May 2000 - We took a trip back to the Lake district, based this time at The Wasdale Head Inn.
Planned climbs were:
Climbers were Tim Ecott, Dan Ecott and Sarah Griffin.
On Saturday, Dan and Sarah and I set off just before 09:00 on a bright, sunny and already warm morning. Our planned trip took us up Wasdale towards Sty Head, along the path we used on our previous visit, skirting the lower slopes of Great Gable. This path, although not a major incline, taxed Sarah a bit, so we had frequent rests. Along this path we kept looking up to try to see Napes Needle and Sphynx Rock, which we planned to get close to on Sunday. We only stopped briefly at Sty Head as Sarah picked up some strength, and along the Corridor Path we had no trouble in getting up to the start of the line of cairns leading to the top of Scafell Pike. We arrived at the summit at about 13:00. Many other climbers were already clustered around the summit cairn. As before, we looked carefully at the summit of Scafell, about 1/4 mile away. It still looked higher than the Pike. So we were determined to get across to the Fell and look from that side. After a short lunch we headed off towards Mickledore intending to make our way down to the Foxes Tarn path up to the top of Scafell.
We crossed the ridge to the Scafell side of Mickledore, and looked for the path that led to the left. No distinct path could be seen, except one that led steeply down at the very foot of the rock wall of Broad Stand. We assumed this path to be the one that led to the Foxes Tarn route, so we headed off down. Eventually, and probably only a few yards short of the Foxes Tarn path, we had to abandon our efforts as this path ran out. We were on a ledge at the foot of Broad Stand with no way to get further - obviously in the wrong place. As time and energy were running low, we reluctantly decided to make our way back up to the Mickledore ridge, and then down to Wasdale Head via the Hollow Stones route.
We got back to Wasdale Head at about 18:00. We were all tired following a long hot day on the fells.
On Sunday, the morning weather waswarm and sunny again. Sarah, being a bit stiff from Saturdays efforts, decided not to climb this time. So just Dan and I set off up towards Sty Head again, intending for a change to follow the path alongside Lingmell Beck. Whilst this was easy at first, somehow we managed to lose the path, and so stayed at the foot of the valley until we could make our way up the valley side to Sty Head. It turns out we were on the wrong side of the Beck...
From Sty Head, we took the 'Breast Route' up the side of Great Gable. This is a made up path for most of the way up, hence the ascent was easy, although steep. We got up in about 1 hour. At the summit cairn we took the statutory photos and had a bite to eat. We then headed off north-east towards the Ennerdale side of the summit and down the steep slope towards Kirkfell. We made our way up Kirkfell using the path that follows the line of (what is left of) the Ennerdale Fence. The top of Kirkfell is fairly flat, so we walked easily over to the summit and shelter cairns. After a short debate at the shelter cairn we decided to try to get back to Wasdale Head via the Black Sail Pass. This meant dropping down from the summit of Kirkfell on the north side - again following the Ennerdale Fence line. This steep descent over a rocky outcrop brought us out on the path leading from Wasdale to Ennerdale. The path skirts round the base of Kirkfell and with a fairly gradual slope took us directly back down to Wasdale Head.
We got back to Wasdale Head at about 16:00.
Check out our May 2000 climb photo gallery HERE