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Scafell and Scafell Pike

Scafell & Scafell Pike: Wednesday 14th August 2013

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£20.00
Product code: 639

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Quick Overview:

The Wasdale side of the Scafell Range offers the best opportunity to climb the two highest mountains in the Lake District together. This guided walk climbs Scafell Pike by Lingmell Col before descending by Mickledore and climbing Scafell by Foxes Tarn.
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Details

Difficulty: Hard
  Plenty of uphill and a few scrambles
Distance: 12km / 7 miles
Ascent: 1190m / 4000ft
Time: 7 hours
Start Time: 10am
Maximum Group Size: 10
Minimum Group Size: 1


"the greatest display of natural grandeur in the district, a spectacle of massive strength and savage wildness."
A.W Wainwright

Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England and by far our most popular route.

We probably climb Scafell Pike more than almost anyone else (John climbed it 96 times in 2009 and more in 2010) so why not take advantage of this experience and let us take you up the pick of the routes.

Scafell Pike and Scafell are also popular as training for The Peaks Challenge and romantic proposals!


Summits included on this route:
   
Lingmell (Optional)
800 metres/2625 feet
Scafell Pike
978 metres/3209 feet
Scafell
964 metres/3163 feet
Slight Side (Optional)
762 metres/2499 feet


There are four main routes between Scafell Pike and Scafell, none without their own difficulties, these are:

  1. Broad Stand: (a grade 3 scramble and as such a little more than a walking route)
  2. Lord's Rake: A series of three scree filled gullies climbing below the west buttress of Scafell Crag.
  3. The West Wall Traverse: Following the ledge and then chimney from the top of the first section of Lord's Rake to emerge above the crags.
  4. Fox's Tarn: Of the four routes this is the easiest although it does involve the most descent between the two peaks, the route descends to the Eskdale side of Mickledore down the scree slope before climbing alongside the stream to Fox's Tarn and then up a steep scree slope to the summit of Scafell.


A wonderful route climbing the two highest mountains in England. The walk begins at The Wasdale Head Inn at the head of the valley, an area steeped in mountaineering history, the Fell & Rock Climbing Club was formed in the Inn and some of the earliest rock climbs were recorded on some of the huge crags surrounding the head of the valley.

From Wasdale Head we climb by either the Brown Tongue path or the shoulder of Lingmell to the summit of Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England.

From Scafell Pike we descend to Mickledore and then a little way down the Eskdale side of the ridge to pick up the path climbing alongside the waterfalls (and sometimes through the waterfalls when it's been particularly wet!) to Fox's Tarn and then onto the summit of Scafell, the second highest mountain in England, the quieter of the two summits with wonderful views all around.

From Scafell we descend the old path over Green How down to Brackenclose and the Wasdale Valley.

Each participant will be required to bring suitable equipment for their chosen event, please see Equipment Required.

 

Where to meet: Outside the Wasdale Head Inn
View Larger Map
Postcode: CA20 1EX
Grid Reference: NY 186 087

Directions

Gosforth can easily be found on the A595 road south of Egremont (An easy drive south from Cockermouth and Workington). Follow the road through the village, turning left as the road forks on the High Street.

Follow this road taking the left hand fork (avoiding Nether Wasdale) and follow the road signs for Wasdale Head and Wastwater.

When a junction is reached near the lake (Wastwater) turn left and follow this lane past the end of the lake until after two sharp bends a car park is seen on the right of the road, a short distance away from the Wasdale Head Inn. Park here and we will meet outside the Wasdale Head Inn.

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  • Scafell Pike

    A damp day on Scafell Pike.

    We climbed by the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and onto the summit, stopping for our sandwiches in one of the shelters on the summit before following the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag and descending over Esk Hause. We then followed the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day on Scafell Pike today in wonderful weather. Hot and sunny once the early cloud burnt off with amazing views all round.

    From Seathwaite we climbed by Sty Head and the Corridor Route, splitting into two groups at Sty Head with Tim leading the other group.

    As we reached the summit we heard the shocking news from the valleys below!

    We descended in hot sunshine by Esk Hause and Grains Gill.

  • Scafell Pike 06 June

    Enjoyable day on Scafell Pike today. From Seathwaite, we followed the Corridor Route to Lingmell then, onto Scafell Pike. We returned to Seathwaite via Esk Hause and Grains Gill. Quite a warm day but very wet from lunch time onwards. Never mind, everyone had a good day  and maintained a sense of humour throughout!

  • Scafell Pike & Scafell

    A great day today climbing the Scafells from Wasdale Head.

    From the Inn we headed up around Lingmell and onto the Brown Tongue path climbing by Lingmell Coll to the summit. Just before reaching the Col we were in the cloud and we had this all the way to the top. After sandwiches at the summit we descended to Mickledore where the clouds broke and gave us some wonderful views over upper Eskdale and across to the Conistoon Fells.

    From Mickledore we descended to the foot of the Fox's Tarn path, climbing up by the tarn and up the scree above to the summit of Scafell.

    There were wonderful views from the summit all the way down the west coast to Walney Island and across to the Crinkles!

    We descended along the Green How path down to Brackenclose for a well deserved pint in the Wasdale Head Inn.

  • The 3 Peaks Challenge

    Back late last night from another 3 Peaks Challenge event. At times the weather over the weekend was atrocious, but we were so lucky that nearly all the rain fell when we were in the mini bus.

    The group bonded quickly and we chattering away through the night, where other groups are usually fast asleep.

    Ben Nevis went without a hitch with everyone up and down within 5 hours. Re-fuel and refreshed headed off the Scafell Pike, the early hours through Glasgow (where normally the group are fast asleep) we where laughing and joking and in high spirits! I (Lyanda) cranked the heating up and within half an hour they where sleeping like babies (cruel to be kind)! Scafell looked moody and mysterious with veils of clouds, they piled out ready for the second summit with excitement. The heavy rain on the drive down from Carlisle soon dissipated upon our arrival as they set off up the Brown Tongue Path from Brackenclose.

    After telling another group which route to take up (it's amazing how disorganised some groups can be, one group had even set off without even checking their route and had to ask the way to Scafell Pike! Another group on last months didn't know if he had 19 or 17 in the group and was frantically trying to call their parents to ask if they were with him on the challenge this appeared not to be an issue until he tried to count them back onto the bus and 2 were 'missing on the mountain'!) we climbed the Brown Tongue path quickly and made good time to the summit, thick in cloud, before descending back to Wasdale, in a time of 4.20.  The journey down to Snowdon was a mixture of excitement, snoozing, games and swapping stories.  As we made our approach the group started to prepare for the final stage, two decided not to finish due to an earlier knee jarring which was felt needed the rest to prevent further chance of injury. The weather for the final half hours drive was atrocious, wind screen wipers worked overtime and everyone prepared for a soggy sumit. We arrived at the final drop point, the weather broke and even a few spots of blue sky could be seen (maybe with a little imagination)!  They disembarked, chattering and excited they headed off into the clouds.

    We climbed quickly along the PYG track, with some stunning views until as we reached the summit ridge we entered the clouds. The remaining group limbed really quickly and then flew downhill again completing the leg in 3.30.

    A blinding finish all three Peaks walked in 12 hrs 50 mins!!!!!!!!!

    Back to our top secret celebratory spot for hot food and drink and a banter about our next challenge!  Suggested a get together walk and wild camp! Then came the frantic number exchanges, clothes changed and back to the bus for the journey home dropping off in Manchester.

    We enjoyed meeting you all, you have been excellent company and well done everyone! xx

    John (Guide) & Lyanda (Driver, Mother to all)

  • Scafell Pike

    A cloudy day today on Scafell Pike, we climbed by Sty Head, but once on the Corridor Route we were in cloud. We continued up the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col before climbing to the summit.

    After leaving the summit we crossed to Broad Crag, here the cloud started to break, at first giving us views down over Upper Eskdale and then in every direction.

    We continued to descend over Esk Hause, by now in sunshine and followed the path back to Seathwaite along Grains Gill.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day on Scafell Pike today, we climbed by Sty Head and the Corridor Route to hesummit in ht sun shine wher there was a nic e breeze to cool us down.

    After sandwiches on the summit we continued along the ridge over Broad Crag &  Ill Crag to Esk Hause and descended by Grains Gill back to Seathwaite.

    A hot and sunny day, althugh the views were a little hazy.

  • Scafell Pike & Scafell

    A great day today above Wasdale Head, climbing from the hotel up the ridge to Lingmell before crossing Lingmell Col to climb to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    After our packed lunches on the summit of Scafell Pike we descended to Mickledore and then down to the foot of the Fox's Tarn path, scrambling up a very damp gill bed after last nights rain to Fox's Tarn and the scree path to the top of Scafell, via a stop to admire the views from the top of Scafell Crag.

    After a short stop on the summit we followed the path down to Brackenclose and back to Wasdale Head.

    A great days walking, although cloudy to start it soon cleared to give some great views during the afternoon.

  • Scafell Pike

    A damp day on Scafell Pike today, although not as bad as expected.

    We climbed from Seathwaite via Sty Head and then followed the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col before heading up to the summit.

    The summit was in cloud, so after a quick sandwich stop we continued over Broad Crag and Ill Crag, occasionally getting views over Eskdale from the ridge before the cloud broke as we dropped down to Esk Hause giving us great views over the Langdale Pikes and north over Borrowdale.

    We dropped down below Great End and onto the Grains Gill path following this back to Seathwaite in warm sunshine.

  • Scafell Pike

    An even wetter day on Scafell Pike than yesterday!

    Very heavy rain as we headed out from Seathwaite didn't ease at all today. We followed the track to Sty Head and then followed the Corridor Route, climbing by Lingmell Coll to the summit.

    After a short stop on the summit we descended to Broad Crag Col and back down onto the Corridor Route, following this back to Sty Head and then down to Seathwaite.

    Up and down in just over 4 hours, but not a day to stop and admire the views!

  • Wild Camping

    A great few days in the high fells over Thursday and Friday, setting off late morning on Thursday we climbed from Wha House in the Eskdale Valley to Slight Side and Scafell, meeting the cloud as we climbed to Scafell.

    From Scafell we descended by Fox's Tarn to re-climb by Mickledore to Scafell Pike.

    After a short break on the sumit we continued over Brad crag and Ill Crag to Esk Hause, desceding on the Borowdale side to our camp site, with views over Borrowdale and Great Gable.

    Although there was a little cloud covering the high tops we had some great views through the evening with most tops eventally clearing.

    On Friday we set off just after 8.30 to climb to the summit of Esk Pike before continuing to Bowfell, wonderful clear views from the summit including a great views of yesterdays route over the Scafells.

    As we descended to Three Tarns the cloud blew over us, covering Bowfell behind and the Crinkle Crags ahead, we continued along the Crinkles ridge stopping on the summit of Long Top for our lunch before descenting to Red Tarn and down to Great Langdale.

  • Scafell Pike & Scafell

    A very wet day on the Scafells today, climbing from Wasdale Head by the Brown Tongue path and Lingmell Col we climbed to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    As we approached Lingmell Col the good weather worsened, rain blew in along the valley and set in for the rest of the day.

    After a quick photo stop on the summit we descended quickly to Mickledore, stopping in the shelter of the Stretcher Box for a quick lunch stop before continuing to descend to the foot of to Fox's Tarn path, climbing what was more like a gill scramble than a footpath we continued to the summit of Scafell.

    We descended the Green How path to Brackenclose and Wasdale Head.

  • Scafell Pike 04 August 2010

    A great day out on Scafell Pike today. From Seathwaite, we ascended via Styhead Tarn and the Corridor Route. After having lunch on the summit, we descended to Esk Hause then followed the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

    We had a much better day weatherwise that of late. Other than a few clouds that quickly blew over at lunch time, it was a reasonably clear day with waterroofs only required for a short time on descent.

  • Scafell Pike

    A good day on Scafell Pike again today, climbing from Seathwaite to Sty Head before continuing along the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col where we entered the cloud.

    We stopped in a shelter near the summit of our sandwiches where the cloud briefly cleared giving us views down over Wasdale before we continued on descending over Broad Crag and Ill Crag down to Esk Hause, here we dropped below the cloud base and were rewarded with fine views all around. We followed the path back to Seathwaite by Grains Gill.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day on Scafell Pike today, two groups climbed via Sty Head and the Corridor Route to the summit in cloud, while on the summit the cloud cleared giving wonderful views all round.

    We descended over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Esk Hause before descending by the Grains Gill at back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day on Scafell Pike today with a good group of all ages!

    We set off from Seathwaite in light showers, expecting more heavy rain as the morning progressed, but this never happened and by the time we were at Sty Head we barely had any more rain all day.

    From Sty HEad we continued to climb along the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col, climbing from here to the summit, we were now in cloud, but with occasional breaks with views down over Eskdale and Wasdale. After a quick round of photo's on the summit we ate our sandwiches in one of the wind shelters near the summit before carrying on over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Esk Hause.

    We followed the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite, now in sunshine.

  • Scafell Pike & Scafell

    A great day above Wasdale today, we set off from the Wasdale Head Inn in bright sunshine climbing by the Brown Tongue path to Lingmell Col and then up to the summit of Scafell Pike, the views on the way up were good if a little hazy, but we coould just make out the Isle of Man and Scotland across the Solway Firth.

    After eating our sandwiches on the summit we descended to Mickledore and down to the foot of the Foxes Tarn path climbing alongside the waterfalls to Foxes Tarn and up to the summit plateau.

    We stopped at the top of Scafell Crag to admire the views from Piscah before climbing to the summit of Scafell, the views now were amazing, the air had cleared during the day and now we had clear views from Blackpool, over the Isle of Man and north to Scotland as well as of most of the Lake District.

