Articles
Scafell Pike
01/07/2020
See also Gallery marked "Lake District"
Scafell Pike
In the summer of 2010 myself and 6 friends decided to climb Scafell Pike. At 3,210ft it is the highest mountain in England. Situated in the Lake District region of Cumbria the mountain was donated to the National Trust in 1919. Until it was properly measured in the early 1800s, geographers widely assumed Helvellyn, in the neighbouring Eastern Fells, was the highest.
For our mission we based ourselves at Drigg on the west coast about 15 miles from the start of the climb at Wasdale Head, this gave a very pleasant drive along the bank of Wastwater, the deepest lake in England, to the start.
From here there is a short walk to Lingmell Beck which needs to be crossed before the path really starts to climb. You need to ensure that you veer left towards a large cairn at the top of Brown Tongue across Hollow Stones and that you don’t veer right to Mickledore. After about a mile, you should reach Lingmell Col where the Path turns right as dramatic views across the surrounding Fells begin to open up. The final ascent has a clearly defined loose and rocky path which zig zags its way up to the final summit cairn.
We saw very few people on the way up but as we approached the mist covered top and the whole of England lay at our feet hordes of people materialised giving Piccadilly Circus a run for its money, many of these extending their stay at the top to savour the achievement.
We rounded off the weekend break with a ride on the 7 mile long privately owned Ravenglass and Eskdale narrow gauge steam railway, this was originally built to carry Iron Ore from mines near Boot close to the summit of the Hardknott Pass.
Stafford Steed
In the summer of 2010 myself and 6 friends decided to climb Scafell Pike. At 3,210ft it is the highest mountain in England. Situated in the Lake District region of Cumbria the mountain was donated to the National Trust in 1919. Until it was properly measured in the early 1800s, geographers widely assumed Helvellyn, in the neighbouring Eastern Fells, was the highest.
For our mission we based ourselves at Drigg on the west coast about 15 miles from the start of the climb at Wasdale Head, this gave a very pleasant drive along the bank of Wastwater, the deepest lake in England, to the start.
From here there is a short walk to Lingmell Beck which needs to be crossed before the path really starts to climb. You need to ensure that you veer left towards a large cairn at the top of Brown Tongue across Hollow Stones and that you don’t veer right to Mickledore. After about a mile, you should reach Lingmell Col where the Path turns right as dramatic views across the surrounding Fells begin to open up. The final ascent has a clearly defined loose and rocky path which zig zags its way up to the final summit cairn.
We saw very few people on the way up but as we approached the mist covered top and the whole of England lay at our feet hordes of people materialised giving Piccadilly Circus a run for its money, many of these extending their stay at the top to savour the achievement.
We rounded off the weekend break with a ride on the 7 mile long privately owned Ravenglass and Eskdale narrow gauge steam railway, this was originally built to carry Iron Ore from mines near Boot close to the summit of the Hardknott Pass.
Stafford Steed