Black Crags (Mickleden)

Overlooking the deep trough of Mickleden, this rugged Birkett offers a quiet perspective on the famous Langdale Pikes. The terrain is characteristically rough, with rocky outcrops and heather-clad slopes providing a more intimate experience of the Southern Fells than the busy main paths nearby. It makes a rewarding detour when traversing toward Rossett Pike.

• •The name Mickleden derives from the Old Norse 'mikill', meaning great or large, and 'dalr', meaning valley. Black Crags itself is a descriptive name referring to the dark rhyolitic rock outcrops that characterize its southern face.
• •While often bypassed by those sticking strictly to the Wainwrights, this summit is a recognized Birkett and Synge, sitting on the high ground between the Stake Pass and the climb to Rossett Pike.
• •The summit offers a unique 'side-on' view of the Langdale Pikes. You can look directly across to the steep, scree-covered slopes of Pike of Stickle and gaze down the long, straight glacial trough of Mickleden toward the valley floor.
• •To the west, the summit provides an earned view of the high fells surrounding Esk Hause, with the bulky silhouette of Bowfell and the craggy heights of Esk Pike dominating the skyline.
• •Standing here provides the rare satisfaction of watching the crowds on the neighbouring Pikes from a position of relative solitude; it is the perfect spot for the walker who prefers the company of Herdwick sheep over summit queues.