    After a rest on the summit we then descended back to Wasdale, following the path down over Green How to Brackenclose and back along the Wasdale Valley to the Wasdale Head Inn.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day on Scafell Pike today, clear skies and unspoilt views all around,although yesterdays strong wind held up for most of the day.

    We climbed from Seathwaite via Sty Head and the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and the Summit of Scafell Pike in bright sunshine, the views from the summit were magnificent, from Blackpool Tower to Yorkshire, The radar station on Great Mell Fell, Scotland across the Solway and great views of the Isle Of Man.

    From the summit of Scafell Pike we descended north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Esk Hause and along the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite, a great days walking!

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day on Scafell Pike, not as clear as earlier in the week but still and calm all day.

    We climbed the usual route from Seathwaite following the path to Sty Head and then along the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col before climbing to the summit. We had good views over the Irish Sea to the Isle Of Man and south over Morcambe Bay but the sky was a little hazier to the north over the Solway.

    We followed the ridge north over Broad crag and Ill Crag to descend to Esk Hause and then down along the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another excellent day on Scafell Pike today. We followed the Corridor Route from Seathwaite, stopping several times for drinks and to enjoy the views.
    After lunch on the summit, we descended via Grains Gill. Other than a few gusts of wind near the top and being a bit hazy, it was a good day weatherwise.

  • Scafell Pike

    A windy day on Scafell Pike today, following the usual route from Seathwaite to Sty Head and along the Corridor Route before climbing to the summit from Lingmell Col.

    We found a little shelter from the wind near the summit for a lunch stop before continuing north along the ridge over Broad Crag and Ill Crag and descending over Esk Hause and along the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another good day on Scafell Pike today. We followed the path from Seathwaite to Sty Head and then along the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and the summit.

    The views were great today, a little clearer than it has been recently. After stopping near the summit for our lunch we descended over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Esk Hause and back to Seathwaite along the Grains Gill path.

  • Scafell Pike

    A good day on Scafell Pike today, we climbed from Seathwaite to Sty Head and followed the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and then up to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    The weather was a little better than expected and other than a few minutes of drizzle here and there it was dry and clear, we were in the cloud at the summit but up until a few minutes before the top we had good views over the Irish Sea to the Isle Of Man and north over the Lake District to Scotland.

    After a lunch stop in one of the summit wind shelters we descended by Broad Crag Col and followed the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to drop down to Esk Hause and the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike from Wasdale

    A short day today climbing Scafell Pike from Wasdale, in preparation for a Three Peaks Challenge next weekend.

    We climbed from Brackenclose in the Wasdale Valley in foul conditions carefully crossing Lingmell Beck and climbing the Brown Tongue path over Hollow Stones and by Lingmell Col to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    We were in thick cloud and constant wind and rain from the start so saw next to nothing all day and very few people, except for one old friend I hadn't seen for nearly 20 years that we passed as he was descending on the Three Peaks Challenge!

    After a very brief stop on the summit we turned round and descended on the same path, bringing with us a bin liner full of rubbish which had been left on the summit!

    A quick descent brought us back down to Wasdale in just under four hours.

  • Scafell Pike & Scafell

    A damp and cloudy day on the Scafells today.

    From Wasdale Head we climbed across the lower slopes of Lingmell and onto the Brown Tongue path, the crossing of Lingmell Beck was much easier than on Sunday morning and we climbed the Brooown Tonge path in good time continuing onto Lingmell Col and then up into the cloud on the summit of Scafell Pike.

    We didn't stop too long on the summit today as the rain was starting to fall and the wind was strong so we descended to Mickledore and stopped for our sandwiches in the shelter of some rocks below Scafell Crag.

    We could see banks of cloud moving in from the north west as we ate our sandwiches and hoped  that these would at least hold off until we were on top of Scafell.

    We descended on the Eskdale side of the col to meet the Fox's Tarn path climbing alongside the stream and re-entering the cloud. As we climbed the steep loose path above Fox's Tarn the rain began but we pressed on to climb to the summit of Scafell. There was nothing to see from the summit so after just a short break we turned round and descended the Green How path, taking a peek through the mist to have a look at the top of the Lord's Rake path before continuing to descend over the grass, slippery when it got steeper lower down, and descended to Brackenclose and back to the Wasdale Head Inn.

  • Scafell Pike

    A wonderful day on Scafell Pike today, clear skies and light winds gave some wonderful views.

    We climbed from Seathwaite via Sty Head and the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col where we had some dramatic views over the Irish Sea to the Isle Of Man before climbing to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    We stopped on the summit for our lunch and to admire the views, we could see as far as the Blackpool Tower and the whole of the Lake District.

    The Scafell Pike Fell Race was taking place today so we watched all the competitors arriving at the summit and heading back down to Wasdale.

    After lunch we followed the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to descend to Esk Hause and down along the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

    As we descended we passed a group with an injured member but no help was needed from us, the Mountain Rescue were already on their way and we passed them as we descended to Seathwaite.

    Especially well done to Evan today who climbed Scafell Pike on his 7th birthday!

  • Scafell Pike

    Another day on Scafell Pike today.

    We climbed in bright sunshine from Seathwaite to Sty Head and onto the Corridor Route, from half way along the Corridor Route the higher summits were in cloud, at about 900m.

    We continued along the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col before climbing into the cloud on the summit of Scafell Pike where we sheltered from the cool wind to eat our sandwiches and see the occasional glimpse down into the Eskdale Valley.

    After a short break we carried on following the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag, descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and out of the cloud, following the path down below Great End and down the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A damp day on Scafell Pike today, we climbed from Seathwaite in constant light rain to Sty Head Pass, as we neared the pass the wind was stronger and the rain heavier, we pressed on onto the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and up to the summit of Scafell Pike. No views today so we headed to the wind shelter near the summit and ate our sandwiches in a bothy bag. As we rested the rain eased and then eventually stopped.

    We followed the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag, as we crossed the boulder field on Broad Crag the clouds started to break giving us odd glimpses of views and as we crossed Ill Crag the cloud continued to break up giving us some great views over Eskdale, Bowfell, The Langdale Pikes and across to Great Gable.

    As we descended to Esk Hause the views continued until, just below Great End the cloud blew in again over the higher tops just leaving the view down into Borrowdale.

    We followed the path down by Grains Gill back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day on Scafell pike today, cloud on the summit, but some great views on the way up and down.

    We left Seathwaite just after 10am and headed up the path via Stockley Bridge to Sty Head. From Sty Head we continued along the Corridor Route to Scafell Pike, climbing to Lingmell Col. From the col it didn't take us long to get to the summit where we sheltered from quite a cold wind to eat oour sandwicches.

    After a short lunch break we followed the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag descending from the cloud to Esk Hause, with fantastic views over Borrowdale, Langdale and Eskdale before turning agin north and descending onto the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

    The forecast bad weather this afternoon never happened and we had a dry day!

  • Scafell Pike

    A good day on Scafell Pike today.

    After a late start we climbed to Sty Head and followed the Corridor Route, stopping for lunch en route to Lingmell Col and the summit.

    We descended along the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Esk Hause descending along the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

    A good day with clear views, although a little windy on the tops!

  • Scafell Pike

    A good day on Scafell Pike today, Setting off from Seathwaite at 10am we climbed by Sty Head onto the Corridor Route and then up to Lingmell Col to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    The weather was good, although a little cool in the wind, and we stopped near the summit for our lunch before continuing along the ridge over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to descend over Esk Hause.

    We followed the path down by Grains Gill back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A spectacular day on Scafell Pike today, clear skies and some amazing views.

    We climbed from Seathwaite to Sty Head Pass and crossed to climb the Corridor Route to Lingmell Coll, the views were amazingly clear as we climbed to the summit which was covered in a thick layer of frost.

    The views were spectacular, but the wind was cold so we sheltered on the south side of the summit for our lunch with views over the Coniston Fells to Morcambe Bay and Blackpool Tower visible further down the coastline to the south.

    From the summit we descended over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Esk Hause and down along the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike and Scafell

    Good day on the Scafell's today. From Wasdale Head, we ascended via Hollow Stones to Scafell Pike. After a short lunch break we descended Mickledore and took the path to Foxes Tarn, then onto the summit of Scafell. We then followed the path over Green How to Brackenclose and back to Wasdale Head.
    Weatherwise we had a combination of sunny spells, rain, hail and strong winds.

  • Scafell Pike

    Today's Brief: Climb Scafell Pike from Seathwaite coming down the last hour or so in the dark.

    We set off from Seathwaite just after 10am climbing the Grains Gill path by Ruddy Gill and below Great End to climb to Esk Hause, from the hause we climbed onto the summit ridge crossing Ill Crag and Broad Crag to reach the summit of Scafell Pike just after 3pm.

    After a short beak on the summit we descended to Lingmell Col and onto the Corridor Route descending tree quarters po the way down to Sty Head before it got dark and with head-torches on we descended by Sty Head Tarn and down the path back to Seathwaite getting back to the farm at 7pm.

    A great day all round.

  • Snow on Scafell Pike

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    We followed the path climbing to Sty Head from Seathwaite and onto the Corridor Route climbing to Lingmell Col before following the path climbing to the summit of Scafell Pike. As we climbed the final 100m to the summit of Scafell Pike we entered the cloud and it started to snow, settling a little on the summit.

    We stopped on the summit to eat our sandwiches, while there the clouds broke and the snow stopped giving some stunning views.

    We descended along the ridge north crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag to descend over Esk Hause and below Great End onto the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite, Borrowdale today.

    We set off from Seathwaite just after 10am climbing by Sty Head and onto the Corridor Route. The path to Sty Head was a bit icy underfoot so care was needed, but as we got to the footbridge over Sty Head Gill we were in the sunshine soo there was no ice underfoot.

    As we reached the upper sections of the Corridor Route we reached the snowline, it was a bit firmer than it has been for a few days and we had good fun climbing by Lingmell Coll to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    We were in cloud from Lingmell Coll to the summit and this persisted until we were descending by Ruddy Gill later in the day so there were no views from the summit.

    After the usual photo's on the summit we took some shelter near the summit and ate our packed lunches.

    After lunch we left the summit descending to Broad Crag Col and climbing over Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending by Calf Cove and down below Esk Hause tomeet the Grains Gill path below Great End and followed this back down to Seathwaite, walking the last 30 minutes into Seathwaite in the dark.

    Although there were very few views for much of the day we had a great day!

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set off from Seathwaite at 10am and climbed by Sty Head and along the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col, here we were rewarded with some great views over the Irish Sea to the Isle Of Man.

    We climbed the steep slope to the summit of Scafell Pike, now in firm snow and took a break at the summit, sheltering from the cold wind. The summit was in cloud so there were no views today.

    From Scafell Pike we descended north to Broad Crag Col, there was a little more snow on this section than at the weekend, but nothing too hard, we crossed Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending by Calf Cove and Esk Hause (there was much less snow here than at the weekend) descending below Great End and onto the Grains Gill path down to Seathwaite, returning to the farm at 4.15.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day in the snow today, today climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    We set off at 10am from Seatoller, the road down to Seathwaite was pretty slippery so we started a little further down the road than usual, walking the mile down the road to Seathwaite and following the track past Stockley Bridge and climbing to Sty Head and onto the Corridor Route, there was about an inch of fresh snow underfoot on top of yesterdays snow and we were breaking new ground on the Corridor Route once we had passed Skew Gill.

    From Lingmell Col there was good firm snow and we put our crampons on  and climbed to the summit of Scafell Pike in bright sunshine.

    The views from the summit were amazing and we sat behind the summit cairn out of the wind to eat our sandwiches.

    After lunch we crossed Broad Crag Col and climbed over Broad Crag and Ill Crag descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause, descending on good snow to the path below Great End and onto the Grains Gill path.

    We came down on some quite tricky ice as we descended the Grains Gill path, this was easy enough to cross with crampons, but it took a little while to do, meaning that we desccended to Seathwaite in the dark.

    A wonderful day all round.

  • Scafell Pike – Almost

    An icy day on Scafell Pike today despite the thaw over the past few days, we set off from Seathwaite and climbed by Sty Head to the Corridor Route, climbing just past the 2000ft point on the path before a decision was made to turn back, the many short patches of ice had used up too much time.

    After a short lunch break we turned round and followed the path back to Seathwaite, arriving back at the farm at 4.30.

  • Scafell from Eskdale

    A great day in murky conditions today, setting of from Boot at 9.30 we climbed the ridge by Eel Tarn and followed the path to Slight Side. Just after leaving Boot we climbed into the mist and didn't come back out of it until we were coming back down to valley level in the afternoon.
    The wind, although strong once we were higher wasn't nearly as bad as it had been yesterday and by the time were were on the summit of Scafell there was very little wind. We sat just below the summit cairn and ate our sandwiches before continuing.
    After a quick look at the top of Scafell Crag, with Scafell Pinnacle looming out of the mist we descended by Fox's Tarn, the first scree slope was under snow, but by the time we were down to the tarn there was only patches of snow here and there.
    he gill below Fox's Tarn was very full with yesterdays rain and the snowmelt so we made our way down to the side of the gully to meet the path below and descended by the wonderfully full Cam Spout and down to the Upper Eskdale Valley.
    As we descended by Cam Spout the clouds broke and we were rewarded with wonderful views over Upper Eskdale and up to Esk Pike and Bowfell. The cloud came back in as we followed the track by Silverybield Crag but cleared again as we turned the corner towards the Eskdale Valley, completely breaking as we descended into the valley and walked back to Boot, arriving back just as the sun was setting.

