The Central Fells

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18 PAVEY ARK (697m, 2287ft)

From the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel the dark, brooding brow of Pavey Ark can just be seen peering over the corrie lip at the top of Stickle Ghyll (the view from the Langdale Webcam). In summer endless processions of people wend up the much-strengthened path to behold, awestruck, the mighty walls across the steely waters of the tarn. Many visitors are content just to look at the fearful buttresses. Others, with measured confidence, orbit the tarn and ascend the scree to tackle the rock-ladder of Jack’s Rake. On this route hands and feet are in action all the way, on the firmest of rock, with remarkably few moments of real exposure to daunt the spirit. It is a uniquely wonderful opportunity for the average fellwalker to experience the thrill of a classic Lakeland cliff. But it becomes increasingly serious with wind and rain, and in winter conditions reverts to the sole preserve of mountaineers, equipped with ropes.

Easy Gully, which rises at a tangent to the right, is not quite as simple as the name would imply. Loose scree leads to a chaos of large chock-stones at the top that require delicate manoeuvres not in the arsenal of every walker (admission: the author was pulled up by a passing rock climber – phew!). The North Rake provides the one direct ascent for the fellwalker, climbing from Bright Beck. Path erosion is advanced so careful footing is required. The term ‘Ark’ suggests a place of refuge or shelter, while ‘Pavia’ was a personal name.

ASCENT from New Dungeon Ghyll (32–33)

Via Pike How  610m/2000ft, 2.5km/1 1⁄2 miles

Either go directly up the bridle path from the hotel or ascend from Stickle Ghyll car park information shelter. The paths meet up by the fenced gap. 1 The Pike How route leads off left from the fence gap and rises to a hand-gate where you turn right, passing a seat to a stile. Keep the wall to the right, and do not ford Dungeon Ghyll. The well-marked path bears left, mounting the steep slope in steady stages. Much of the path has been re-engineered to cope with the inevitable heavy foot traffic. Many walkers use this as their return leg after the ascent via Stickle Ghyll, though they would be better resorting to the Mark Gate path off Loft Crag, as it has the best base. Climbing up to the saddle behind Pike How, make a move to the right to stand on top; it is a splendid viewpoint for Great Langdale. While the main path angles west-north-west a useful lesser path leads along the rim of the slope on a right-hand curve to reach the Stickle Tarn dam. This route gives a fine perspective view across the gulf of Stickle Ghyll to Tarn Crag.

Via Stickle Ghyll  588m/1930ft, 2.5km/1 1⁄2 miles

2 Go straight up the paved rock path beside the tree-shaded section of Stickle Ghyll. Cross the footbridge and rise to a stile. Keep to the right-hand side of the valley – the paths to the west are in a poor state, so give them a miss. Stepping through a fold, wind up the rigg between small fenced conifer plantings to reach a fine four-part waterfall. At this point there are three options (see also Routes 3 and 4). The first is to continue up the gill, negotiating a rock-step and rising to a ford, and then to complete the climb directly upon Stickle Tarn dam. Alternatively, 3 ascend the well-made stone stair which zig-zags to a higher level before angling left onto a shelf beneath Tarn Crag. 4 A turf trail continuation goes further up the fell, from where the stone stair effectively ends. Keep to the right of the Tarn Crag outcrops, with a roofless shelter on the left and an isolated walled enclosure to the right. Cross over the shoulder to reach Stickle Tarn at its eastern end.

5 A far more pleasant and less well-known alternative line begins directly after leaving the New Dungeon Ghyll. Cross the footbridge located half-right after the initial gate. The path runs up behind Millbeck Farm and enters a lane via a hand-gate, and then rises from the wall onto the bracken ridge. Avoid outcrops by slanting left. Either contour onto the main zig-zagging path or climb, with tenuous initial evidence of a path in the bracken. On finding the green path skirt the right-hand shoulder of a knoll above a steep gill. Subsequently traverse the walled enclosure diagonally to a narrow wall-gap and join up with the upper section of the old shepherds’ path. This passes walled boulders and slips over a saddle depression to meet the path running along the eastern shore of the tarn from the outflow.

Ahead, the massive eastern face of Pavey Ark in all its glory smiles down upon the cool, dark waters of the tarn.

