UKC

not sure if this is really the right forum but i'm not really sure which it fits into

we are looking at doing decending from Scafell pike with the intention of doing Sca fell and am wondering which way is currently the safest/accepted way to assent, given the rock fall in both lords rake and foxes tarn or the rock step on broad stand.

cheers

In reply to graemegraeme:

Foxes Tarn path is the safest, wasn't aware of any rockfall there though?

In reply to graemegraeme:
Depends on whether you want to tackle Broad Stand or not. Apparently it's a Grade 3 scramble, but a rather dangerous and slimy one ... from what I've heard many people would prefer to be roped on it. It's certainly been the site of many accidents over the years (albeit mostly among hillwalkers, not climbers).

Other than Foxes Tarn and Lord's Rake, there aren't really any other walking routes onto Scafell from that side of the mountain that I know of.

In reply to Alex Roddie:
Broad Stand is ok really, there are only about 12 feet of actual climbing on it (maybe a mod chimney?) the rest is just steep walking and the odd short step, but there are a lot of steep walking bits that are extremely polished, so it might be tricky and scary in the wet - especially in descent.
I would have said Foxes Tan, but liek Ridge I wasnt aware of any rockfall that may have occurred so cant say for sure.

In reply to graemegraeme:

Yes there has been a rockfall on the Foxes Tarn gully:

http://tinyurl.com/2h6nre

I haven't been since so I can't speak with experience but it sounds a bit awkward. My guess from reading about this and the Lord's Rake one is that this is still the safer. Never liked the look of Broad Stand myself, though opinions wary widely!

Mike

In reply to pog100:

In fact Wasdale MRT seem to be recommending Lord's Rake now, as far as i can see?

http://www.wasdalemrt.org.uk/callouts~blackspot~lords%20rake.htm

In reply to pog100:

Well, we have to listen to what they tell us. Amazing that the old Foxes' Tarn route, which always seemed very safe, is now deemed more dangerous than the recently-become-very-dodgy Lord's Rake.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Yeah, though they both sound a bit dodgy at the moment! Hard to know what should or could be done though. I suspect the NT may be loath to do much in case they end up liable in some way.

In reply to graemegraeme:

cheers, the plan so far was only to ascend sca fell from that side but to decend down the south ridge. I had just knew it was a bit of a doggy area, but you never know how bad these things are until you've acturly done it yourself. I guess you'll never going to know exactly how/when a rockfall would happon for instance, as for broad stand one mans exposed or difficult is different to anothers, and the weather/conditions are going to have a big effect on that.

In reply to pog100:

yeah they do, its just is it a case of "take extreme care" or "do not do its plan dangerous"

"Very little to report apart from the gulley appears more stable and now the more dangerous ascent/ descent is Foxes Tarn Gulley" - Wasdale MR refering to lords rake,

i still don't feel convinced

In reply to graemegraeme: The trouble with Broad Stand is that it is very serious, though not very hard (in ascent, harder in descent). If you fall off the crux section you will likely fall about 100 ft down a gully, as some unfortunate walker did in May this year., with fatal consequences. Lord's Rake is just plain unpleasant. Not very dangerous unless there are some clumsy clots above you knocking loose stuff down. Ray McHaffie's path up Foxes Tarn route is a delight, though involves extra descent from Mickledore.