  • Scafell Pike

    A good day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today, we set off from Seathwaite just after 9am following the path by Stockley Bridge to Sty Head. There were several icy patches on the pat, but nothing too bad today.

    From Sty Head we climbed the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col, and from the col to the summit of Scafell Pike, there were a few patches of snow left as we climbed towards the summit of Scafell Pike but nothing we couldn't walk around.  As we approached the summit we saw a glimpse of a Brocken Spectre bend us, it only lasted a few seconds though before it was gone again.

    There was a little cloud blowing around the high tops today, but as we approached the summit of Scafell Pike it blew away giving us some fantastic views all around. Particularly the view of the Isle of Man sticking up through the clouds.

    After eating our sandwiches on the summit we descended north, crossing Broad Crag Col and following the ridge over Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and down by Grains Gill back to Seathwaite arriving back at Seathwaite a little before dusk.

  • Scafell Pike

    A wonderful day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today. We didn't hold out much hope when we set off from Seathwaite with strong winds and low clouds and a poor forecast though.

    We climbed by Sty Head Pass and onto the corridor route, entering the cloud base at about 2000ft, the damp snow on the lower slopes became firmer as we reached the 2000ft mark and made good walking conditions as we climbed by Lingmell Col and up towards the summit of Scafell Pike. As we climbed towards the summit the clouds above us started to clear a little, with blue skies above, and to our left we had glimpses of Broad Crag and Great End emerging from the clouds.

    As we reached the summits the clouds parted  giving us some wonderful views across the clouds, with occasional glimpses of summits sticking through, Scafell, Great Gable and Skiddaw were visible at times, poking up through the clouds.

    As we sat and ate our sandwiches more summits started to show themselves for short times, Broad Crag, Ill Crag and Great End as well as Bowfell were visible at times.

    After the sandwiches were eaten we descended north, crossing Broadcrag Col to Broad Crag, as we climbed the slope to Ill Crag a great view west over Great Gable cleared. The boulder fields were no problem today with plenty of firm snow covering them and we descended by Calf Cove to Esk Hause and down below Great End and down the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day on Scafell Pike today. We climbed via Sty Head and the Corridor Route to Lingmel Col and the summit of Scafell Pike. The weather improved quickly during the morning to give us a good dry day with plenty of views.

    From the summit of Scafell Pike we followed the ridge north crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and down the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

    A great day with plenty to see along the way.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today, the weather was a little cloudy as we climbed to Scafell Pike, but cleared as we were sat on the summit giving us some wonderful views on the way down and a magnificent Brocken Spectre.

    We set of just after 9am from Seathwaite Farm, in the Borrowdale Valley and climbed above Stockley Bridge following the path to Sty Head, from Sty Head we followed the Corridor Route, climbing into the cloud just above the 2000ft point. There was very little to see from here to the summit, and we climbed via Lingmell Col to the summit of Scafell Pike in good time. As we approached the summit the cloud began to clear, and we saw a very feint Brocken Spectre behind us.

    We continued to the summit and we rewarded as we ate our sandwiches with breaks in the cloud to some wonderful views over Scafell and across Eskdale.

    After lunch we descended towards Broadcrag Col where we saw a wonderful Brocken Spectre, with a double aura! After a few photos the spectre faded and we continued crossing Broadcrag Col to Broad crag and Ill Crag and descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and the path down below Great End, taking the drove road and the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite in bright sunshine.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today, this time in bright sunshine from start to finish!

    We set off from Seathwaite at 9am and followed the Sty Head path to Sty Head Pass and onto the Corridor Route, the Weather was wonderful with great views all around, although the far distance was a little hazy. We climbed from the Corridor Route to Lingmel Col and onto the summit of Scafell Pike. The views were great, although a little hazy in the far distance.

    We stopped on the summit for a while eating our sandwiches and admiring the view before descending over Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending over Esk Hause following the drove road down to the Grains Gill path and Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set off at 9am and followed the path to Sty Head in intermittent light drizzle and climbed onto the Corridor Route following this to Lingmell Col, the drizzle continued for much of the day and at around 2500ft we reached the cloud base.

    From Lingmell Col we climbed to the summit of Scafell Pike, reaching very wet snow at around 3000ft, it was quite windy on the summit so we got the storm shelter out and stopped to eat our sandwiches before continuing along the ridge, descending quite difficult ground to Broadcrag Col before crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Calf Cove and Esk Hause, now out of the snow.

    As we descended below Great End by Ruddy Gill we emerged from the cloud and followed the drove road back down to Grains Gill and the path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today, we set off from Seathwaite at 9am and climbed by Grains Gill below Great End to Esk Hause following the path through Calf Cove to Ill Crag and across Broad Crag to Scafell Pike.

    There was a little cloud on top, but this was being blown over quickly in the strong wind giving us good views all around. As we sat near the summit eating our sandwiches an RAF Search and Rescue helicopter landed a few meters away from us, out on training!

    After the helicopter left we descended to Lingmell Col and followed the Corridor Route down to Sty Head and back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A glorious day on Scafell Pike today, climbing from Seathwaite we followed the Sty Head path and up along the Corridor Route to a sunny Lingmell Col, the fells were in sunshine but there was a low mist over the Irish Sea with the Isle Of Man sticking up through the cloud. A little cloud blew up the valley and shrouded the summits for a short while but this soon cleared.

    We climbed from Lingmell Col to the summit of Scafell Pike and stopped in the sunshine for our sandwiches, there was hardly a breath of wind on the summit today as we sat and watched the last of the cloud clear the Helvellyn ridge to the east.

    After lunch was eaten we followed the ridge north over Broad crag and Ill Crag to descend over Esk Hause and down the old drove road back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Good day on Scafell Pike. From Seathwaite, we walked up to Styhead Tarn before ascending to Lingmell Col via the Corridor Route. We then continued to the summit.
    Due to it being cold and poor visibility, we did not stay long on the top. After a brief stop for lunch, we descended to Esk Hause then followed the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Wonderful day on Scafell Pike. We ascended the Corridor Route and returned via Grains Gill.
    As we had blue sky and sunshine for the whole day, we lingered for a while on the top enjoying fantastic views and taking photos. Well done to Lucy, who is the first toy poodle [to my knowledge] who has completed the highest peak in all counties of the UK.

  • Scafell Pike and Lingmell

    Really enjoyable day climbing Scafell Pike from Wasdale. We followed the Hollow Stones route and stopped a good while on the summit, enjoying panoramic views and taking photos.
    We then descended, taking in Lingmell, before having a well earned pint at Ritson's Bar.

  • Wasdale Walking Weekend

    We had a great weekend in Wasdale, despite the horrible weather.
    On Saturday, we climbed Pillar via the high level traverse. After stopping for lunch, we continued to Scoat Fell, Steeple, then Red Pike.
    We then retired to the Wasdale Head Inn for the all important end of walk rehydration.

    On Sunday we slightly amended our route due to conditions, and had a very interesting "walk" up Scafell via Foxes Tarn. After a brief lunch break, the Wainwright baggers ticked off Slight Side before returning to Brackenclose.
    The smiling faces at the cars were a pleasure to behold!

  • The 3 Peaks Challenge

    A great weekend completing the National 3 Peaks Challenge, we just missed out on the 24 hour mark, but the weather was against us over the course of the weekend.

    We set off fro the Ben Nevis Inn at 5pm on Saturday, climbing the tourist path to the summit of Ben Nevis in 3 hours, there was still some snow on top, although far less than on the same weekend last weekend!

    We descended Ben Nevis in good time, dropping down to the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel to start the drive down to Wasdale.

    We made good time on Scafell Pike and were back in the minibus in 3.30, making up for some for the time lost overnight in bad weather.

    We arrived at Pen-Y-Pass with 3.30 remaining of the 24 hours, possible, but tough. The weather was against s though and we were often ankle deep in water  the footpaths and it wasn't possible to rush.

    Oh well, everyone did really well on the challenge and 24.30 is a respectable time, very good given the weather we had to contend with.

  • Scafell Pike

    A damp day today climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite, we set off from Seathwaite just after 10am and climbed to Sty Head through occasional heavy showers

    We followed the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and climbed to the summit of Scafell Pike, a heavy shower reached us as we reached the summit so after short stop to take pictures on the summit we descended to one of the wind shelters for a quick lunch stop.

    From the summit we continued north crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and below Great End to meet the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

    Although damp we had a great day, with some good views.

  • Scafell Pike

    A good day on Scafell Pike today, we climbed from Seathwaite to Sty Head where we entered the cloud and followed the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col before climbing to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    After stopping for lunch we followed the ridge north, crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and down the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A wonderful day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We climbed by Sty Head and onto the Corridor Route to Limgmel Col, climbing to the summit of Scafell Pike in hot sunshine with no winds.

    After stopping for lunch on the summit we followed the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and down the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A good day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today, the early rain soon cleared as we set off from Seathwaite climbing to Sty Head and onto the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and the summit of Scafell Pike.

    We sopped by the summit cairn to eat our lunches before continuing to follow the ridge north, crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause droping down to the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell & Scafell Pike

    A good day on The Scafells today, although we were in thick cloud on the summits.

    We set off from Wasdale Head just after 10am and climbed the shoulder of Lingmell, climbing to the summit of Lingmell, just in the cloud, although we did get some glimpses of views over Great Gable and north.

    From Lingmell we crossed Lingmell Col and climbed to the summit of Scafell Pike, now in thick cloud and after a lunch stop in one of the wind shelters near the summit we descended south to Mickledore, a group of 108 was also descending this route, and after a quick chat with one of their instructors we decided to pick another route and descended from Mickledore to Lords Rake, climbing the rake and to the summit of Scafell.

    The cloud was very thick here today, we were unable to see the pinnacle from the the of Moss Ghyll, and after a short stop and a few photos at the summit of Scafell we descended the Green How route, down to Brackenclose and back long the valley to the Wasdale Head Inn.

  • Scafell & Scafell Pike

    A wonderful day today climbing Scafell Pike and Scafell from Wasdale Head, the weather was wonderful all day.

    We set off from The Wasdale Head Inn at 10am and climbed the path alongside Piers Gill, scrambling up the rocky sections of the path before crossing the Corridor Route to pick a more direct route above Lingmell Col to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    We stopped in the sun on  the summit of Scafell Pike to eat our lunches before descending to Mickledore crossing to the foot of Lords Rake we climbed the steep first section of the rake to the West Wall Traverse, crossing the grassy ledge before the easy scramble up the upper section of Moss Ghyll to emerge at the top of Scafell Crag, alongside Scafell Pinnacle.

    After the short walk to the summit of Scafell and a short break here to admire the views we descended the Green How path down to Brackenclose and back along the valley to the Wasdale Head Inn.

    A wonderful day.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another good day on Scafell Pike today, this time climbing from Seathwaite by Sty Head and the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and onto the summit of Scafell Pike.

    A hot and sunny day, but as we reached Lingmell Col the cloud blew over the top, this soon cleared, just as we reached the summit giving us some wonderful views throughout the afternoon as we followed the ridge north over Broad Crag and Ill Crag descending the old drove road back to Seathwaite.

  • The 3 Peaks Challenge

    A very wet weekend on the 3 Peaks Challenge today, some of the worst weather I have ever faced on the 3 Peaks.

    We set off from Glen Nevis at just after 5pm, for the first few minutes we were not wearing waterproofs, this would be the only time for the entire weekend we wouldn't be in quite heavy rain.

    From ten minutes in tough the rain started, very heavy at times as we climbed in good time to the summit of Ben Nevis, making good time we reached the summit and descended in just under 4h 30m.

    After getting into some dry clothes and collecting our food we were on our way to the Lake District, the weather on the journey was horrendous, and we reached Wasdale a little behind schedule, but we made good time, climbing to the summit of Scafell Pike in 1h40m and descending quickly to make an overall time of 3h10m.

    A good journey south from the Lake District to Wales gave us a good chance of completing the challenge, we reached Pen-Y-Pass with 3h 50m remaining of our 24 hours, although by now we had by far the worst weather of the weekend, now very wet and windy, good time was made on the way up, reaching the summit in 1h 50m leaving us 2 hours to get pack to the pass, brilliant.

    We all reached the pass, the last man in with 20 minutes to spare, wet and bedraggled, but considering the conditions throughout the weekend rightly pleased with their achievement.

  • Scafell Pike

    Great day on Scafell Pike today. From Seathwaite, we walked up to Styhead Tarn where we had a brief stop. We then followed the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and then on to the summit of Scafell Pike.
    After stopping for lunch, we took the path over Broad Crag and down to Esk Hause. From there we took the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.
    Blue sky and sunshine all day, but not surprisingly very busy.

  • Scafell Pike at night

    A good evening on Scafell Pike today, we sett off from Wasdale at 9.30pm climbing the Brown Tongue path as the sun set, reaching Lingmell Col and the summit of Scafell Pike in the dark, the night was incredibly clear and we were able to see a long distance, the orange moon gave good light as we descended back towards Wasdale, returning to our cars at 1am.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day on Scafell Pike today, setting off just after 10am we climbed by Sty Head in good bright weather, and although there was a little cloud coming and going on the summit of Scafell Pike we continued along the Corridor Route climbing to Lingmell Col and then up to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    After the usual photo shots on the summit we stopped out of the breeze to eat our sandwiches before continuing along the ridge north, crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag before dropping down through Calf Cove to Esk Hause.