There are three popular lines of ascent for the fell-walker from the dam – left (Route 6), right (Route 7) and centre (Route 8). 6 Go left on the obvious path, which has received some restorative paving, although more is needed. Work up the loose slope to the right of the buttresses of Harrison Stickle. Go right on meeting the higher contouring path, venture onto the distinctively coarse-rocked ridge and clamber through the crag-shielding wall onto the summit.

7 Via the North Rake: Go right from the dam along the shore path to follow, then ford, Bright Beck and mount the prominent gully or rake up the east ridge. This is North Rake. All too often used as a line of descent, it has inevitably become badly eroded, and the day will not be far off when the sterling energies of path-makers will be directed at stabilising this trail too. Gaining the ridge top, the path swings round by the broken wall and passes a pooled hollow to gain the summit, as from the north-west.

8 Jack’s Rake, along with the tiny climb onto Helm Crag summit outcrop, marks the zenith of fell-walking technical difficulty and endeavour in the Central Fells. Paths approach from either side of the tarn. That by the west shore is the old-time favourite, climbing the scree slope from the north-west edge of the tarn via a prominent memorial cairn inscribed ‘S.W.S. 1900’. The eastern approach crosses possibly the looser scree, but by keeping up to the right, early on, and by a deft slight of foot, one may avoid almost all of the scree! The two approaches converge at the very centre of the cliff base.

Easy Gully v. Jack’s Rake – a word of advice

While Easy Gully angles seductively up to the right, at its foot is an awkward rock-lip, from which scree shoots, and this is indicative of a greater challenge at the top. For, while in the main part the gully is straightforward and provides stunning views back over the tarn to the Coniston Fells, the gully concludes in a manner ill suited to the faint-hearted. The author fortuitously met up with descending rock climbers who took pity on him, lifted his day-sack and watchfully guided him up the few delicate steps that clinch the climb. So don’t go this way unless you are happy on rock. Jack’s Rake, on the other hand, for all it requires a confident approach, is hands-on walking. If you can climb a step-ladder then you have the basic technique for this climb, for all it appears to take the cliff ‘by the scruff of its neck’. In the preparation of this guide the author made two ascents of Jack’s Rake, then wished he had the time to do it again (and again).

There are five distinct stages to the climb. It would be an over-elaboration to call them ‘pitches’, as the groove takes several lateral ‘breathers’, via an ash tree and a patch of thistles. It features a squeeze behind a fallen splinter of rock, The Gun, and concludes above Great Gully, dipping momentarily, then scrambling up rock slabs to the wall end above a projecting rock. The instinct to climb, so well developed by now, means that one naturally finds a scrambly way to the top, brushing aside all notion of linking to the ridge path.

THE SUMMIT

All trace of a cairn has been lost, and to be frank the bare rock top requires no such monument to idle industry. The rocks themselves are fascinating igneous exposures, displaying intricately confused patterns. There is one large perched erratic boulder just to the south, and a few pools on the north and west enhance the rock-garden effect. The view is not ‘the best a man can get’ in these parts, but the imminence of an immense cliff under one’s feet brings its own sense of tingling drama.

SAFE DESCENTS

North Rake, whilst loose in parts, is a secure line of retreat. Head slightly west of north from the top, passing through the wall, and the well-defined path curves to the right into the Rake, bound for Stickle Tarn’s east shore. Though don’t ‘bound’, as a steady stride will be kinder on the trail!

RIDGE ROUTES

HARRISON STICKLE  Descent 12m/40ft, Ascent 60m/200ft, Distance 0.8km/1⁄2 mile

This peak is view from the outset. The consistent path runs just under the edge, avoids the ridge-top rock tors, links with the path climbing from the south shore of Stickle Tarn, and rises with two paths mounting either from the east or north. There is scope for good sport in following the ridge-top all the way. Though there is no continuous path, the final grassy rise to the summit is quite trouble free.

THUNACAR KNOTT  Descent 10m/30ft, Ascent 30m/100ft, Distance 0.5km/1⁄4 mile

A clear path leads off west, curving north-west and aiming for the depression at the head of Bright Beck. Take an early deviation to the left, with no trace of a path, and attain the summit cairn short of the pool.