Sunday, 2 July 2000

Long Side

Long Side

Long Side and its location on Longside Edge

Long Side

Height734m (2,408ft)
Prominence40m (131ft)
RegionNorthern Fells
Climbed3 Times

Sitting perfectly sandwiched between the neighboring peaks of Ullock Pike and Carl Side, Long Side marks the absolute high point of Longside Edge. Cartographically speaking, the true summit of the fell is actually nameless; the title "Long Side" technically belongs to the sprawling southwestern slope sliding away beneath the crest, but modern maps and hillwalkers have long adopted the name for the high point itself.

"The highest point on the lofty, steep-sided ridge rising between Bassenthwaite Lake and the 'hidden' valley of Southerndale is a small and shapely pyramid delicately poised above a rough, shadowed declivity facing into the massive breast of Skiddaw. The ridge leading up over Ullock Pike from the north, Longside Edge, is neat and interesting - a splendid high-level way for walkers." — Wainwright 1962, Book Five

Long Side is almost universally tackled as part of a classic three-summit ridge progression, combining it with its closest neighbors on the push toward the ultimate crown of Skiddaw. This exhilarating high-level traverse is widely celebrated as the single finest line of ascent up England's lowest 3,000-foot mountain, swapping out the uniform plod of the tourist paths for an airy, dynamic ridge walk.

Long Side summit looking towards Skiddaw

The sharp high point of Long Side, looking across to the massive wall of Skiddaw

The summit manifests as a neat, small, shapely pyramid of slate, crowned by a simple stone cairn. Standing proud above the rough, shadowed declivity of Southerndale, it commands an extraordinary dual perspective. On a clear day, looking westward reveals an uninterrupted, glorious view tracking down the full length of Bassenthwaite Lake, while turning eastward delivers an immense, front-row view of the massive, dark western breast of Skiddaw towering directly across the col.

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