UKC

Hello All,

I'm planning a hike in the Lake District next month and would like some recommendations for a route.

Being a glutton for punishment, I'm looking for a wet, muddy nightmare of a day out!

Ideally, it needs: 
To have at least one unbridged river crossing (knee to waist deep would be excellent!)
To have at least one 'proper peak.'

In addition, I would enjoy picking my way across a good-old miry bog! 

The Highlands has many routes like this after a bit of rain, but I'm struggling to find anything so nasty in the lakes.

Many thanks in advance for your replies!

L1 of the Bob Graham has all that: Skiddaw -> Great Calva has the bog, Great Calva to Blencathra has the river crossing.

The ridge between Borrowdale and Thirlmere (High Seat, High Tove etc) can be a bit grim if it's wet but is still an obvious objective.

If this is your thing though I'd have thought the Cheviots/North Pennines might serve you better.

Skiddaw, Great Calva, Blencathra is a good call. A direct route from Skiddaw to Little Calva and then on to Great Calva would involve crossing some very wet ground, and there is Mungrisdale Common to 'enjoy' after crossing the River Caldew.

The worst of the High Tove path (The Pewits) has been tamed with flagstones.

A crossing of the Great Moss and River Esk could be interesting after heavy rain, and the route up onto Esk Hause involves following a stream through a small ravine, easy in the summer but could be just your cup of tea if in spate. You could then bag Esk Pike and descend into Green Hole and follow the Lingcove Beck downstream - for added wetness you could cut south into Moasdale, a real bogfest.

If you love a sufferfest just do winter spine race. 

Good shout. I’d proffer a variation starting in Langdale, up to Esk Hause and onto Scafell Pike, down Little Narrow Cove, onto Great Moss and across the River Esk, up Lingcove Beck to Three Tarns and down The Band. 

Alternatively, anything taking in Wythburn ticks the bog box in spades!

Wythburn is just disgusting! I did a race from Helvellyn to Keswick a few years back, and that stretch up Wythburn on the way to High Raise was, without a doubt, the most miserable bit of the day

Yup, it’s the living end!

The "fun-run" challenger this January was type 2 fun for me at times.

Careful you'll get me started about Vernon Kay's 'ultra ultra' marathon, which might go near kinder scout etc...

I did this last Sunday, Cockley Beck Bridge - Moasdale - Upper Eskdale - Cockly Pike Ridge - Ill Crag - Scafell Pike - Lord's Rake/West Wall Traverse/Deep Ghyll - Scafell - Great Moss - Moasdale - back to the car. 

There had been plenty of rain in the days before. It was moderately squelchy in the dales, but not that terrible. There's a rocky bridleway that goes half the way up Moasdale. Crossing the Esk both down at the Great Moss, and first higher up going towards Cockly Pike was straightforward with walking poles for balance. 19 kms (which is fine), 1370 mtrs of ascent (which gave me sore legs the next day!)

Thanks all for the great suggestions! 

I'm beginning to realise that the length of the day will be a limiting factor.

With only 8.5 hours between sunrise and sunset, I will struggle with Esk pike via great moss, but I might find a way to do Blencathra and the river Caldew with time to spare. 

Really? Just after the clocks went back a few years ago, I went from the head of Moasdale (camped there the night before) over the Great Moss, Scafell Pike, Great End, Esk Pike, Bowfell and down into Moasdale and back to the car at Cockley Bridge. I don't remember it feeling that big a day, certainly didn't run out of light.

I would have thought that it would be doable if you set off as dawn was breaking. It is about 12.5 miles including Moasdale and the walk over Hard Knott Pass, or 11 miles if you return all the way down Lingcove Beck to Eskdale.

You need to give up on that weak Lake District bog. Cheviots are where it's at for bleak knee/waist/shoulder deep bog. Just direct line everything (not that the paths are much better!) Not many river crossings, although every stream will be in spate now!

Try crossing the River Bleng and Worm Gill in spate - bridleway from Gosforth to Iron Crag and over to Ennerdale. Good luck!

Davie 

Good call! I really enjoyed my wander up the Worm Gill valley last year, felt very remote. Looking forward to exploring the Bleng valley sometime soon.

Not long back from a night in the Mosedale Cottage bothy - the walk across the moors from the head of Longsleddale was 'juicy' to say the least, and one of the late arrivals had gone in over his boots on the way up from Wet Sleddale - steaming socks above the fire!

Plenty of opportunities for river crossings too if you start from Wet Sleddale reservoir. and you could make Harrop Pike/Tarn Crag your summits for the day.

Yet most of the Scottish side gives some of the most relaxing and friendly walking terrain anywhere.   Head further in to the south however and it gets very full on.  Would expect the burns to be dangerous all over this morning.