Eagle Crag

Where Langstrath and Greenup Gill meet above Stonethwaite, Eagle Crag rises as a wall of cliffs that looks impossible for walkers. There is a way up the front, but it takes care and some route finding.

Parking in Stonethwaite itself is limited, so leave the car considerately on the verges of the approach road. The Honister Rambler bus runs through Borrowdale. Cross Stonethwaite Beck and follow it upstream through the fields for about 1.5 km to the footbridge over Greenup Gill.

The direct route picks its way up a gully and a series of grass and rock terraces. Holds are plentiful, but it is steep and some ledges are exposed, so read up on the line before you go. Don't come down this way, as the crags below are hidden from above. The easier way follows the Greenup Gill bridleway, part of the Coast to Coast Walk, then leaves it at about 330 m and cuts back up steep grass to the summit. A dry stone wall runs from the top towards Sergeant's Crag and makes a good guide in mist.

The summit is modest, a small cairn balanced on tilted rock. The best of the view lies north and west, down Borrowdale and into Langstrath with the fells around them.

Rock climbers use the summit crags for routes up to the extreme grades. Walkers mostly follow the wall on to Sergeant's Crag, and a longer day crosses the boggy ground of Greenup Edge to Ullscarf or High Raise before dropping back to Stonethwaite.