Loft Crag facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Loft Crag |
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Loft Crag seen from Pike o‘ Stickle;
Gimmer Crag is below the summit |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 682 m (2,238 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 25 m |
| Parent peak | Pike of Stickle |
| Listing | Wainwright, Nuttall |
| Geography | |
 Loft Crag
Location in Lake District
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| Location | Cumbria, England |
| Parent range | Lake District, Central Fells |
| OS grid | NY277071 |
| Topo map | OS Explorer OL6 |
Loft Crag is a cool mountain, or "fell," found in the amazing Lake District in England. It's about 9 kilometers (5½ miles) west of a town called Ambleside, right in the beautiful Great Langdale valley. Loft Crag is part of a famous group of mountains called the Langdale Pikes. These include its neighbors, Harrison Stickle and Pike of Stickle. When you look at them from Elterwater village, they create one of the most famous and stunning views in the whole National Park!
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What Does Loft Crag Look Like?
The Langdale Pikes are like a giant wall protecting the lower lands to their north. If you look at them from the back, they don't seem very special. But from the south, their huge rocky faces drop almost 2,000 feet down to the valley floor!
Loft Crag has a pointy top that looks a bit like a smaller version of the nearby Pike of Stickle. To the east, between Loft Crag and Harrison Stickle, there's a smaller peak called Thorn Crag. Some people think Thorn Crag is also one of the Langdale Pikes, but most guidebooks don't count it separately.
How to Climb Loft Crag
Loft Crag stands tall at 2,238 feet (which is about 682 meters). It's located right between Harrison Stickle and Pike of Stickle. Most people who climb Loft Crag usually climb these other two peaks at the same time.
Starting Your Climb
A great place to start your adventure is from The New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Great Langdale. From there, you can follow a path that heads northwest across the hillside. You'll pass a cool waterfall called Dungeon Ghyll Force. The path then goes between Thorn Crag and Gimmer Crag, leading you to a dip (called a "col") between Loft Crag and Harrison Stickle. From this point, it's a pretty easy climb to reach the very top of Loft Crag.
Another Way Up
You can also take a longer way up from the same starting point. This route follows a well-used path up Stickle Ghyll to a beautiful lake called Stickle Tarn. From Stickle Tarn, you could even climb other fells like Pavey Ark and Thunacar Knott before heading over to tackle the three Langdale Pikes.
Views from the Top and Gimmer Crag
Loft Crag offers an amazing view! From its summit, you get a fantastic look at the other mountains and the beautiful Great Langdale valley. Because Loft Crag sticks out further into the valley than its two neighbors, it gives you an even better and wider view of the whole area.
The fell has a small, sharp top. Just below it is Gimmer Crag, which is one of the best places in the Lake District for rock climbing. This crag is made of strong volcanic rock. Rock climbing in the Lake District became popular in the early 1880s, thanks to a man named Walter Parry Haskett Smith, who is known as the "father of British rock climbing."
