UKC

I'm in the Lakes the week after next, and weather permitting will be climbing with my daughter, who is 13 and who has done a bit of single pitch seconding in the Peak, but only at Diff & VDiff. My own experience is not that extensive, but I'm happy leading Severe and seconding to VS.

I'm interested in doing an easy multi-pitch with her, and Middlefell Buttress (D) at Raven Crag looks just the ticket. I've seen that a previous somewhat hairy scramble descent is now out of the question, due to a 2018 rockfall, and a gully abseil is preferred from a spike anchor. There's a forum thread on that from 2018, but I just want to check if there's any more recent info. So 2 questions:

• She hasn't abseiled before: is there an alternative safer walk or scramble-off (distance not too much of a problem), and if so, where is it?
• If the abseil is really the only option, is there anything in situ, or would it be best to set up with my own tat and a maillon at the spike?

(I think the abseil might be about 30m, so we would certainly practice some shorter abseiling first until I'm sure she's comfortable with the activity itself). Thanks!

Why not just keep going up after Middlefell and trek over to Gimmer and make a day of it? Regarding the abseil you could just lower her.

It's a ok walk off to the left (facing in), with only a few sections where it's a little scrambly. I had a complete novice with me and it was fine.

You can climb curtain wall behind it, or scramble up a gully to the left then trudge up the hill to you hit a footpath. Take a right and follow it to near a woodblock. The main path here goes to stickle barn, for ODG follow a vague path on the right that descends steeply down the hill next to the woodblock. It goes to a broken stile, but you can duck under the fence and keep following the path till you get to the bottom of raven crag again.

The abseil misses out the last short pitch of middlefell buttress. There's in situ tat round a spike. 

I did the abseil recently and it was well equipped with in-situ static rope and maillon.

I did it with a beginner abseiler using the stacked belay devices technique. There's a description here: https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/the-benefits-of-the-pre-rigged-rappel

I absolutely agree with your idea to practice on some safe terrain first. Clipping a lanyard onto the anchor would be good to practice for the ab station on middlefell buttress as it's abit exposed.

I'll leave someone else to comment on scrambling descent, it's definitely possible but not sure about the fastest way.

Cheers - we might well do that if the weather is looking good (Main Wall looks a nice VDiff on Gimmer).

Thanks for info on the in-situ gear, and others for tips on the walk-offs as well. It looks like there are plenty of options, which is good, so we'll give it a go. Ta!

I think there's a bit of confusion in your OP as you are referring to the Raven Crag descent (which is still doable, despite the tree and rock falling). Middlefell B is a separate buttress. The easiest thing with someone you don't want to scramble with is to keep going upward until you hit a path. Another option is to rope abseil/lower from the large ledge after p.2, tree/boulder on left, skipping last pitch. This feeds into an easier and shorter gully.

Trees gone now btw, just the boulder to ab off, which as someone else pointed out makes the ab a bit more exposed 

We did this a couple of years ago, and as mentioned above did curtain wall and then just walked up to the meet the path down from gimmer to the sicklebarn and walked back along the good path to ODG by the river if I remember correctly. Great day out, hope you enjoy yourselves. 

Travel light, they can just tie the rope over their shoulders, you take a bag, as said above walk off the top and come down the tourist path. A positive day doesn't have to be climbing constantly until sunset. A climb, gentle walk, drink and ice cream at the bottom, perfect. 

Think I'm settled on this plan: Middlefell Buttress; continue up Curtain Wall; up to the path, a walk off back down to Sticklebarn or ODG. (Adding in Gimmer would be pushing it I think).

A daysack for walking boots, water, waterproofs and snacks is a bit of an encumbrance, but it's only a Diff, right?

Ta all!

If you're climbing in climbing shoes then trail shoes are adequate for the walk, just watch for wet grass if you plan to climb in the rain regardless. The same for waterproof, thin jacket if it's a bit fresh, don't go full jacket and trousers, you're just weighing yourself down. 

Middlefell Buttress is a really good, easy multi-pitch route, I'm sure you'll both enjoy it.

The abseil from the spike at the huge ledge is just under 30m. It has a steep start but soon becomes easy angled. Go for either a stacked abseil or a lower.

Or climb another pitch, which is slightly harder. From the top of that there is a scrambly/exposed route going into the gully on the left (looking in).

Or keep going up scrambling terrain or climb Curtain Wall (D) and keep going to reach the ODG path to descend.

Or from the ODG go uphill and aim for Gimmer. There are some fine easy routes on there too. Once at the top of that crag it's possible to keep on scrambling to reach the summit of Loft crag.

So lots of options.

A few ideas here: https://www.mountain-journeys.co.uk/blog/category/middlefell-buttress

Cheers for the info on this - had a great time on Middlefell in the sunshine last Thursday. Lovely easy route & views, felt more like a Mod with one or two Diff moves on each pitch. Good advice to carry on going up. Wasn't quite sure which bit of rock was Curtain Wall for the Diff continuation but scrambled up the gully and over a couple of nice outcrops to finish. Fish & chips at the ODG at the end.

(Earlier in the week, we'd managed one easy route at Long Scar on Pike of Blisco before the hail came down and rendered everything wet and slippery as glass - a shame as it's a lovely little crag - some of the nicest rough rock I've ever climbed on).