This is my first Trip Report for a while (i think)
Firstly, let me take you back to the summer of 2010...
A fresh, eager (not particularly young though) sgt_pepper46 (thats me by the way) registered onto Walking Forum, as he was interested in getting some advice from and eventually meeting, like-minded fellows who had a passion for hill-walking and general hiking etc..
My first proper trip report was a gush of new emotions experienced while i had completed my first mountain, this being my sole ascent of Snowdon via the Watkin Path...
http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,9553.msg112987.html#msg112987 (for anyone interested)
This was a pivotal moment for me and from then on i've known that walking/hiking, call it what you will, is part of me.
After this moment though, the reality closed in... and on just about every time i've been walking, I've been plagued with poor weather. (strangely though, not when i've been on walks organised by others). This has quickly given me a reputation among the forumites who who me, as a bit of a bad weather urchin. and the fact of the matter is, i had not seen a single English Mountain Summit while out walking. The Scotland meet in March was the only exception to this, but as i was ill, i didn't go on this...obviously...
)
That was until friday 03/06/11, which i shall hold in my memory for a long long time...
On with the TR now....
My plan for the day was to complete 3 of the 4 English 3000's in a single day, with a 400 mile round trip thrown in.. From the outset, it was going to be touch and go...
I arrived at the Western Edge of Wastwater on the shoot north to Wasdale Head and the start of part 1 of my Challenge, Scafell Pike...
I had to stop half-way along the lakes' edge, as i was greeted with this Vista of the Scafells and surrounding mountains...
A good start by anyones reckoning, don't you think?
Well I arrived at Wasdale Head, and was ready to go for 8.45am, so i set off along the path that skirts Kirk Fell and Great Gable up to Sty Head and the start of the corridor route up to Scafeel Pike.
Kirk Fell and Great Gable
A view of Great End from along Wasdale
The big problem, as you'll be aware, with good weather, is it slows you down. Now myself, having never had to endure good weather while walking, was not quite prepared for this, and was dissapointed at the time it took to reach Sty Head, well over an hour. This was my first indication that my challenge might be at threat..
But on i went, up the corridor route, which i found to be thoroughly entertaining.
Corridor Route with Lingmell and it's impressive gully (probably the wrong word) in full view.
it was taxing to say the least in the rapid increasing heat with no breeze for respite. There was one other guy going at roughly the same pace, so we kept swapping the lead and silently helping each other up to the summit.
But get to the summit we did...
I had done my first ascent of Scafell Pike in August of 2010, and i was thoroughly under-impressed with the experience, but this was a completely different ball-game. i found myself on the top of England with the whole of Lakeland within my view-point, and it was astounding! Admittedly, not as dramatic of the pics i'd seen from the Scotland meet, which i didn't go on, but equally impressive.
Next on my list was Scafell, which I'd never even seen the year before, and i was in for a shock... For me, it is a mountain that asks a lot more questions of the hiker than The Pike, only 17 metres lower than it's brother. The traverse to it, brings on the image of it's north face, and an immediate alarm in my mind of "how the hell am i going to get up there!?!"
Well the answer is, you have to go down about 300 metres along steepish a scree slope and ascend up an equally steep gully carved into the East side of the mountain. thiks i thoroughly enjoyed, albeit if draining.
About half-way up the gully there are a collection of seemingly precariously wedged boulders, massing about 30tonnes at a guess. for some quite bizarre reason i found myself tentatively near-tip-toeing around them! Which i laughed to myself about after clearing them!
Well on i went at my slow pace and i was very pleased to summit eventually. And what i feeling this was. the solitude of Scafell was apparent after the busy-busy peak of The Pike. A couple of other guys up there, with whom i exchanged pleasantries.
I had been impressed with Scafell's summit views, but Scafell felt different, more pure if i can describe it as such.
The view of Wasdale and Wastwater alone was worth every bead of sweat from the day.
I finally understood what people meant when they say they have had their "moment" the epiphany if you like, of hitting a certain summit and it takes a little piece of your soul, and keeps it forever. i was a happy man at this moment, a very happy and content man!
(if a little hot )
This was taken a bit off the summit on the descent:
Well talking of descents...
I'd taken an hour and a half longer than i'd intended to do the first two 3000's so i had to get off Scafell as soon as I could, so the shortest route is always a straight line, and seeing as i could see the pub and a path marked on the map, down i went...
Steep!?! Steep!?! Bl***dy Steep more like! I'de seen the flanks from below on the way in, and been impressed, but thats nowt compared to gingerly padding sideways down, kicking off 800m+ of height in just over a mile! It was an expence that was.
i was very pleased to get down to level ground and the pic does it no justice at all (IMO)
It was now knocking on the door of half past 2, so the decision to bin the third 3000, Helvellyn via striding Edge, was a simple one to make. It also opened up the opportunity to bask in my contentment with a pint and a cig... An opportunity i took with
both hands!
After this, i thought about my route back and decided driving back via Hard Knott pass would be a good way of finishing off the day, and if all went well, i may have the time to indeed complete the challenge.
This was almost immediately scuppered by a t**d in a land rover who did the whole pass at between 10 and 15mph! it took ages to clear the pass and i didn't get to Ambleside until after 5!
Well that was that, i turned right towards Windermere and looked longingly as i passed the Troutback Turn-off and headed for home, knowing though that tackling Helvellyn alone in the evening was not the brightest of ideas.
All in all a thoroughly brilliant day, not much marred by the heat or the fact i didn't complete my challenge.