[1] START From the National Trust car park at Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (NY285061), return to the main road over the bridge and turn R. The road takes a sharp bend L but you continue straight on, through a gate and along a private farm road to Stool End Farm. Follow the signs through the farmyard. Take the track briefly towards Oxendale.

[2] Go R up a well paved path. This is the start of the climb up The Band. You will, gain height quickly on a well-developed paved path. Don’t forget to turnaround and enjoy the superb views down the beautiful Langdale Valley! Pike of Blisco will be on your R and the Langdale Pikes on your L. After going through a small rock gateway, the path begins to level out but is still very distinct. Follow the path up to the col between the Crinkle Crags on your L and the summit of Bowfell on you R. The view of the five majestic Crinkles, with their craggy summits and deep gullies, is hugely impressive here.

[3] When you reach the col at Three Tarns, turn R towards Bowfell. Again, the path is clearly seen, but it begins to get very rocky and care must be taken – particularly in damp conditions.

[4] En route up to the summit you’ll pass the Great Slab to your R, a giant angled slab of flat rock that can be walked on. The rocky summit of Bowfell is easily reached by carefully negotiating the many rocks and boulders. From the summit, Scafell Pike to the northwest can clearly be seen, as can the well-known valleys of Great Langdale, Langstrath and Eskdale. A truly beautiful and unique view.

[5] Retrace your steps, taking the same path down towards the Three Tarns, and start the ascent south to Shelter Crags and the Crinkle Crags. This the beginning of one of the best ridge walks in the Lakes. Passing a rock tower on your L, the path ascends and takes many twists and turns, but is easily followed to the summit of Shelter Crags.

[6] Passing two small tarns on your L, the path winds it way to the rocky summit of the first Crinkle (Gunson Knott), shortly followed by the second and third Crinkles (the summit of the third Crinkle lies 70 metres east of the path). Follow the path south to the next and fourth Crinkle, which is the highest at 858m/2,816ft.

[7] Continue south to a gully and the famous Bad Step, which is a three-metre high near-vertical wall that can only be negotiated carefully, using the foot and hand holds in the rock. If you feel this is not for you, then there’s a simple detour path: go west from just below the summit of the highest Crinkle and take a grassy path south then southeast).

[8] The path now takes a southeasterly direction towards and up to the fifth and last Crinkle. Descending southeast, the character of the walk changes completely and you find yourself on a large grassy plateau. Take the well-worn path here down the valley.

[9] When you reach the bottom, just below Red Tarn, turn L. Take the paved path down through Browney Gill. At the valley bottom, take the footbridge over the Oxendale Beck and follow the path back to Stool End Farm. Retrace your steps via the farm road back to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.