“Scafell is the spiritual home of traditional climbing in Britain and offers some fo the best, boldest and most beautiful climbing to be found in these islands. Dark, foreboding, complex Scafell Crag holds some fo the most historic routes. In contrast, the magnificent barrel-shaped East Buttress is home to the best mountain rock-climbing above VS in England; and also some of the hardest, with the technically demanding “Welcome to the Cruel World” and the heart-stopping “Talbot Horizon” EP setting the upper limit at present.” From Lake District Rock, Wired Guides, 2015

The FRCC guide book says this of Esk Buttress:

“Without doubt one of the finest and most impressive crags in the district. The situation is idyllic; with large open walls looking out over the wild expanses of Upper Eskdale”

Esk Buttress is at 490m in a beautiful remote valley, and it can be reached in about two hours. You’re not likely to be fighting the crowds here.

We're only up to number seven in the series, and this is the fourth crag I've chosen in the Langdale Valley. But that's not really surprising - Langdale has everything a climber could ask for. Amazing mountain scenery, many south-facing crags, an even spread from roadside to high mountain crags, and huge numbers of routes in the grades below E3.  And it's only 25 minutes from where I live in Windermere.

The high mountain crags on Bowfell are a beautiful place to spend some time, with excellent climbing in a great setting. They are usually fairly quiet, although you may have to join the queue for the classic Bowfell Buttress on a sunny summer's day. It has many memories for me, some good, some not so good. Two that stand out are both from blistering hot late June days, 23 years apart.