Causey Pike makes it into my top group of fells for one reason. She looks good. I know it’s shallow of me, but there you go. My first sight of Causey was in April 2007, when I descended from Robinson into the Newlands Valley for two nights staying at Little Town, in the middle of a trip that hadn’t gone well. From the farm, I looked across the valley at Causey Pike, almost in disbelief. From there she looked a bit like a giant shark due to the pronounced bump, exacerbated by the setting sun behind.
The next day, I climbed Causey Pike and enjoyed the pull up Rowling End, and the walk over the 4 bumps to the next fell -Scar Crags. I completed the round over Sail, Eel Crag, Hobcarton Crag and Grisedale Pike, all the time looking back (or across) at Causey sticking up above Derwentwater below. Some of my best photos from that trip are of Causey, and this was the most productive day of the whole trip.
I returned to the north western fells last year – mainly to pick off Barrow and Outerside and then cross over the Sail pass to contour around the fells to Buttermere. But this gave me another good opportunity to gawp at Causey Pike (on the left in the picture below), and 4 years hadn’t spoilt her looks one bit.
Causey’s not the most exciting fell in the Lakes to climb, or even in the north-western fells, but is arguably one of the most attractive and distinctive. Indeed, whilst I don’t find Skiddaw that enjoyable as a fell, one of my favourite things about that climb is taking in the views of the north western fells in general, and Causey in particular. She’s so distinctive and glimpses of her can be caught from the most unexpected places.
So Causey is good looking, but she’s also a reminder of a special day of walking at a time when things weren’t going well. Whenever I’m in the Keswick area, I always look over towards Causey to check she’s still there – I just can’t help it. In that respect, she’s similar to another one of my favourite fells which is visible from loads of places and which is a comforting sight and a bit of a talisman for me. Causey’s not a fell I need to climb to enjoy. But I owe her a visit – it’s long overdue.
