Crinkle Crags
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Crinkle Crags is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. At 859 m it is the 17th highest mountain in England. Crinkle Crags is part of the majestic ring of mountains that surround the valley of Great Langdale. It’s name reflects the fells physical appearance as its summit ridge is a series of five rises and depressions (crinkles) that are very distinctive from the valley floor.
In his series of pictorial guides to the mountains of the Lake District, Alfred Wainwright describes Crinkle Crags as
- “Much too good to be missed ... this is a climb deserving of high priority”.
There are a variety of routes directly to the summit, most people climb the fell from Great Langdale and usually together with all or some of the adjoining fells of Bowfell, Pike o’ Blisco, Rossett Pike and Cold Pike to make a high level ridge walk which encompasses the whole of the high ground at the head of Great Langdale. The ascent from Eskdale is very good, but it is a 15 mile round trip, and many people will think that this too far to "bag" just one fell. The shortest and quickest route requires the use of a car to the top of the Wrynose Pass motor road; this allows the walker to “cheat” and save a thousand feet of climbing, making it possible to climb to the summit of the Crinkles in a round trip of less than three hours.
The traverse of the summit ridge with it’s series of undulations is an exhilarating experience for the fell walker, the ridge includes the so called “Bad Step” which is a steep declivity which catches out many walkers when travelling from north to south, however the obstacle can be by-passed without too much trouble. The view from the summit is superb, there are magnificent airy view of Great Langdale, Eskdale and Dunnerdale, with the estuaries of the rivers Duddon and Esk well seen as they enter the Irish Sea. There is a very good view of England’s highest mountain Scafell Pike which lies just two miles away to the north west.
