...I forgot to ask, did you have to use your ice axes at all?
Beefy used his axe on the very steep bit half way up from Carlside Col to Skiddaw, look at the very close contour lines on your OS map, we both put crampons on when we reached the start of the path, half the snow was hard compacted stuff with some softer snow that covered harder snow. I used my poles on this part but I nearly did get my axe out. If I didn't have my poles the axe would have been out. There were a few people descending here, we saw 4, who had no microspikes, crampon or ice axes. They were not only risking a slip and a long way to fall for themselves but for anyone else they "took out" who was on the way up.
The tourist path up and down Skiddaw was manageable , there were a few people without anything on their feet but if it had been hard ice, people without foot protection would have spent more time on their bottoms.