    From Esk Hause we descended below Great End and followed the Ruddy gill path down to Grains Gill and back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set of from Seathwaite at 10am and climbed by Stockley Bridge to Sty Head from where we crossed onto the Corridor Route climbing to Lingmell Col and the summit of Scafell Pike in good time.

    After the usual photo stop at the summit we decided to descend a little and stop for lunch away from the crowds near the summit, finding a good spot just above Broadcrag Col.

    After lunch we crossed Broadcrag Col to Broad Crag and followed the ridge over Ill Crag to Great End before descending to meet the path below Esk Hause and followed it below Great End and down the Ruddy Gill path by Grains Gill and Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A fantabulous day walking today, taking in Scafell Pike and Great End. Terry and Chris Lockwood, Les and Alan all met me at Seathwaite Farm at 10am. The weather report I had seen the previous night hinted showers mixed in with sunny patches, but this was far from the case at the start, the sun was already beating down and it was obvious the group was raring to get high and see some views. We took the path up to Stockley Bridge, and then cut across and up towards Styhead Ghyll. Our path ahead of us, the Corridor route up to Lingmell Col, was laid before us. By half twelve we had completed the corridor
    route and were about to start our last slog up to the summit of the Pike. On
    the way up we cut off the path to our special Wastwater viewpoint. Shortly after half one we were on the summit of the Pike. Alan had now got his ‘big three’ sealed up (Ben Nevis, Snowdon and SFP), and we all sat and enjoyed the fantastic
    views over much needed lunch break. The group was doing great for time so we decided to bag Great End on the way past. This was another great opportunity for Les and Terry to put their photography skills to the test as Borrowdale was
    laid out before them. We worked our way round to the top of Grains Gill, where we filled up our water bottles from the stream, and then started our long descent path down. About an hour and half later we were back at our starting
    point, and all felt sufficiently tired. A fantastic walk, with a great group,but most surprisingly amazing weather all day! Ill take another serving of that please.

  • Scafell Pike

    We started our walk today from Seathwaite farm and headed towards the Stockley Bridge. We followed the path around Seathwaite Fell to join Styhead Gill. As we got to Styhead Tarn we were greeted by a marquee, filled with tea coffee and cakes! (Yum!!!) Running the marquee was a group raising money for Mountain Rescue, and had raised over £1000 in the last day (What a great job, keep up the good work!) We pressed on after a quick refuel and walked up the corridor route. Just as we came to Lingmell Col the cloud level started to drop and the summit of Scafell Pike was lost to the mist. On the way up to the summit the cloud kept clearing and offered us snapshot views out over the Borrowdale Valley, and Great Gable. The wind was howling across the summit, and with very limited views on offer we quickly moved to the nearby shelter for a spot of lunch.

    After lunch we continued back over the tops (Broad Crag, Ill Crag) back to the top of Grains Gill. It was only here that it really started to rain. About an hour later we were back at Seathwaite Farm. The Group had done very well and completed the walk in 6 hours.

  • Scafell and Scafell Pike

    Today I met Martin, Michael, Jim and Ruairi at the Wasdale Head, ready to take on Englands top two mountains, plus more! We set off at 10am with the weather looking fine. We took the path that skirted around the side of Lingmell, but the group (mostly Jim!) wanted to use the option and visit the summit of Lingmell too. This is a great move as although it is steep, it maintains great views all the way up. We reached the summit of Lingmell at about midday, had a quick breather and set off straight for Scafell Pike. We made a quick ascent of the path to the summit and were soon hunkered down in a shelter out of the wind eating our lunches. So far the day had been great, the weather was improving and so was the banter! We descended to Mickledore and then followed the broken track down towards Eskdale before rejoining the path that heads up Scafell via Fox's Tarn. Again we were soon on the summit ridge and bagged Scafell. We took the path down to Green How and all had our little slips and tumbles along the way. We worked our way along the flat top before finding our descent slope down to the flatter fields. Before we got to the bottom we took a nice 15 minute break in the sun, with magnificent views down over Wastwater. We finished the day with a gentle stroll along the road back to the Wasdale Head INN. I personally found this day extremely enjoyable, and the guys in the group said they felt the same, and it would have been hard not to! A wicked route up 3 great mountains, in great fun filled company with excellent weather, ahhhh this is the life! Writen by Matt Burt

  • Scafell Pike

    Today I met David at Seathwaite Farm, ready to take on Scafell Pike. The weather looked grim but we set off ready for a great day! The track heading up to the Stockley bridge was practically a stream, so I was wondering what delights we had to come higher up the mountain. We were soon up by Styhead Tarn with the corridor route in sight. The Cloud was very low and  there were multiple streams in full flow coming down every mountain we could see. The rain kept coming in waves, and half way up the corridor route we thought the cloud was actually going to lift enough to give us some views from the summit of the Pike, we were wrong. As we reached Lingmell Col we were completely engulfed in the mist, and also being hit hard by strong gusts of wind. We made a super quick ascent up to the summit and made straight for one of the shelters. The stuning views (fog) did not hold us on the summit for long, so after a bite of lunch we made our way over Broad Crag, Ill Crag and around Great End to the top of Grains Gill. We took our time coming down this path as again it had water flowing down it. On the way down I stupidly said 'There hasn't been that much rain today has there, not really', and minutes later a long shower came in, silly me! We were soon back at Seathwaite Farm having bleen blown around and watered effectively, but also  having had a great day on the hills! (Enjoying writing this even more as I sit here seeing the worst weather of the day through the window, phew!) Written by Matt Burt

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    A good day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set f from Seathwaite just after 10am and climbed by Sty Head and the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and the summit of Scafell Pike. On the way up the cloud was high and we had some wonderful views, but as we climbed towards the summit from Lingmell Col the cloud dropped.

    There was very little to see from the summit, we stopped in one of the wind shelters to eat our lunches before following the ridge north crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending by Calf Cove and Esk Hause to meet the Grains Gill pat back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    We set off at 10am and climbed by Sty Head and onto the Corridor Route. The cloud was well broken as we climbed towards the summit of Scafell Pike from Lingmell Col and although we were often in the cloud we also had some good views as the cloud blew over.

    We stopped in the shelter of some rocks near the summit cairn and ate our sandwiches before continuing north along the ridge over Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending by Esk Hause to meet the Grains Gill path below Great End following it back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Today I met Louise, Sarah, Tony, Mick, Claire, Claire and Jacqui at Seathwaite farm. Guess what!? It was raining, no suprises for Seathwaite there! However everyone was optimistic that the weather was going to improve throughout the day. We set off up towards Stockley Bridge and then climbed over to Styhead Ghyll. We reached Styhead Tarn, but unfortunatly the mist was down and the views were very restricted. We got onto the Corridor route, and by now the rain had eased, it looked like the forecast was right, woop! A Lady came running up from behind us asking if we had lost a phone, it wasn't ours but I took the phone (Iphone 4, very posh!) and said I would ask everyone on the way if they had lost it. We worked our way onto the side of Scafell Pike and the group were ready to make their way up the final ascent and bag the summit. On our way to the summit we were passed by a fell runner, we thought he was either really far ahead of the rest, or really far behind! As we reached the summit it was evident he was far ahead as dozens of other fell runners appeared. After a few summit snaps we went to our usual TLDW shelter and cracked out our lunch. A few minutes later a golf ball bounced off the shelter wall. It turned out some yobbos were smashing golf balls off the summit, and didnt think that other people were around......idiots. I got the phone out of my bag and all of a sudden it rang, it was the owner asking for their phone back, so luckily for them they will be getting it back soon.

    We left Scafell Pike, mostly in fear of getting a golf ball to the face, and headed over Broad Crag, Ill Crag and round Great End. Just as we were descending towards Grains Ghyll a Sea King Helicopter was loweing itself between Sprinling Tarn and Styhead Tarn. Mick got very excited and I said he could run ahead and try get a picture of it from above. Unfortunately Mick was a little too late, however he came back to Grains Ghyll just ahead of us and started to descend. We saw Mick moving ahead of us and were waiting for him to stop, but he didnt, and that was the last we saw of Mick! We think he was going to check if he left his car lights on. We were now being blessed by Blue sky and even a little bit of sunshine, it had become a lovely afternoon. We got back to Seathwaite Farm in 6 hours 45 mins and a great day had been had by all.

  • Scafell & Scafell Pike

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike and Scafell from Wasdale Head today, we set off from Wasdale Head at 10am and climbed the long grassy slopes of Lingmell, steep at first but easing towards the summit. We had some wonderful views from Lingmell across the valley to Great Gable and north through Borrowdale as well as west over the coast.

    From the summit of Lingmell we crossed Lingmell Col and climbed to the summit of Scafell Pike. There was a little cloud blowing around on the summit of Scafell Pike so we didn't have the best of views from the summit, but we sat behind the summit platform and ate our sandwiches with occasional glimpses of views.

    As we descended towards Mickledore we dropped below the cloud base and were rewarded with some magnificent views of Scafell Crag and down into Upper Eskdale, we dropped down the Eskdale side of the ridge a little way to pick up the Foxes Tarn path, climbing the damp rock by the waterfall easily to the tarn and then up the scree slope onto the summit plateau of Scafell.

    After a short detour to see the tops of Scafell Crag and Scafell Pinnacle we climbed the short distance to the summit cairn. The views from here were magnificent and after a short rest we descended towards Wasdale in the sun, a great day.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Three days until October and I am sitting here typing this with a sun tan! What a wicked day!

    I met Marion (from Sundays Helvellyn Walk) and Anne (From yesterdays epic ridge walk) in Seathwaite. There was a stiff breeze but the sun was shining, we knew we were in for a real treat. We walked along to Stockley Bridge and then climbed over to Styhead Ghyll. At Styhead Tarn we got views of our route, and even the summit of Scafell Pike.

    The corridor route provided us some shelter from the wind, and even some shade from the blazing sun. We were soon at Lingmell Col ready to take on the final ascent up the Pike. Half way up we got fantastic views over Wastwater, and after a few snaps we cracked on for the summit. We made the summit about 1.30 and all briskly got out our lunches.

    We made our way across the tops and down along to the head of Grains Ghyll. The sun was still beaming and walking back to Seathwaite was incredibly enjoyable! Fantastic Day!

  • Scafell Pike

    Very enjoyable day on Scafell Pike today. From Seathwaite, we walked up to Styhead Tarn then followed to Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and on to the summit. After having lunch and taking photos, we descended to Esk Hause then took the path via Grains Gill back to Seathwaite.
    It stayed fine and dry all day, however the anticipated sunshine never really materialised. At least it didn't rain.

  • Scafell Pike & Scafell

    A good day climbing Scafell Pike and Scafell from Wasdale Head today.

    The forecast for the day wasn't great but we were hopeful as we set off from Wasdale Head, we climbed by the Brown Tongue path and up onto Lingmell Col, the wind was pretty strong but so far there we none of the heavy shower predicted.

    As we reached the Summit of Scafell Pike a short sharp hail shower hit us, this soon eased as we descended towards Mickledore though, we found a good spot below Broad Stand to eat our lunches out of the wind before descending to meet the Fox's Tarn path.

    There was plenty of water coming down from the tarn today but we climbed by the waterfalls without any problems, as we climbed the steep slope above Fox's Tarn another hail shower hit us, a little longer this time but this eased off as we reached the summit of Scafell. There was nothing to see from the top now though as we were now in cloud.

    We descended the Green How path dropping out of the cloud quickly and descended the grassy slopes to Brackenclose getting back to the Wasdale Head Inn as a heavy shower reached.

  • Scafell Pike

    This morning I met Kevin, David and Hazel in Seathwaite ready to take on Scafell Pike. We made our way up to the Stockley Bridge and the drizzle and low cloud had settled in, none the less we pressed on! Soon enough we were at Styhead Tarn and from the mist came a voice asking if we were going up the Pike. This was where we met Will and Verity, two walkers who were slightly mis-placed and could do with a little help. We continued up the Corridor Route and made exceptional time to Lingmell Col. The group continued to impress by making a stunning ascent up the side of the Pike and onto the summit. After a short lunch stop we made our way back along the tops. It was much colder, the wind was up and the drizzle had again set in so we were keen to get around Great End and to the top of Grains Ghyll. We regained some views back down into Borrowdale on our descent back to Seathwaite Farm. Yet another cracking day on the fells!

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Another successful day climbing England's tallest today, Scafell Pike.

    I was joined today by Gill and Phil who were fairly new to hillwalking, and after their ascents of Wales's tallest, Snowdon, they thought they would come and tick off Scafell Pike. The sky looked misty and the drizzle was about to come down but with determination we cracked on to Stockley Bridge. The large amounts of rain that had fallen overnight was teeming off the fell side and Grains Gill was looking very full! We followed the path across to Styhead Gill and made our way to Styhead Tarn. Unfortunately at this point we were well within the cloud so could not see the views. It was also here at the stretcher box where we had seen our first walkers of the day, and what we thought until later on the last! We followed the corridor route at a great pace and were soon on the slopes of Scafell Pike, facing the final ascent. I was still amazed at this point that we had not seen anyone else on the mountain, and it continued to stay this way. We summited, and after a quick photo headed for our little lunching shelter. We made our way off of Scafell Pike and across Broad Crag, and finally we saw some other walkers. However the walkers kept on coming, as though there had been a traffic jam! About a dozen people later we were again alone on a rather desolate looking Ill Crag. We made our way across the final boulder field and followed the path back to Grains Gill. We descended back under the mist and gained some fantastic views back down the valley. A fantastic day!

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Another good day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set off from Seathwaite at 10am in sunny weather, with just a little cloud on Great End. After climbing above Stockley Bridge towards Sty Head we saw cloud descending over the higher tops and some light rain started to fall.

