UKC

I was up near the Easter Gully area of Dow today.  And I saw a grey squirrel running over the grass at the foot of the crag.  No sh1t!  I  couldn't believe my eyes, but I wouldn't invite ridicule if it wasn't true, I'd just keep quiet.

I've never seen one before on a high mountain crag, but I've fed red squirrels from my hand at Borrowdale years ago.  John was covinced I was seeing things, so has anyone else seen the little blighter?

Around a decade ago I was leaving the top of the Old Man heading north and just before the dip for Brim Fell a grey squirrel crossed the ridge in front of me, heading from the Duddon side over into Coppermines. It wasn't messing about and appeared to know exactly what it was doing. Suspect the squirrel you saw today was one of its relatives!

(There'll probably also be jokes from people about being on Helvellyn and seeing them on Squirrel Edge.)

It must have gone nuts. 

A few years ago I saw a grey squirrel at the top of Tryfan. Like many mammals they will search for new sites and thereby pass through quite uncharacteristic habitat.

Similar sightings here:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/hill_talk/today_i_saw-664808

Saw on on top of Kinder once. I was quite surprised as there isn't a tree for miles

There are a few too many invasive trees on Kinder

Has Dave driven the greys from Little Langdale then, with them fleeing to the higher ground!

Call the man with the gun Al.

DC

I saw one run out of a crack around the belay at the end of guidebook pitch 2 (so about 30 mtrs up) of Murray's Route (S 4a) three weeks ago. Maybe it's the same one? There was a guy hanging on a top rope just above me too, working the moves of unrepeated E7. He was climbing with his dad who we chatted to briefly later, so I'm pretty sure it must have been Craig and Rob Matheson. So I think this Classic Rock ticking rodent gave us both a bit of a jump and Craig said he had never seen one that high up a cliff before.

Don't mice run up the cracks on El Cap for hundreds of metres though? 

Glad the squirrel's up there rather than on our bird feeder in Coniston - it gets expensive!

Funny you should say that my partner saw a grey squirrel on the top of Seat sandal above Dunmail last week thought she was mad, even more bonkers, saw an otter in Whinlatter forest a few weeks ago really close seemed to be on a mission, must have come up from Bassenthwaite following a stream was my first thought, incredible lived in Scotland for years and never saw one, but in the Lakes!

They are keen sports climbers, but do enjoy classic trad too.

Or gone in search of them - some nice tasty Wallnuts perhaps?

Maybe the spreading squirrel diaspora is due to all the larch felling to combat Phytophera ramorum?

Hi Toby,

I'm glad you confirmed the sighting, I did wonder if I was going nuts.  They must have adapted their diet to survive up there.  There again, the thought of Dave Birkett at the crag with a gun gave me a laugh!

Cheers