In reply to dangle:
> Anyone tried this? I climbed up the steep banks of Pen-y-Ghent with axe and crampons, daggering my way up, the axe giving solid purchase in the soil. An exhilarating and safe alternative to the tourist routes.
Yes I tried it, but then I found the better option was to bring a shovel and chop myself a series of large, deep steps into the mud. These I made all the way to the summit thus giving a laborious but delightfully simple ascent that gave me no bother from wearing flip-flops and with a tesco bag of sweeties.
When I returned later in the week to give myself a second jolly, my original staircase had become a river of slurry. I decided it better to excavate a new one than dirty my flip-flops resurrecting the old one. By my estimations 39 more people can use this delightful method to ascend the hillside before it will be in a stare of disrepair - but no worry - my jolly was splendid and I highly recommend it to the remaining 39 people.
Post edited at 22:02
