Lingmell
Encyclopedia
Lingmell is a fell
in the English Lake District, standing above the village of Wasdale Head
. It is an outlier on the north-west flank of Scafell Pike
, England's highest mountain.
The connection to Scafell Pike is via Lingmell Col
, a grassy depression at 2,410 ft. Flowing west from the col is Lingmell Gill, descending through Hollow Stones to Brackenclose at the head of Wast Water
. To the east of Lingmell Col runs Piers Gill, a stream descending from high on the Scafells
. This flows right around the northern perimeter of Lingmell, finally entering Wast Water as Lingmell Beck, only a short distance from the entry point of Lingmell Gill. These two streams which girdle the fell both run through wide boulder strewn courses, evidence of flash flooding and the endless fall of rocks from the upper slopes.
Lingmell sends out a long shoulder westward between the two streams. The southern face of this, riven with scree on its slow tumbling journey into Lingmell Gill is named Lingmell Scars. At the top of the shoulder are the many outcrops of Goat Crags.
Piers Gill runs below the eastern crags of Lingmell in a deep ravine, one of the finest in the District. Averaging about 30 ft, but much deeper in places, it pursues an L-shaped course down the fellside before emerging from its cutting to merge with Greta Gill. The scenery of Piers Gill and Lingmell from the Corridor Route ascent of Scafell Pike is remarkable and a faint path follows the eastern bank of the gill giving even more intimate views. The ravine appears to offer access at either end, but ordinary walkers should on no account attempt to follow it. Crossings of the ravine should also be considered impossible for the average hiker.
cross the fell, interspersed with andesite
and hybridized andesite porphyry
.
having been constructed to replace the thin column described by Wainwright in the 1960s. This is one of the finest vantage points for Great Gable
, a little over a mile to the north. Particularly impressive is the view of the Great Napes, one of the nurseries of the sport of rock climbing. Alfred Wainwright
wrote in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
of: "...the surprising aspect of Great Gable across the deep gulf of Lingmell Beck...the eye being deceived into seeing its half-mile of height as quite perpendicular". From the summit of Goat Crags to the south is an equally astounding view of Scafell Crag, another early climbers' playground on Scafell.
, via Brown Tongue or Piers Gill, but the latter route provides better walking and impressive views of the Piers Gill ravine and Great Gable. The ascent from Borrowdale
and Styhead Tarn
is made by the Corridor Route.
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
in the English Lake District, standing above the village of Wasdale Head
Wasdale Head
Wasdale Head is a small agricultural village in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The village claims to be home of the highest mountain , deepest lake , smallest church and biggest liar in England...
. It is an outlier on the north-west flank of Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England at . It is located in Lake District National Park sometimes confused with the neighbouring Sca Fell, to which it is connected by the col of Mickledore...
, England's highest mountain.
Topography
Although standing in the shadow of its taller parent, Lingmell is very much a separate entity. In the manner of many fells it displays two contrasting aspects. The southern and western slopes– although steep– are smooth and rounded, while the northern and eastern faces fall as crags directly from the summit. The northern crag drops for a thousand feet toward the valley floor, with a further thousand feet of scree below.The connection to Scafell Pike is via Lingmell Col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
, a grassy depression at 2,410 ft. Flowing west from the col is Lingmell Gill, descending through Hollow Stones to Brackenclose at the head of Wast Water
Wast Water
Wast Water or Wastwater is a lake located in Wasdale, a valley in the western part of the Lake District National Park, England. The lake is approximately 4.6 kilometres long and 600 metres wide. It is the deepest lake in England at 79 metres , and is owned by the National Trust...
. To the east of Lingmell Col runs Piers Gill, a stream descending from high on the Scafells
Scafells
Image:Annotated Scafell range.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Scafell range as seen looking west from Crinkle Crags. rect 23 372 252 419 Slight Side rect 173 794 560 834 Scafell East Buttress...
. This flows right around the northern perimeter of Lingmell, finally entering Wast Water as Lingmell Beck, only a short distance from the entry point of Lingmell Gill. These two streams which girdle the fell both run through wide boulder strewn courses, evidence of flash flooding and the endless fall of rocks from the upper slopes.
Lingmell sends out a long shoulder westward between the two streams. The southern face of this, riven with scree on its slow tumbling journey into Lingmell Gill is named Lingmell Scars. At the top of the shoulder are the many outcrops of Goat Crags.
Piers Gill runs below the eastern crags of Lingmell in a deep ravine, one of the finest in the District. Averaging about 30 ft, but much deeper in places, it pursues an L-shaped course down the fellside before emerging from its cutting to merge with Greta Gill. The scenery of Piers Gill and Lingmell from the Corridor Route ascent of Scafell Pike is remarkable and a faint path follows the eastern bank of the gill giving even more intimate views. The ravine appears to offer access at either end, but ordinary walkers should on no account attempt to follow it. Crossings of the ravine should also be considered impossible for the average hiker.
Geology
Lava flows of Scafell DaciteDacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
cross the fell, interspersed with andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
and hybridized andesite porphyry
Porphyry (geology)
Porphyry is a variety of igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals, such as feldspar or quartz, dispersed in a fine-grained feldspathic matrix or groundmass. The larger crystals are called phenocrysts...
.
Summit and View
The summit of Lingmell is directly above the crags on the eastern side, a fine cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
having been constructed to replace the thin column described by Wainwright in the 1960s. This is one of the finest vantage points for Great Gable
Great Gable
Great Gable is a mountain lying at the very heart of the English Lake District, appearing as a pyramid from Wasdale , but as a dome from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit...
, a little over a mile to the north. Particularly impressive is the view of the Great Napes, one of the nurseries of the sport of rock climbing. Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
wrote in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells is a series of seven books by A. Wainwright, detailing the fells of the Lake District in northwest England...
of: "...the surprising aspect of Great Gable across the deep gulf of Lingmell Beck...the eye being deceived into seeing its half-mile of height as quite perpendicular". From the summit of Goat Crags to the south is an equally astounding view of Scafell Crag, another early climbers' playground on Scafell.
Ascents
Lingmell is often bypassed by walkers aiming for Scafell Pike and Scafell, but it's a rewarding ascent in its own right, or as part of a circuit of the Scafell range. There are two ascent routes from Wasdale HeadWasdale Head
Wasdale Head is a small agricultural village in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The village claims to be home of the highest mountain , deepest lake , smallest church and biggest liar in England...
, via Brown Tongue or Piers Gill, but the latter route provides better walking and impressive views of the Piers Gill ravine and Great Gable. The ascent from Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
and Styhead Tarn
Styhead Tarn
Styhead Tarn is a tarn in the English Lake District, near the top of the Sty Head pass, at the head of Borrowdale. It is on the route from Wasdale to Borrowdale, and is therefore a well visited point in the Lake District. It is also passed by walkers ascending Scafell Pike from Borrowdale via the...
is made by the Corridor Route.