    From Sty Head as we climbed on the Corridor Route the rain fell a little heavier and we climbed into the cloud just above the 2,000ft mark, the rain soon eased of and we climbed by Lingmell Col and up to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    There were no views from the summit of Scafell Pike so we stopped in the usual shelter to eat our lunches. After lunch we descended out of the cloud as we dropped down to Broadcrag Col and crossed Broad Crag and Ill Crag and as we descended through Calf Cove to Esk Hause we were rewarded with some wonderful views over the Langdale Pikes and to Helvellyn.

    We descended north from Esk Hause and dropped below Great End following the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike

    Apologies for the late post, but here is what we got up to yesterday!

    I met the group at Seathwaite Farm and unfortunately the weather was very grim! In the usual TLDW fashion we were up for the challenge and ready to take on Scafell Pike! We set off towards Stockley Bridge admiring the full waterfalls along the way. We took on our first ascent of the day and made our way over to Styhead Gill.  On our way to Styhead tarn we passed another group of walkers. The Leader of the group approached me and said 'Did you speak to those others going down? They said there is only 10ft visibility!'....the reaction in my head was firstly, thats pretty standatd for SFP, but also Awesome! Although fog and mist spoils the views it can enhance a mountain day in ways to make it feel like a much more dramatic environment. We joined the corridor route and made our way up the hillside. By this time the rain had eased and the wind was starting to dry us off! In great time we had made our way to the final ascent to the summit, and after a brief rest stop we headed for the summit. The mist was blocking any views of what was to come for the group, so they were unawares of how much further there was to go, but soon enough we were on the summit plateu about to summit. We got to summit, had a few photos and headed straight to the shelter to get out of the wind. As with many of our lunch stops this time of year it was short as we all started to cool down, so we heaved ourselves out of our seats and got on our way across the tops. About an hour later we came off Ill Crag and suddenly, as though someone had opened the curtains we got amazing views across to Esk Pike, Bowfell and the Crinkles. This was a great moment for the group as the last time we had seen anything was at the start of the corridor route! We admired the views and continued to Esk Hause. Here we were hit by a very bracing wind, which must have been blowing at over 70mph and gusting more, we stood here for a minute or two so the group could experience such strong winds (without having to put there head out of the window on a motorway of course!). We continued to the head of Grains Gill and were again greeted with amazing views towards the gables and down into Borrowdale. We made good time back down to Seathwaite Farm and arrived back after 6 hours 59 mins and 30 secs, with a guide time of 7 Hours....Perfick'!

     

    Written By Matt Burt

  • Scafell Pike & Scafell

    Wow what a great day! I met Bill at the Wasdale Head INN and we set off to meet the main track that ascends Scafell Pike. We got caught in a couple of waves of drizzle, but despite low cloud for the rest of the day, this was all the rain we faced! At a great pace we ascended the steep track to Hollow Stones, and then continued on to the zig-zags, and at this point we entered the mist. After tackling the steep final ascent we made it to the summit, and Bill was now on the highest point of England for his first time :)

    Aftert a short lunch in our usual shelter we summited again and then made our way off the misty summit and descended towards Mickledor. At the rescue box we took the steep broken path down towards Eskdale to meet the path that goes up to Fox's Tarn. This path was a scramble up the waterfalls and it was great fun! We both got to the top of the falls and had really enjoyed the scramble. We now had one last steep ascent of the day, so we got our heads down and plodded up the loose rocks to the summit of Scafell. From the summit we followed the track down past the top of Lord's Rake and then across Green How. We were now under the cloud and getting some fantastic views back over Wastwater, Lingmell, Yewbarrow and even Great Gable had come out of the cloud. We made our way off the steep grassy slope and across the fields to the road that runs back to the INN. We enjoyed the easy plod back to the car park and were both revelling in the fantastic day we had had.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another great day climbing Scafell Pike today! I met Simon, Paul, Bailey the chocolate labrador, and James, a trainee Mountain Leader at Seathwaite Farm. We set off at a storming pace of which we maintained for most of the day. After crossing Stockley Bridge we climbed the hillside and made our way over to Styhead Gill. We passed a few large groups on our way to Styhead Tarn and saw a few more climbing the Corridor Route. Unfortunately the cloud was low and thick, brining heavy rain/ drizzle storms with it so we were not able to get any of the great views. Soon enough we were at the base of Scafell Pike and ready to take on the final ascent. In yet another impressive time we were on the summit of the Pike, but now feeling a very strong wind as well as the rain we made a b-line for the shelter. After a very short lunch stop we continued over Broad Crag and Ill Crag and down to Esk Hause. We then descended Grains Gill, and it was now that we finally got under the mist to get some more views. After a fast but great day on the hills we were soon back at Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike today. The 2nd of November and we are still getting amazing weather on the fells which is giving us some fantastic views!

    I met Joanna at Seathwaite Farm and we were keen to get on our way up the flat track to Stockley Bridge. We climbed over to Styhead Gill past Taylorgill Force and continued to make our way up to Styhead Tarn. From here we could see the mist was just covering the tops of Lingmell and Great End, but then sun was poking through the clouds to provide the most dramtic of views. We made our way along the corridor route, which was nicely sheltered from the wind that we had previously been experiencing. We were soon at Lingmell Col ready to climb the final ascent to the summit of Scafell Pike. It was only half way up this ascent we saw our first fellow hillwalker of the day! We felt there was a party somewhere that we hadn't been invited to! :( haha. We got to the summit and were hit by some strong winds coming from the East, so after a few snaps next to the summit trig point we headed for the shelter. Amazingly it didn't feel quite as cold up there as it has done the last few trips, so our lunch stop was slightly longer than the 5 minute 'gobble and go', and we actually had a whole 15 minutes before we felt we should warm up again. We made a quick descent off the Pike and onto Broad Crag where we saw our second person of the day. Unfortunately this person was temporarily mis-placed (lost) and they needed a little guidance back to where they needed to be. After navigating the boulders of Broad Crag and Ill Crag we were soon down out of the mist at Esk Hause, where we were now getting fantastic views over towards Bowfell and the Crinkles, The Langdale Pikes, and down into Borrowdale. We waved off our lost welshman and continued on our path down to Grains Gill. We had another tea stop at the head of the valley again admiring the views and putting the world to rights before starting this final descent. We got back to Seathwaite Farm and had both had a very enjoyable day. Crackin'! Written by Matt Burt

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A cracking day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today, near perfect weather as we climbed from Seathwaite by Sty Head and onto the Corridor Route. We made good time as we climbed to Lingmell Col and up to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    The views from the summit were magnificent as we sat and ate our lunches. After a short stop we headed off, crossing Broadcrag Col and climbing over Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through calf cove to Esk Hause and below Great End onto the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite (a.k.a The day Clive got Views!)

    Today was truly fantastic, and a very special one as Clive (A regular TLDW walker and a close friend of the company) finally got views from the summit of Scafell Pike after 3 previous attempts!

    Myself, Rob (from yesterdays walk) and Clive started from Seathwaite Farm and although there was a bit of frost on the ground, the sky was crystal clear, we knew we were in for a good one!

    We set off to the Stockley Bridge and then climbed up the hillside alongside Taylorgill Force. This climb warmed us all up quickly and we were soon walking in our T-shirts, In November!!!!

    From Styhead Tarn we got amazing views towards Lingmell, Great End, and Scafell Pike. We got on the corridor route and soon enough we were on the final climb up to Scafell Pike. On the way up we stopped off at the viewpoint and took some snaps looking down over Wastwater. 5 Minutes later we were on the summit of Scafell Pike, with views!
    Clive’s mission was finally accomplished! Yay!!! We stopped on the summit for a snack and soaked up the views before moving off over Broad Crag, Ill Crag and made our way to the summit of Great End. On the summit of Great End we were again soaking up amazing views but we stopped a bit longer this time and enjoyed our lunch in the sun.

    We descended down to Grains Gill and then followed this long path back to Seathwaite Farm, enjoying even more amazing views in the afternoon sun. What a great day, again! :D Written by Matt Burt

     

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A good day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today, we set off from Seathwaite at 9am and climbed by Sty Head and onto the Corridor Route climbing by Lingmell Col to the summit of Scafell Pike, there were a few people near the summit of Scafell Pike who had climbed up from the Wasdale side of the mountain, but otherwise we didn't pass anyone else all day.

    From the summit of Scafell Pike we crossed Broad Crag and Ill Crag descending by Esk Hause and down onto the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Styhead to Sprinkling Tarn

    I met the group bright and early this morning at Seathwaite Farm ready to climb Scafell Pike. The weather was dry but a bit windy, and better than the forecast had stated. We got on our way and were soon at Stockley Bridge. We ascended past Taylorgill Force and gained the flatter ground that leads towards Styhead Tarn. On this stretch we started to feel some more of the wind that was forecast. Shortly before the Stretcherbox by Styhead Tarn the rain started and we felt the full force of the wind. Taking the conditions in mind, and that it was now unfortunately worse than forecast we thought best not to press on to Scafell Pike and make our way back down the valley. Instead of heading back the way we came we ascended up past Sprinkling Tarn under the shelter of Great End and met the path that runs down the valley next to Grains Gill. Although we didn't get to the top it was great to get out nonetheless.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A successful but breezy day climbing Scafell Pike today!

    I met James at Seathwaite Farm, already wearing more layers than usual! It was quite chilly. We got on our way and immedietly fell into a great conversation about Nepal, as James is off to Everest Base Camp in March and was climbing Scafell Pike with us today as a means of training for his trek. This conversation stuck with us for most of the first bit of the walk, and before we knew it we were past the stockley bridge, up past Taylorgill Force and at Styhead Pass. Here the wind was whipping up from the Wasdale Valley so we made quick movements towards the far more sheltered corridor route. We made great progress up the Corridor route, getting caught in a couple of light showers along the way. Just before Lingmell col we ascended into the mist, and took this moment to take a brief rest bite. Now on the final push we made our way up the steep ascent to the summit of the Pike. As we hit the zig zags we were also hit by a strong wind but we pressed on. Very strangely as we made our way onto the flat summit plateau, the wind disappeared! It was very strange! We walked with ease onto the summit, where there was evidence of ice starting to build up. As we reached the cairn we were then smacked in the face by more wind coming from the south. It was on the summit that we saw our first fellow hillwalkers of the day! We had already made the decision due to the wind strength and direction that we would be better off going back the way we came and not taking the exposed ridge line route back along the tops. We descended off Scafell Pike and re-joined the corridor route. We had a pleasant descent, apart from the ball bearing type hail that hit us at about 50mph, ouch! haha. A great day out!

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Starting from Seathwaite Farm, just after a short shower of rain we made our way towards Stockley Bridge. From the Stockley Bridge we climbed the hillside past Taylorgill force and followed the path to Styhead Tarn. Very suprisingly we could see the summit of Scafell Pike, as well as Lingmell and Great End. I was also suprised to see that Scafell Pike didn't seem to have much snow on top compared to the amount Helvellyn has had the last couple of days.

    We joined the Corridor route and slowly traversed the hillside towards Lingmell Col. As we neared the col we kept getting blown by gusts of wind, so we knew that when we got to eh top we wouldn't be able to stay out in the open for long! We climbed the last steep slope to the summit, now walking through the small patches of snow. After a few summit pictures we gained shelter for some lunch. As expected the lunch stop was short due to getting cold so we got back on the trail towards Broad Crag Col. Broad Crag and Ill Crag seemed to be holding much more snow but the group still made great progress over the undulating ridge.

    We descended to Esk Hause and then dropped down the path next to Grains Gill back to Seathwaite Farm. A great day in the hills!

  • Scafell Pike from Seatwaite

    A very snowy day today climbing Scafell Pike from Seatwaite.

    We set off from Seathwaite at 9am and climbed above Stockley Bridge to Sty Head, there was a good covering of snow on the lower slopes, a little damp, but no new snow, from Sty Head onwards there was plenty of fresh snow, soft an deep, very hard work.

    We pressed on climbing along the Corridor Route, slow progress but good fun breaking new ground, a few places on the path took a little extra care. We eventually reached Lingmell Col several people had been up this way today so we followed their footprints to the summit of Scafell Pike

    .

    It was pretty late in the day and there were no views from the summit today so we just stopped for a short lunch stop before pressing on, descending the steep slope towards Broadcrag Col, there was plenty of snow along the ridge, but walking was easy, it took less time to get to Calf Cove than during the summer!

    We descended through Calf Cove to Esk Hause, picking up the drove road down to Seathwaite, getting down to the farm at 4pm. A great day, although hard work and we hardly saw anybody all day!

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    January 2nd and we have our first ascent of over a hundred for the year up Scafell Pike. The forecast was again showing some grim weather which included snow showers, and with the sleet smashing off my windscreen on the way to Seathwaite, I thought it was going to be a bit of a wild one!

    I met the group at Seathwaite Farm and there was a nice break in the weather, and the cloud base was suprisngly high, maybe it was going to be ok, but having been caught out just minutes from the car before, I donned my waterproofs straight away. We made our way to Stockley Briudge and climbed past Taylorgill Force. With no sign of rain we all started to overheat a little, as we even started calling it 'quite mild!' After a quick layer adjustment we made our way to Styhead Pass and admired the surrounding fells. There was not much evidence of snow on the ground apart from the odd patch up high. We joined the Corridor Route and made great time as we ascended to Lingmell Col. As we joined the track to ascend Scafell Pike we emerged into a strong wind. We got to the Zig Zags and as we got to the western face of the ascent it turned into a winter wonderland. All the rocks had been blasted with Ice, and although pretty it meant we had to walk with extra caution. As we got higher and higher the ice got more and more impressive. We reached the summit plateau in the mist and the summit emerged out of the cloud. We bagged the trig point and quickly saught shelter in our usual spot (Although there was a massive pile of snow taking up half the shelter!) After a great lunch to refuel we went to head off the summit to the north to follow our usual route towards Great End. A big patch of consolidated snow was covering most of this northern aspect, and with a couple more northern slopes to descend later in the route we opted to return via the Corridor route.

