Today's walk was a lottery with a constantly shifting cloud base and peaks randomly looming in & out of the cloud. Apart from starting at Seathwaite, the route was pretty fluid, the Gables & Base Brown where one option, Lingmell, Scafell Pike & Great End was another. Of course there is a saying about best laid plans...
Early morning at Seathwaite...
Taylorgill Force & start of the scramble...
swollen with melt-water...
grassy terrace exits the top of the scramble...
Great End & Lingmell, two of today's possible targets have their heads just in cloud, Great Gable was shrouded in gloom...
decision time, it looked more promising towards Scafell Pike...
of course it didn't take long for the cloud to lift of Great Gable...
it briefly lifted off Lingmell before it was swiftly hidden...
so I took the direct route to Broad Crag col...
at least the sun was shining...
& at the col...
although it didn't last long...
the summit gifted to the nation...
summit trig, no view...
I left the summit but returned when the cloud lifted - Scafell & a hint of Wastwater...
Broad & Ill Crag...
Broad Crag & Broad Crag col...
Lingmell of course is now cloud free...
looking back to Scafell Pike...
Ill Crag...
Bow Fell & Crinkle Crags from Ill Crag...
of course the cloud had returned, and an ascent of Great End seemed pointless...
nice amount of snow in Calf Cove...
Great End looking menacing, also now cloud free...
top of Grains Gill...
and again below the snow line...
Stockley Bridge & Seathwaite Fell...
I bet Central Gully on Great End hasn't bothered avalanching this year - must be about the first year if so! What was the snow like for walking on? fairly soft or hard-frozen? I've never done the scramble the other side of Taylorgill yet - keep wimping out and taking the path the other side - must get on with it. Think I'm waiting for a dry day and I never get one.
ReplyDeleteHaven't been straight up to Broad Crag Col either but keep wondering what that's like too. I'd think it's better in snow as it will hide the loose scree a bit?
Carol.
The snow was ok, just enough give for my boots to get a bite, although I stuck the crampons on from the col upwards, two fell runners where descending the short arete very gingerly - so it speeded up progress coming down.
ReplyDeleteI don't find the path up to the col that bad and the Taylorgill scramble is well worth a look. The scramble is reasonably easy and tbh can be done without using your hands. A line can be taking avoiding the edge, which doesn't really give an impression of exposure. Its also quite a dry route considering its location and is 'grease' free. Richard would enjoy it :) ,although there is a holly tree that has fallen which is the only difficulty, there was a large loose boulder next to it but that seems to have disappeared!!