wrynose Pass parking.
• Refreshments: Three Shires Inn, Little Langdale. The Newfield, Seathwaite.
  

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This article appeared originally in Cumbria magazine.

For more photos, see "A walk to Cold Pike and Pike o'Blisco" on Flickr.

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