    We made quick progress back down to the Corridor route in order to get out of the wind. We had great views back down Borrowdale and into Wasdale all the way. We returned via Styhead Tarn and back down past the Stockley Bridge. Just as we got back to the cars a hail storm started, now thats what you call timing! A fab day out!

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    I met the group at Seathwaite Farm, and just as we set off we were caught in a rain storm. Fortunately for us it didn't last long at all! We made our way to the Stockley Bridge and then climbed above Taylorgill Force to Styhead Tarn. From Styhead pass we joined thr Corridor Route and started to make our way upo the hillside. The cloud was blowing across the tops and occasionally allowing us a few minutes to look up at the summit of Scafell Pike. As we got to Lingmell Col we were in the mist, and had moved into a strong South Westerly wind. We trudged up the steep ascent and summited Scafell Pike, before making quick progress into shelter and out of the strong wind.

    With the temperature easily down to about -5 in the wind we didnt stop for long. Our usual route over towards Great End still had large amounts of snow on the northern slopes, and this coupled with the strong winds that we would be exposed to over the tops, we decided to descend via the Corridor Route.

    We made good progress off the hill and made our way back to Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike

    Another clear crisp winter day on the cards, and what a great place to be going, the summit of Scafell Pike!

    We set off from Seathwaite towards Stockley Bridge and we were all very excited about what the day was going to hold, the weather was just fantastic! We reached Stockley Bridge and climbed up past Taylor Force Gill. We were encountering large bits of ice on the path, so we were wondering what we would encounter higher up. We got to Styhead Pass and admired the surrounding mountains before making our way onto the Corridor Route. We made great progress up the path, stopping to admire the view doen the Wasdale Valley, as well as the stunning face of Great Gable. Soon enough we were at Lingmell Col and on the final ascent. On the way up we went to the impressive viewpoint that looks down to Wastwater below. We reached the summit, which was actually quite busy. There was a bit of a wind so we gained some shelter beside the large summit cairn and quickly gobbled down some sarnies. We didn't stop long as it was so cold so we made our way off the summit towards Broad Crag Col. We continued to enjoy the amazing views along the tops of Broad Crag and Ill Crag before dropping down via Calf Cove to the top of Grains Gill. The path down Grains Gill had a lot of ice on it so we took our time, but we made it back to Seathwaite with big smiles on our faces from such a great day out!

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set off from Seathwaite at 9am and climbed to Sty Head, the skies began grey but as we climbed up the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col.

    There was much less snow today than there had been the past few days, as we passed the 2000ft mark there was a little more, but it was very soft and wet until we were on the last climb up to Scafell Pike.

    There were some great views from the summit, but also a strong wind so after a quick photo stop at the summit we retired to a shelter for our lunches.

    After a short stop we continued, descending the steep slope to Boradcrag Col before climbing again over Broad Crag and Ill Crag descending out of the wind into Calf Cove.

    There were great views as we descended over Esk Hause and down below Great End onto the Grains Gill path, gatting back to Seathwaite just before 4pm.

    A great day on the fells.

  • Scafell Pike

    A fantastic day up Scafell Pike today.

    We set off from Seathwaite at 9am and made our way to the Stockley Bridge. The skies were clearer than the forecast so we were very happy! We climbed past Taylorgill Force and up to Styhead Pass where we caught our first views of the summit of Scafell Pike. We joined the Corridor route and started to traverse up the hillside towards Lingmell Col. We gained excellent views down into Wasdale, and of the face of Great Gable.

    The cloud base had now lowered and had swallowed up the summit of Scafell Pike, but we were still happy as it wasn't raining! Soon enough we were at Lingmell col and onto our final ascent. We made our way up the zig zags and emerged onto the summit plateau where we saw our first fellow walkers of the day approaching from Mickledore. We climbed onto the frozen summit and Linda felt jubilant that she had made it to the top of the highest mountain in England. As we had summited earlier than usual we decided to continue a bit more before having lunch. On out way off the summit our unusually quiet day was dramtically changed as we waited for about 20 people to pass us on their way up! We descended to Broad Crag Col and then up and over the boulder strewn Broad Crag. This was followed by Ill Crag. We descended down Calf Cove which was holding a load of snow and now back under the cloud we had a spot of lunch with great views of The Langdale Pikes and down the Borrowdale Valley.

    We continued our descent back down to Seathwaite via Grains Gill. The most impressive thing about this day was the time. We unintentionally got round quite fast, in a mere 5 hours and 20 minutes! Well done Lynda! :D

     

  • Scafell Pike 04.03.12

    Great day on Scafell Pike. From Seathwaite, we ascended the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col, then on to the summit. After a very brief stop for lunch, we descended to Esk Hause, then followed Grains Gill.back to Seathwaite.
    We had a mixture of snow, hail, sunshine and very strong winds. However, we did have some excellent views in between.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A windy but bright day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today!

    I met Nicola and Sasha (the gorgeous golden Lab) at Seathwaite at 9am this morning. The skies were clear but the wind was strong, nonetheless we were up for tackling the highest peak in England. We set off through Seathwaite Farm and made our way up to Stockley Bridge. I think by this point Sasha had already run about 4 miles backwards and forwards over about 1km! We climbed by Taylorgill Force and made our way to Styhead Pass. From here we got great views of the summit of Scafell Pike. We joined the Corridor Route and traversed up the hillside gently to Lingmell Col. As we reached Lingmell Col we started our ascent up to the summit. On our way up the zig-zags we went to the viewpoint over Wastwater before continuing up to the summit. We enjoyed great views from the summit in all directions, and then we went into the shleter for some lunch. We enjoyed a nice lunch break and then descended to Broad Crag Col before climbing again up and over Broad Crag, followed by Ill Crag and down to Calf Cove. From here we had some fine views of the Langdale Pikes. We finished our descent to Seathwaite via Grains Gill.

    A smashing day out in the fells!

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A cracking day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set off from Seathwaite Farm just before half 9. The forecast was for a mixed day of drizzle and cloud, but at this point we just had the cloud, so we were happy! As we walked to Stockley Bridge the group were all getting to know each other and the conversation was rife. From the bridge we climbed by Taylorgill Force and towards Styhead Tarn. It was here that the drizzle had set in so we all stopped and donned our waterproof jackets. We left Styhead Pass and joined the Corridor Route and the cloud broke a little and allowed us some views down into Wasdale and of the face of Lingmell. We climbed up the Corridor route and made it to Lingmell Col in good time. From the col we started our ascent up to the summit of Scafell Pike. Not before long we were on the busy summit. We quickly made way into one of the shleters where we enjoyed a nice lunch, but with the temperature easily being below 0 degrees we soon cooled down.

    We continued down to Broad Crag Col before climbing over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Calf Cove. Just past Calf Cove we had made it under the cloud and we gained some fantastic views down to the Langdale Pikes, Windermere and down the Borrowdale Valley to Derwent Water. We finished our descent whilst admiring the views down the good path next to grains gill.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A surprisingly clear day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set off from Seathwaite Farm at 9am  and made our way up to the Stockley Bridge. The forecast was generally good, but the skies were far clearer than the forecast had predicted, but were we going to get views from the top?

    We climbed by Taylorgill Force and made our way up to Styhead Tarn. This valley had some mist in but we seemed to chase it up to the pass. At this point some broken cloud was covering most of Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Great End. We joined the Corridor route and started to slowly walk our way up to Lingmell Col. We stopped to enjoy the view down into Wasdale at which point we could see Great Gable 'steaming' with mist as it was blown up its impressive southern face. The mist also made Napes Needle stand out more than ever, a remarkable sight. As we got towards Lingmell Col the summit of Scafell Pike had cleared and we were hopeful for some views. As we made our way up towards the summit the cloud did come back across. As we summited our views were slightly restricted, but not before too long it had cleared to provide stunning views in all directions.

    We stopped in our usual shelter for a well deserved lunch break before cracking on down to Broad Crag Col. We continued our route over Broad Crag and Ill crag before descending to the top of Grains Gill via Calf Cove. We enjoyed a nice pace down the steppy path, taking a few stops to enjoy the warmth of the afternoon and the views. Another fine day out up Scafell Pike.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A warm and wonderful day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    I met the group at a very busy Seathwaite Farm at 9am, and the sun was already beaming down on us. We made our way to the Stockley Bridge before climbing by Taylorgill Force to Styhead Pass. By the time we had gotten to the pass we had a real sweat on, and it was only just after 10am, we were in for a warm one!

    We joined the Corridor route which guided us up to Lingmell Col where we were ready to start our final ascent to the summit. We took this nice and slowly due to the heat but soon enough we were on the summit plateau, followed by the summit. The summit was busy so we find a nice spot just out of the wind to enjoy the excellent views and a bite to eat.

    After lunch we descended to Broad Crag Col and then climbed over Broad Crag. It seemed like most people we now making there way up to the summit of Scafell Pike as we passed dozens of other walkers. We continued over Ill Crag and down by Calf Cove before joining the top of Grains Gill.

    Our final descent back to the farm was enjoyable as we enjoyed some of the afternoon heat. A great day to be out, let alone on the great Scafell Pike.

  • Scafell & Scafell Pike

    A wonderful day to be in Wasdale climbing Scafell and Scafell Pike

    We started at the Wasdale Head in and the day started extremely well when a Tornado Jet flew over at literally 200m above our heads! It was amazing! We made our way across the fields and started to make our way up the fellside. As we reached the southern ridge of Lingmell we opted to take the steep grassy line up instead of being on the motorway track up to Hollow Stones. The group all did very well up this very steep ground, and by midday we were on the summit of Lingmell with great views. We could see Scafell Pike was a popular fell to be on today as there were dozens on its summit already. After descending to Lingmell Col we climbed again up the track and to the summit of Scafell Pike. After a few snaps on the summit we found a more secluded spot for a bite to eat.

    After lunch we descneded to Mickledore from where we continued to descend towards Eskdale. Shortly after Broad Stand we got to the gully which usually holds a waterfall. We chose to take this great scrambly route up to Fox's Tarn, and the additional Ice and snow in the gully added a little bit more spice to it! Everyone scrambled well, and seemed to enjoy it loads, as when we got to the top there was a round of 'That was awesome!'. From Fox's Tarn we climbed the steep slope up to the summit plateau, and then to the summit of Scafell.

    After another short stop on the summit admiring the views down to Burnmoor Tarn we started our final decent of which we went via the end of Lords Rake. We crossed the grassy slopes and descended steeply to Brackenclose, from which we walked along the road back to the Wasdale Head.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    Starting from Seathwaite Farm we made our way to the Stockley Bridge. The weather was currently dry and a bit blustery, but the forecast was for thundery showers, so we thought we had an interesting day ahead of us weather wise! We climbed by Taylor Gill Force and up to Styhead Pass. The tops of the highest fells were sitting in the cloud, but we were remaining optimistic that it would clear (a key piece of hillwalking equipment!) From the pass we joined the Corridor route which traversed up the fellside, and on which we gained great views down into Wasdale.

    As we climbed higher the cloud did seem to lift, and the top of Scafell Pike did emerge from time to time. Soon enough we were at Lingmell Col and making our way up towards the summit. As we got closer to the summit we were walking on more and more snow, and it was actually still quite deep in places. We emerged on the blank windswept summit plateau, followed by the summit, where we did get views! Yay!! We hid behind the summit platform out of the wind, and to warm up a bit quicker we got into our big orange group shelter for our lunch.

    After our lunch we descended the steep slope to Broad Crag col, and then climbed over Broad Crag, Ill Crag and down Calf Cove to the top of Grains Gill. All along this stretch we had fine views of the rest of the Lakes.

    We descended Grains Gill back to Seathwaite Farm, and just as we got back into the cars it started spitting with rain, excellent timing if you ask me!

  • Scafell Pike

    Very nice day on Scafell Pike today. Leaving from Seathwaite, we walked up to Styhead Tarn, where we had a short break. We then ascended The Corridor Route to the summit, which was surprisingly quiet considering the weather conditions. After stopping for lunch and to take some photos, we descended to Esk Hause, then followed Grains Gill back to Seathwaite. No photos as I forgot my camera. Sorry!

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We left Seathwaite Farm and enjoyed the warmth as we made our way to the Stockley Bridge.  We climbed by Taylor Gill Force and up to Styhead Pass where we had a little stop to enjoy the views, at which point the tops of the highest fells were out of the cloud.  From the pass we joined the Corridor route which traversed up the fellside, and on which we gained great views down into Wasdale.

    As we were half way up the Corridor route a layer of cloud rolled in and the top of Scafell Pike was swallowed up in this. Soon enough we were at Lingmell Col and making our way up towards the summit. As we reached the summit plateau the mist cleared to revealed some great views. We enjoyed a nice long lunch break in the warmth of the sun and soaking up the views.

    After our lunch we descended the steep slope to Broad Crag col, and then climbed over Broad Crag, Ill Crag and down Calf Cove to the top of Grains Gill. All along this stretch we had fine views of the rest of the Lakes. We descended Grains Gill back to Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We left Seathwaite Farm and enjoyed the morning warmth and sunshine as we made our way to the Stockley Bridge.  We climbed by Taylor Gill Force and up to Styhead Pass where we had a little stop to enjoy the views, at which point the tops of the highest fells were out of the cloud.  From the pass we joined the Corridor route which traversed up the fellside, and on which we gained great views down into Wasdale.

