Slight Side
Encyclopedia
Slight Side is a fell
in the English Lake District
it stands 25 kilometers east southeast of the town of Whitehaven
and reaches a height of 762 m (2,499 ft). Slight Side lies at the south western edge of the Scafell Massif
, a four kilometre long crescent of high ground which includes the highest ground in England. The fells names derives from the Old Norse
language and means "The mountain shieling with the level pastures", it is a combination of the Norse words "sletta" and "saetr". With a shieling meaning a shepherds hut or a mountain pasture used in the summer.
the fell is seen as a distinct peak but in reality it is just the terminal point on Scafell’s southern ridge before it descends steeply to Eskdale. It only has 14 metres of topographic prominence
between itself and Scafell (the col is at 748 metres) and therefore narrowly fails to qualify as a Nuttall hill or a Hewitt and it is left to Alfred Wainwright
to give Slight Side the status of a separate fell in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
.
Slight Side is steep and craggy on all sides except to the north where the ridge runs to Scafell. The eastern flank falls to the valley of the infant River Esk
while the slopes to the west descend across Eskdale Fell towards Burnmoor Tarn. Horn Crag stands to the south of the summit overlooking Eskdale. Just under a kilometre to the north past the 748m col is Long Green which is the summit of Cam Spout crags. When viewed from a distance (see picture) or even when walking, Long Green can be mistaken for the summit of Slight Side. Cam Spout Crag is a rock climbing location, although not a particularly busy one, with 12 climbs including Cam Spout Buttress and Eskdale Grooves.
as well. The ascent starts from the hamlet of Boot and takes the path which passes Eel Tarn and Stony Tarn before crossing bouldery ground to climb the broad ridge to the summit. Scafell stands two kilometres to the north and is reached by a vertical ascent of 230 metres. The fell can be bagged
with little effort while descending to Eskdale from Scafell by the southern ridge.
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
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
it stands 25 kilometers east southeast of the town of Whitehaven
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
and reaches a height of 762 m (2,499 ft). Slight Side lies at the south western edge of the Scafell Massif
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...
, a four kilometre long crescent of high ground which includes the highest ground in England. The fells names derives from the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
language and means "The mountain shieling with the level pastures", it is a combination of the Norse words "sletta" and "saetr". With a shieling meaning a shepherds hut or a mountain pasture used in the summer.
Topography
When viewed from the valley of EskdaleEskdale, Cumbria
Eskdale is a glacial valley and civil parish in the western Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It forms part of the Borough of Copeland, and has a population of 264....
the fell is seen as a distinct peak but in reality it is just the terminal point on Scafell’s southern ridge before it descends steeply to Eskdale. It only has 14 metres of topographic prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
between itself and Scafell (the col is at 748 metres) and therefore narrowly fails to qualify as a Nuttall hill or a Hewitt and it is left to 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...
to give Slight Side the status of a separate fell 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...
.
Slight Side is steep and craggy on all sides except to the north where the ridge runs to Scafell. The eastern flank falls to the valley of the infant River Esk
River Esk, Cumbria
The River Esk is a river in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is one of two River Esks in Cumbria, and not to be confused with the River Esk which flows on the Scottish side of the border....
while the slopes to the west descend across Eskdale Fell towards Burnmoor Tarn. Horn Crag stands to the south of the summit overlooking Eskdale. Just under a kilometre to the north past the 748m col is Long Green which is the summit of Cam Spout crags. When viewed from a distance (see picture) or even when walking, Long Green can be mistaken for the summit of Slight Side. Cam Spout Crag is a rock climbing location, although not a particularly busy one, with 12 climbs including Cam Spout Buttress and Eskdale Grooves.
Ascents
The Ascent of Slight Side is started from Eskdale and is usually done in conjunction with the ascent of Scafell and possibly Scafell PikeScafell 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...
as well. The ascent starts from the hamlet of Boot and takes the path which passes Eel Tarn and Stony Tarn before crossing bouldery ground to climb the broad ridge to the summit. Scafell stands two kilometres to the north and is reached by a vertical ascent of 230 metres. The fell can be bagged
Peak bagging
Peak bagging is an activity in which hillwalkers and mountaineers attempt to reach the summit of some collection of peaks, usually those above some height in a particular region, or having a particular feature.Peak bagging can be distinguished from highpointing...
with little effort while descending to Eskdale from Scafell by the southern ridge.