UKC

Looking for some advice.

Planning on heading up Scafell Pike in 10 days time with three of four mates who do very little walking but are fit and committed.

It has been more than 30 years since I last went up Corridor route and I cannot remember the ground conditions at all.

Is it a hard path all the way and suitable for trainers/approach shoes or should we expect some wet and boggy sections where boots would be the better choice?

Planning on taking the standard anti-clockwise route from Stockley Bridge to Styhead Tarn and then come back over Broad Crag, Esk Hause and down Grains Gill.

Thanks in advance.

Also, how early do you need to be to get parking on the road down at Seathwaite on a week day? I'm an early riser and would be happy to be out before anyone else is there but they're not normally into this game and would consider 9am a bit keen!

It's pretty dry in the Lakes at the moment, but I would expect a few small boggy sections. I am so used to getting wet feet running that I am bit oblivious to water, and I can't remember any long shin deep mud sections. However I haven't been down Grains Gill for years. The boots/shoes choice is very personal and poor fitting irregularly worn boots might seem the 'proper' choices, but the day would likely go better in shoes if the boots are not good - thinking more of your friends than you.

The parking can be very busy especially at the weekends. You could always park and ride from Keswick (with a longer walk in), the bus up the valley is pretty frequent. I think you are looking at an 'early' start if you want to park.

Get up early, and wear true walking boots. Too many uneven bits for lighter stuff, unless they have well honed muscles, which presumably they don't.

Park at Seathwaite farm rather than the road. It's a fiver and for that you've a slightly shorter walk, are off the road and it keeps the farmer happy.

The route is rocky and you are very unlikely to encounter any boggy sections as long as you stay en-route. I always wear approach or fell shoes for it, but for folk new to the hills boots will likely be a better choice due to the extra support and cushioning they offer. Whilst the whole route is rocky, from Scafell Pike to Broad Crag - Ill Crag it is mostly a big boulder field and this be knackering if not used to it.

On a clear day nav is pretty straightforward. When the cloud is down nav gets quite challenging.

More about the route and general info here:

https://www.climb-scafell.co.uk/borrowdale.html

https://www.climb-scafell.co.uk/faqscafellpike.html

HTH

Did it a couple of weeks ago - the paths have quite a mixture of mostly rocky terrain and are mostly constructed up and down, I can’t remember any really wet bits. I prefer boots but lots of people seem to use all sorts of different types of trainer/approach shoe. The corridor has a bad step (bit of a scramble above a drop) which you have to climb down if going up this way. This could be quite scary for some. Roadside parking midweek isn’t a problem but if full you can always park at the farm - think they charge £5 which should be manageable between four! For a second walk from the same spot, Great Gable via Gillercombe then back to Styhead makes for a shorter and very much quieter day out.

Good advice on here already.  I did it about a month ago, before the weather had warmed up but even so it was very dry, and also on the OMM last Oct. Rather different experiences. Wore fell running shoes both times, but as others have said there are some really uneven and bouldery bits (!) so boots might be better?

The most recent time I decided to use the route to Broad Crag Col, rather than continue on to the ruined wall and Lingmell Col. The route was much looser and rougher than I remembered and so even though it will be busier, I would go on to the end and join onto the main Wasdale Head path. The view off Lingmell is worth the small diversion too!

If at all unsure of the abilities of the group, then go via the Esk Hause route up from Sty Head , or especially in descent if at all dodgy weather. The way down the Corridor Route is a known accident blackspot, with walkers lured into the dark recesses of Piers Ghyll. As Rupert said there is an exposed tricky step which would be awkward in wet conditions. Ground is bone dry at present however.

Were you wanting to avoid the steeper, more scrambly bits between broad crag and the pike, you could follow the corridor route all the way to Lingmell col, then approach the summit from the north west.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

I should have clarified that the friends are all reasonably competent, they happily wandered around the Snowdon Horseshoe in September last year.

My questions were really related to whether we might encounter any wet ground which would warrant trail shoes uncomfortable (happy to have wet feet when I am running, less happy when I am walking!) for the rest of the day and parking situation.

Ran up there as part of the Scafell Sky Race on Saturday. From Styhead upwards it's very very dry, wouldn't say there was a single bit of boggy ground that couldn't be easily avoided.