    As we were half way up the Corridor route a layer of cloud rolled in and the top of Scafell Pike was swallowed up in this. Soon enough we were at Lingmell Col and making our way up towards the summit. As we reached the summit plateau the mist cleared to revealed some great views.

    We descended by Broad Crag Col to Esk Hause, and then back to the farm via Grains Gill.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today for Andy's 40th Birthday.

    After meeting the large Birthday group at Seathwaite Farm we made our way to the Stockley Bridge. We climbed by Taylor Gill Force and up to Styhead Pass. At the pass we took the opportunity to admire the views and have a welcomed break. The cloud was currently sitting on top of Scafell Pike, but clearing on all the other surrounding fells. From the pass we joined the Corridor route which traversed up the fellside to a misty Lingmell Col.

    Everyone climbed well up the steep final ascent, and soon enough we were on a a very busy summit. After a nice round of 'Happy Birthday' for Andy we had some lunch. Fortunately the mist did clear for a few seconds to unveil the fab view the summit has to offer.

    After our lunch we descended the steep slope to Broad Crag col, and then climbed over Broad Crag, Ill Crag and down Calf Cove to the top of Grains Gill. Now well under the cloud we enjoyed fantastic views, especially north towards Derwent Water as we descended back to the farm.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day on Scafell Pike today. We set off from Seathwaite at 9.30am and climbed in warm sunshine to Sty Head Pass, climbing along the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and up to the summit of Scafell Pike.

    After a lunch stop on the summit of Scafell Pike we continued, crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending over Esk Hause and down the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Another successful day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    With the warm weather starting to break the forecast hinted at more cloud on the fells and the possibility of rain. Despite this we were keen for a great day out on the hills. After meeting at Seathwaite we made our way up to the Stockley Bridge. Although the sun was hiding behind the clouds it was still quite warm, so before we climbed by Taylorgill Force we all took off a layer or two! As we made our way towards Styhead Pass we seemed to be walking into a large patch of low cloud, however as we got to the pass it seemed to get blown through. At this point we could not see the tops of the fells.

    We joined the Corridor Route and made great progress. As we were below Round How the mist cleared through and we the summit of Scafell Pike was clear for all to see, and with it came a cheer from all the group. After a morning of low cloud, the possibility of having views from the top was now very great! We crossed the top of Piers Gill and made our way to Lingmell Col.

    We now turned and made our way up the steep final ascent. Half way we detoured off of the trail to enjoy the great view down over Wastwater.  A short while later we were on the bouldery summit plateau followed by an unusually calm summit. We enjoyed our lunch out in the open on the summit, and although the sun wasn't really present it was nice and warm. We enjoyed the views, and although not extensive the cloud added a bit of drama to it all.

    After lunch we descended to Broad Crag Col and then made our way around Broad Crag and Ill Crag. After coming off of the boulders at Ill Crag we descended through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and then joined the top of Grains Gill. We enjoyed a warm descent down Grains Gill back to Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A rather misty day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    Starting from Seathwaite Farm we set off towards the Stockley Bridge. The fells were covered in the mist, and unfortunately it didn't show signs of moving, we were up for it anyway though!

    After climbing by Taylorgill Force we made it to Styhead pass where the mist was super thick. We then joined the Corridor route on which we made great progress. Not before long we were up the final summit ascent and onto the summit of Scafell Pike. We were not blessed with any luck of the mist clearing on top so we made our way to the shelter for our lunch.

    After lunch we descended to Broad Crag col and made our way by Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Calf Cove. From here we walked to Esk Hause and shortly after joined the top of our descent route, Grains Gill.

    With the warm weather starting to break the forecast hinted at more cloud on the fells and the possibility of rain. Despite this we were keen for a great day out on the hills. After meeting at Seathwaite we made our way up to the Stockley Bridge. Although the sun was hiding behind the clouds it was still quite warm, so before we climbed by Taylorgill Force we all took off a layer or two! As we made our way towards Styhead Pass we seemed to be walking into a large patch of low cloud, however as we got to the pass it seemed to get blown through. At this point we could not see the tops of the fells.

    We joined the Corridor Route and made great progress. As we were below Round How the mist cleared through and we the summit of Scafell Pike was clear for all to see, and with it came a cheer from all the group. After a morning of low cloud, the possibility of having views from the top was now very great! We crossed the top of Piers Gill and made our way to Lingmell Col.

    We now turned and made our way up the steep final ascent. Half way we detoured off of the trail to enjoy the great view down over Wastwater.  A short while later we were on the bouldery summit plateau followed by an unusually calm summit. We enjoyed our lunch out in the open on the summit, and although the sun wasn't really present it was nice and warm. We enjoyed the views, and although not extensive the cloud added a bit of drama to it all.

    After lunch we descended to Broad Crag Col and then made our way around Broad Crag and Ill Crag. After coming off of the boulders at Ill Crag we descended through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and then joined the top of Grains Gill. We enjoyed a warm descent down Grains Gill back to Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Another misty but drier day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We left Seathwaite Farm and made our way to the Stockley Bridge.  We climbed by Taylor Gill Force and up to Styhead Pass where we had a little stop to enjoy the views, which were being made quite dramatic by the sun braking through the cloud.  From the pass we joined the Corridor route which traversed up the fellside, and on which we gained great views through holes in the mist down into Wasdale.

    We continued climbing up into the mist, and soon enough we were at Lingmell Col and making our way up towards the summit. The mist seemed to get thicker and thicker, but soon enough we were up on the windswept summit of Scafell Pike. After a few snaps we left for the summit shelter, which fortunately had noone in it, mainly because nobody could see it!

    After our lunch we descended the steep slope to Broad Crag col, and then climbed over Broad Crag, Ill Crag and down Calf Cove to the top of Grains Gill.  We descended Grains Gill back to Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    Starting from Seathwaite Farm we made our way to the Stockley Bridge. We climbed by Taylor Gill Force and up to Styhead Pass.  The cloud was sitting on the summits, but it was gradually improving. From the pass we joined the Corridor route which traversed up the fellside, and on which we gained great views down into Wasdale.

    As we climbed higher we found ourselves up in the mist, and it seemed we would not be getting any views today. Soon enough we were at Lingmell Col and making our way up towards the summit.  We bagged the summit and then got into the shelter out of the wind to enjoy lunch.

    After our lunch we descended the steep slope to Broad Crag col, and then climbed over Broad Crag, Ill Crag and down Calf Cove to the top of Grains Gill. All along this stretch we had fine views of the rest of the Lakes. We enjoyed the final descent alongside Grains Gill.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A fabulous day today climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    We had a great time walking the route today in glorious sunshine. As we reached styhead pass we had amazing views of Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Great End. The group all climbed very quickly and soon enough we were on the summit of Scafell Pike enjoying the views. There were quite a few people out and about today which was good to see. The sun did get caught behind some clouds on our descent but for most of our descent down Grains Gill we were in the heat of the sun, lovely!

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A wet and windy day Geocaching on Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today!

    Unfortunately as the weather had been so poor and the forecast for the day was for more rain, all of the group bar one decided not to climb Scafell Pike today. However Sue who was very keen to climb Scafell Pike was up for it! On my drive down to Seathwaite the road alongside Derwent Water was slightly flooded, the night of rain had  had quite an impact, however as we got closer to 10am the rain eased and the cloud was lifting higher and higher by the minute.

    We set off from Seathwaite Farm and after just a few hundred metres we had to strip off a layer as it was quite warm, and best of all, dry! On the way up towards Styhead Pass Sue told me she enjoys Geocaching in her spare time, and she had her GPS with her today with some of the local Geocaches programmed into it. For those of you who may not be aware of what Geocaching is, it is a fun sport whereby you use a GPS to locate registered items in outdoor locations (Usually a lunchbox with items in, including a notebook in which you write your name and date of visit). We reached Styhead Pass and had to walk about 160m off of the track to locate a Geocache under a boulder. We joined the Corridor route where we got intermittent views down into Wasdale through the mist. We climbed well and as we reached Lingmell Col we were faced with a strong wind, and it was only at this point it started to rain. Towards the top of the ascent we went and located another Geocache. A short walk brought us to the windswept summit of Scafell Pike, which with photographic evidence counted as another Geocache for Sue, woop!

    We had lunch in the shelter before descending to Broad Crag Col. We made rapid progress over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Calf Cove, and then onto Esk Hause where we were again under the mist and getting views down the Borrowdale Valley. We continued to make rapid progress and an hour later we were back at Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A mixed day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    As we left Seathwaite and headed towards Stockley Bridge we were caught in a couple of showers, and the showers were on and off for most of the day. As we reached Styhead Pass it seemed the low cloud was slowly lifting, but it was unlikely we would get views from the top of Scafell pike. We joined the Corridor Route and climbed well up to Lingmell Col. After the final steep climb we reach the summit of Scafell Pike, and after a few snaps we headed for the shelter. After a spot of lunch we descnded past Broad Crag and Ill Crag. Just above Calf Cove the mist cleared through and we got some great views of great Gable and Kirk Fell. The afternoon got better as we descended down Grains Gill as it seemed to get a bit brighter and the views down Borrowdale were great.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A fantastic day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    The forecast wasn't great for today, but saying that, compared to some of the recent weather it was OK! As we stood in Seathwaite about to set off a small shower passed through and we thought that would the story of the day. We made great progress up to Stockley Bridge and just as we started to climb by Taylorgill Force a harder shower kicked in. Those who hadn't already put their waterproofs on put them on before climbing higher. Just as we reached the flatter ground running up to Styhead Pass the shower stopped and the cloud started to clear, it was looking quite bright! It warmed up rapidly and we were soon taking off the waterproofs again.

    As we reached Styhead Pass Lingmell was out and it was looking like Scafell Pike would also show its summit in the next few minutes. We joined the Corridor route and enjoyed the climb, and the amazing views. The weather just got better and better, and as we reached the summit of Scafell Pike we had great views, yay!

    We enjoyed lunch just off of the summit before descending to Broad Crag Col. It suddenly seemed to turn cold and we found ourselves with our layers and gloves on. After descending past Calf Cove and joining the top of Grains Gill the sun had come back out and we were soon stripping off the layers once more. A fantastic day climbing in some good weather, finally!

    As we left Seathwaite and headed towards Stockley Bridge we were caught in a couple of showers, and the showers were on and off for most of the day. As we reached Styhead Pass it seemed the low cloud was slowly lifting, but it was unlikely we would get views from the top of Scafell pike. We joined the Corridor Route and climbed well up to Lingmell Col. After the final steep climb we reach the summit of Scafell Pike, and after a few snaps we headed for the shelter. After a spot of lunch we descnded past Broad Crag and Ill Crag. Just above Calf Cove the mist cleared through and we got some great views of great Gable and Kirk Fell. The afternoon got better as we descended down Grains Gill as it seemed to get a bit brighter and the views down Borrowdale were great.

  • 24 Peaks Challenge

    Another fantastic weekend of toughing it out on the 24 Peaks Challenge in 24 Hours.

    On Saturday morning I met the group in Buttermere, and after a few minutes of finalising kit we were on our way (8.17am). The start of the challenge is not a kind one as we got straight into the climb by heading up the steep steps leading to Red Pike. We made great progress up this steep climb, despite intentionally taking it easier as to not burn out. After the final scramble we were on the summit of Red Pike after 1 hour and 20 minutes. There was a bit of mist on the Buttermere Fells but there was more over towards Great Gable where we would be heading later.

    From Red Pike we followed the ridge and a short climb brought us up to summit number 2, High Stile. From High Stile another ridge walk brought us quickly onto summit 3, High Crag. With 3 summits in the bag within a couple of hours we now had a large descent to deal with. We descended the steep slope of Gamlin End before heading across Scarth Gap. From here we scrambled quickly up the slope to the summit of Haystacks, unfortunately not one of the 24 peaks!

    We headed south from Haystacks past Inominate Tarn and weaved our way around the many tarns and outcrops before joining the track that climbs up to the Moses Trod Path. We joined this path for a short while before cutting off to hoin the northern slope of Green Gable. A short drag up into the mist brough us summit number 4, Green Gable. Great Gable soon followed as we headed across windy gap and up over the boulders to its windswept summit. We didnt linger long as we were planning on having Lunch at Styhead pass. We reached Styhead Pass after the knee crunching descent and the break was very well received!

    After the break we were back on the ascent and we made our way up the Corridor Route to the summit of Lingmell. We were still climbing really well and focused on now reaching the highest summit in England. The group continued to climb well and after about 20 minutes we were on the summit of Scafell Pike. We were lucky enough to have some views so we took a moment to soak them up before heading onto our next peak. We crossed Broad Crag Col follwed by Broad Crag and Ill Crag before a short ascent brought us up to Great End. We continued with great pace across Esk Hause and summited Esk Pike shortly after. 9 down, 1 to go. We crossed Ore Gap and picked our way through the boulders and onto the summit of Bowfell.

    With all of Day 1's peaks done we now just had to descend, and we had 1 hour 30 to get to the bottom to do it in 12 hours. We descended to the Three Tarns before turning east and joining The Band. We walked very quickly down the good path and we got to the bottom at about 12 hours exactly!

    The alarm clock went off way too soon on Sunday morning, but we had some unfinished business to attend to, so out of bed we had to get! Unfortunately 3 of the 10 were unable to continue onto day 2 of the challenge.

