Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause up Broad Crag: route map, distance and time
935 m · Cumbria
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park.
Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause starts at about 97 m and gains 885 m over 8.8 km to 916 m on the track. The first 3 km are the easy part, averaging 2%. The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 5 km, which climbs 213 m at an average of 21%, with a 500 m stretch from 3.6 km at about 27%. The final 0.8 km eases to the top. About 20% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5, so expect hands-on-knees going and a slow descent.
Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause at a glance
| Distance | 8.8 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Ascent | 920 m |
| Climb on the track | 885 m up, 70 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 97 m to 916 m (summit 935 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 27%, from 3.6 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 20% of the way |
| Time up | 3h 20m by Naismith's rule |
| There and back | 5h 5m, down the same way |
| Grade | Hard |
| Start | Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park |
| Start grid reference | NY 286 061 |
| Summit grid reference | NY 218 075 |
| Parking | Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park |
Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause map
The track from the start (green) to the summit (blue), with a marker at each kilometre.
Height profile and getting to the start
Near the start
- Old Dungeon Ghyll Climbers Bar0.1 km
- Sticklebarn0.9 km
- Walker's Bar1.0 km
- Public toilets0.9 km
- Great Langdale Campsite0.3 km
From OpenStreetMap, within 2 km. Check opening times before you rely on them.
Download the Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause GPX
Ascent only: plan your way down. A planning track, not checked on the ground; it doesn't show safe scrambling moves. Track data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), heights from a terrain model.
Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause kilometre by kilometre
Height, climb and average gradient for each kilometre of the track, with a grid reference at the end of each one to check your position on the map.
| At | Height | Climb | Gradient | Grid ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 119 m | +22 m | 2% | NY 276 061 |
| 2 km | 129 m | +10 m | 1% | NY 268 066 |
| 3 km | 169 m | +40 m | 4% | NY 261 073 |
| 4 km | 372 m | +203 m | 20% steep | NY 252 072 |
| 5 km | 585 m | +213 m | 21% steep | NY 248 074 |
| 6 km | 640 m | +55 m | 6% | NY 241 080 |
| 7 km | 757 m | +117 m | 12% | NY 232 081 |
| 8 km | 880 m | +122 m | 12% | NY 224 078 |
| 8.8 km | 916 m | +36 m | 5% | NY 218 075 |
How long Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause takes
| Pace | To the top | There and back |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up | 2h 40m | 4h 10m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 3h 20m | 5h 5m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 4h 0m | 6h 15m |
Times leave out stops. Coming down the same way, the table counts the ascent once; steep descents on rough ground can be as slow as the climb.
- Today: sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:06. Start by 12:01 to be down before dark, allowing 5h 5m for the walk and an hour for stops.
- Tomorrow: sunrise 07:51, sunset 18:03. Start by 11:58 to be down before dark, allowing 5h 5m for the walk and an hour for stops.
Broad Crag summit weather for this route
-
Marginal Today Monday 19 October
Moderate drizzle, up to 7°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -3°C, summit wind 39 mph gusting 48 mph, 29% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:06.
-
Marginal Tomorrow Tuesday 20 October
Slight rain, up to 6°C at the summit, feeling as cold as 1°C, summit wind 25 mph gusting 31 mph, 100% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:51, sunset 18:03.
Best day of the next seven for Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause: Monday 19 October, with summit gusts around 48 mph and a 29% chance of rain.
Cloud inversion tomorrow morning: 8% (Low), best around 07:00.
Hour-by-hour Broad Crag forecast
Before you go, also check: MWIS Lake District forecast · Met Office mountain forecast · Weatherline fell top conditions.
What to take today
- An insulated jacket, hat and warm gloves: it feels like -3°C on top.
- A waterproof jacket. It can rain on the tops in any forecast.
- A windproof layer, and poles for balance in gusts to 48 mph.
- Map and compass, and the skills to use them. A phone is a backup, not a plan.
- A head torch, food, water, a charged phone and a small first aid kit.
About Broad Crag
More about Broad Crag, with the live forecast.
Challenges that include Broad Crag
- 10 Peaks (England – Lake District) · 10
- Bob Graham Round · 42
- Furths · 34
- Hewitts · 523
- Nuttalls · 442
More walks from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park
Routes in Peakify's guides that start within 500 m of this one, for another day from the same car park.
- Great Langdale via Rossett Gill up Allen Crags
- Old Dungeon Ghyll via The Band up Bowfell
- Climbers' Traverse up Bowfell
- Great Langdale via Red Tarn up Cold Pike
- Old Dungeon Ghyll via Oxendale and Red Tarn up Crinkle Crags - Long Top
- Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns up Crinkle Crags - Long Top
- Great Langdale via Rossett Gill and Esk Hause up Esk Pike
- Langdale via Rossett Ghyll and Angle Tarn up Glaramara
- Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes up Harrison Stickle
- Mickleden via Stake Pass up High Raise
- Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes up Loft Crag
- Great Langdale via Red Tarn up Pike of Blisco
Other routes up Broad Crag
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time up | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause | 9.4 km one way | 870 m | 3h 20m | Hard |
| Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and the Corridor Route | 10.0 km one way | 870 m | 3h 25m | Hard |
In an emergency
Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (the start is at NY 286 061, the summit at NY 218 075), what happened and how many are in your group. If you have no signal for a call, a text to 999 works once you have registered your phone with emergencySMS: text "register" to 999 before you go.
Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause: questions and answers
How far is Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause?
Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause is 8.8 km one way to the summit of Broad Crag, with 920 m of ascent. There and back by the same way is about 17.6 km.
How long does Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause take?
About 3h 20m to the summit of Broad Crag and 5h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops. A relaxed group takes nearer 6h 15m for the round trip.
How steep is Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause?
The steepest 500 m averages about 27%, starting 3.6 km from the start, and 20% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause climbs 885 m in all on the track.
Where do you park for Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause?
Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause starts from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. The grid reference is NY 286 061. Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park
Is Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause suitable for beginners?
Not as a first mountain. Peakify grades it Hard: steep, rough ground where a slip matters. Build up on an easier route first.
What time should I start Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause today?
By 12:01 at the latest. Sunset on Broad Crag today is 18:06, Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause takes about 5h 5m there and back, and that leaves an hour for stops. Start earlier in winter or if the forecast turns.
Is there a GPX for Langdale via Angle Tarn and Esk Hause?
Yes. Download it from this page. It is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.