    After meeting in Ambleside at 7am we got our lift to the Kirkstone Pass, a great place to start the second day as its 350m above sea level. However, despite having a head start the first slope up Red Screes was by no means an easy one. We set off and the sun was already breaking through the patchwork of clouds, it was looking like a good day. We actually made amazing progress up this steep slope and we were on the summit after just 35 minutes.

    We took a few minutes to have a breather on the summit, but then we made our way across the grassy slopes to Dove Crag. Hart Crag and Fairfield followed soon after. With just over 2 hours gone we were now on the toughest section of the day. We descended down the steep western side of Fairfield before climbing the very steep slope on the side of Seat Sandal. From this summit we had to descend straight away. Back in the col we chose to take the steep runners path up to the summit of Dollywagon Pike, this was hard work, but once again the group climbed well.

    We were now onto the easier section of the walk and the summits would start to come much quicker. After Dollywagon Pike we took in Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn, White Side and Raise. We had just 3 summits left and we seemed to be walking better than ever. It had been windier across these last few summits, but the sun was starting to come out again. We cracked on to the Dodds, and we had soon taken in Stybarrow Dodd, Great Dodd and our final summit, Watson's Dodd. We had done it, all we had to do was descend down to the roadside.

    We descended down the grassy slope towards Castle Rock, and after passing the rock face we had made it to the roadside. John met us at the bottom and produced some champagne to celebrate our success. We had managed to complete the second day in just 8 hours 20 minutes, brining our total time to 20 hours and 20 minutes! Well done Chaps!!

  • Scafell Pike

    Another good day on Scafell Pike, with a group containing a few old faces. Or should I say familiar faces!
    We took the usual route from Seathwaite to Styhead Tarn, then picked up the Corridor Route to Lingmell Col and on to the summit of Scafell Pike.
    Other than the lack of decent views due to the clag, the weather was quite kind although it did try to rain as we descended via Grains Gill.

  • Scafell Pike

    A great day up Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    The forecast wasn't showing that it was going to be the nicest of days to be on the fells, but after meeting in Seathwaite, and it not raining, we were hopeful the forecast was wrong....because that happens sometimes...haha

    We made great progress at the start of the day up to Styhead Pass. The cloud was sitting on top of the summits but we still had a great view down into Wasdale. We continued to climb well up the Corridor route and after tackling a slightly windier final ascent we made it to the summit of Scafell Pike. After just a couple of quick snaps we dashed out of the wind into the shelter for a nice long lunch break.

    After lunch we made our way over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Calf Cove and then round to the top of Grains Gill, where we were again under the mist enjoying some great views down Borrowdale. The intermittent showers continued as we descended back down to Seatoller.

  • Scafell Pike

    A day of two halves today as we climbed Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    Thunderstorms were potentially on the menu for today, but as we arrived at a busy Seathwaite Farm this morning the skies werequite clear and the sun was shining! Amongst the group was the Heatly family who were on their second mountain of doing the National 3 Peaks over 3 years.

    After walking to Stockley Bridge and climbing by Taylorgill Force we enjoyed the flatter ground up to Styhead Pass. From the pass we could see the summit of Scafell Pike and the day was still looking very clear. We climbed at an enjoyable pace and took time to soak up the views as we made our way up the Corridor Route. The Borrowdale Fell Race was being run today as we were like salmon swimming upstream against all the runners, so we took a nice break at the side of the track and had a bite to eat.

    After reaching Lingmell Col we climbed in the heat up the steep ascent to the summit of Scafell Pike. Again we had a bite to eat and enjoyed the views. While having this break we heard the first clap of thunder and saw the flash of lightning, but it was sitting over the Helvellyn Range quite a few miles away. Thunderstorms when being up high on the mountains in never ideal so we opted for a change of route to lose height sooner than planned. We descended down to Broad Crag Col, and then took the scree covered path back down to the Corridor Route. As we reached the Corridor Route the weather was closing in all around us, and thunderstorms seemed to break out overhead, our decision to descend quickly was a wise one. We kept seeing the flashes of lightning and the multiple claps of thunder, but now away from the summits in the shelter of the fells we were in a safe place. With the thunder came the heavy rain and hail, which was a complete contrast to the sun we had had for the hours before!

    We continued our descent back past Styhead Tarn, and just before dropping down to the Stockley Bridge it all seemed to clear up again, although by this point we were quite well saturated! A great and exciting day on the fells indeed!

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A lovely day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    Starting from Seathwaite Farm we set off towards the Stockley Bridge. The fells were covered in the mist but we were optimistic it would shift!

    After climbing by Taylorgill Force we made it to Styhead pass where Scafell Pike was only just covered by some mist. We then joined the Corridor route on which we made great progress. Not before long we were up the final summit ascent and onto the summit of Scafell Pike, but unfortunately still in the mist, just! While eating lunch the mist did blow through from time to time allowing us some good views.

    After lunch we descended to Broad Crag col and made our way by Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Calf Cove. From here we walked to Esk Hause and shortly after joined the top of our descent route, Grains Gill.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Another mixed bag of weather climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite today.

    We set out from Seathwaite in the rain and it stuck with us all the way up to Styhead Pass. The pass was covered in thick mist and a few people were already turning around as they didnt fancy it. We joined the Corridor Route and on the way up the mist started to clear through a little bit to provide some glimpses of a view.

    We climbed well up the Corridor Route and after reaching Lingmell Col we climbed up the final slopes to the summit of Scafell Pike. We had a couple of quick snaps before getting into the shelter for lunch. The rain had now eased and we enjoyed a drier descent across Broad Crag and Ill Crag. We chose to grab the optional Great End today, from which we did get some good views down Borrowdale.

    We continued with our usual descent down Grains Gill via Esk hause after this summit.

     

     

     

    Starting from Seathwaite Farm we set off towards the Stockley Bridge. The fells were covered in the mist but we were optimistic it would shift!

    After climbing by Taylorgill Force we made it to Styhead pass where Scafell Pike was only just covered by some mist. We then joined the Corridor route on which we made great progress. Not before long we were up the final summit ascent and onto the summit of , but unfortunately still in the mist, just! While eating lunch the mist did blow through from time to time allowing us some good views.

    After lunch we descended to Broad Crag col and made our way by Broad Crag and Ill Crag to Calf Cove. From here we walked to Esk Hause and shortly after joined the top of our descent route, Grains Gill.

  • Scafell and Scafell Pike

    A great day upScafell Pike and Scafell today.

    We made great progress up the Brown tongue path to a misty summit. When we got to the summit we stopped for some lunch, but unfortunately the rain didn't hold off and we had to get our waterproofs on.

    We descended from the summit of Scafell Pike down to Mickledore, where we continued to descend before picking up the waterfall that led to Fox's Tarn. From the tarn we climbed up the steep scree slope to the summit of Scafell. From the summit we descended under the mist down Green How.

    After making it into the valley we followed the road back along to the Wasdale Head.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A showery day today as we climbed Scafell Pike from Seathwaite, there were a few early showers, none lasting too long as we climbed from Stockley Bridge up to Sty Head, the wind at Sty Head was quite gusty and as we climbed the Corridor Route there were a few more showers, but by now we were quite sheltered from the wind. The weather eased as we reached Lingmell Col but by the time we were on the summit there was quite a strong breeze and a hail shower.

    After a short lunch stop we pressed on crossing Broadcrag Col and climbing to the summits of Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through Calf Cove to Esk Hause and down below Great End onto the Grains Gill path back down to Seathwaite, now below the cloud base with some great views north over Derwentwater towards Keswick.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Another great day today climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    We set off from Seathwaite at 10am and climbed from Stockley Bridge to Sty Head Gill, stopping for a while to watch Peter rounding up the sheep on the slopes of Base Brown and taking them down to Seathwaite Farm.

    We made good time climbing to Sty Head and were on the Corridor Route in no time, there was quite a cold wind today but we were in and out of the shelter on the Corridor Route.

    By the time we were at Lingmell Col the wind was quite strong, we didn't stop for long and pressed on to the summit, reaching the top just after 1pm. As we climbed towards the summit we were enveloped in clouds, the bright morning had turned into a dull day and the wind was getting very chilly!

    We stopped just below the summit out of the wind, after lunch we descended to Broad Crag Col and followed the ridge over Broad Crag and Ill Crag descending to Esk Hause and down below Great End onto the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • The 24 Peaks Challenge

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day today climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.
    We set off from Seathwaite just after 10am and climbed by Sty Head up onto the Corridor Route.
    Some of the high tops were in cloud but we had plenty of good views until we were up above Lingmell Col.
    As we approached the summit if Scafell Pike we caught a few showers, but none lasted for too long.
    After a short lunch stop on the summit of Scafell Pike we pressed on, descending the steep path down to Broadcrag Col then up and over Broad Crag and Ill Crag before dropping down through Calf Cove to Esk Hause.
    By now the cloud was well broken and we had some great views as we descended the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite Farm.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A showery day today climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite.

    We set off from Seathwaite a little after 9am and climbed by Stockley Bridge and up onto the Sty Head path to Sty Head Pass.

    From Sty Head we crossed to the Corridor Route, crossing Skew Gill and eventually up to Lingmell Col, turning up towards the summit of Scafell Pike.

    As we sat and ate our sandwiches on the summit of Scafell Pike it started to snow, it was quite hard for a few minutes before easing off again as we set off, descending to Broadcrag Col, we followed the ridge north, crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag to descend through Calf Cove to Esk Hause, dropping down onto the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

  • Scafell from Eskdale

    A damp day climbing Scafell and Slight Side from Eskdale today.

    We set off from Wha House at 9.30 and climbed by Catcove Beck climbing the southern shoulder of Slight Side. By the time we were on Slight Side the early drizzle had turned a little heavier and we were now in thick cloud.

    We didn't stop on Slight Side for too long and were soon off again, climbing the southern ridge of Scafell over Long Green eventually reaching the summit of Scafell.

    After a short stop we decided to return the way we had come, the wind was now quite strong, so we retraced our steps over Slight Side and down again by Catcove Beck, eventually returning to Wha House a little after sunset.

  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A good day on Scafell Pike today.

    Setting off from Seathwaite at 10am we climbed by Sty Head onto the Corridor Route and up to Lingmell Col.

    From the Col we headed up to the summit in strong winds, but as we reached the trig point on Scafell Pike the winds stopped, we sat on the summit to eat our lunches in the calm before heading off again, this time dropping down over Broadcrag Col and crossing Broad Crag and Ill Crag before descending through Calf Cover to Esk Hause and then down below Great End to meet the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.

    Returning to Seathwaite Returning to Seathwaite
    Arriving at the summit of Scafell Pike Arriving at the summit of Scafell Pike
    Arriving at the summit of Scafell Pike Arriving at the summit of Scafell Pike
    On Scafell Pike On Scafell Pike
    On Scafell Pike On Scafell Pike
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite: Wednesday 20th February 2013

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike and Lingmell from Seathwaite in the Borrowdale Valley in some quite chilly conditions.
  • Scafell Pike: Wednesday 13th March 2013

    A glorious days guided walking climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite Farm in the Borrowdale Valley. Glorious clear views today.
  • Not quite Scafell Pike

    A good day attempting Scafell Pike, despite not making the summit of Scafell Pike we had a great day with some great views of the surrounding mountains.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A glorious winter days guided walk up Scafell Pike from Seathwaite, with perfect snow conditions and some wonderful views
  • Scafell Pike from Wasdale

    A near perfect day climbing Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head in perfect sunshine with some wonderful views
  • Scafell Pike, Almost 17th April 2013

    Scafell Pike from Seathwaite almost. With deteriorating weather ,we didn't reach the summit. Despite the harsh conditions, good humour and pleasant company made a enjoyable outing for all.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A glorious day for weather, summiting Scafell Pike starting from Seathwaite, via the corridor route.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    Not a great start today climbing Scafell Pike, but the weather improved through the day to give us some good views as we descended from the summit.
  • 24 Peak Challenge

    We had a group tackling the challenge over 2 days.Starting in Buttermere and finishing in Langdale on day 1. And starting on The Kirkstone Pass and finishing the challenge at St Johns in the Vale on day 2.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike by Sty Head and the Corridor Route before returning over Broad Crag and Ill Crag to descend by Esk Hause and the Grains Gill path back to Seathwaite.
  • Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head

    A good day climbing Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head despite a poor weather forecast the weather cleared up dramatically through the day.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day in near perfect weather climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite, taking in the summits of Lingmell and Great End along the way. A great way to celebrate a birthday.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A bright sunny day with a cool wind allowed us perfect views on a successful day summiting Scafell Pike, where the summit boulder field and deep gorges added to the day's adventure.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A good day climbing Scafell Pike today climbing by the Corridor Route, some slightly wild conditions and low cloud but an enjoyable day.
  • Scafell Pike

    A day with clear summits allowed great views from the summit of Scafell Pike, but the cold north-westerly wind is still blowing
  • Scafell Pike

    A day forecast for bad weather instead turned out well with a dusting of rain as we climbed Scafell Pike from Seathwaite and encountered a lot of people running back down it.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite, good weather and great views throughout the day as we headed up the Corridor Route and descended by Sty Head
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day although rather warm. We set out from Seathwaite along to Stockley Bridge and up to Styhead Tarn.
  • Scafell & Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head

    A wonderful long day climbing Scafell and Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head, very hot with some cloud on the tops but a wonderful long day climbing the two highest mountains in England.
  • Scafell Pike from Seathwaite

    A great day climbing Scafell Pike from Seathwaite, cooler than previous days and with a little cloud on the tops for much of the day, but still a great day in good conditions.

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