UKC

Hey guys,

A friend and I are heading up to the Lake District in a few weeks for some hiking, wild camping and a bit of scrambling. We're hoping to attempt Scafell Pike from the Wasdale side and I was just wondering if anybody had any advice/tips on the climb? Also is the route fairly well trodden or is it very easy to wander off course?

Thanks!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant: The route from Wasdale Head via Brown Tongue is well trodden, but there are divergences, like on most routes. The summit is a blockfield, i.e. full of boulders, so the tracks off are on scratched rocks, which might not be too obvious in cloud, plus there are numerous routes to various valleys. There is a route from Wasdale via Sty Head and Esk Hause, or Sty Head and the Corridor Route. Whatever you do, I suggest a map and compass, and the ability to use them, as so often the Wasdale MRT have to go out to help people who have got lost through not having them. I'm not trying to lecture you, but you did ask for advice, and I have no knowledge of your experience or abilities.
However, I would suggest going up via Sty Head and the corridor Route, visiting the superb top of Lingmell, and returning via Great End, Esk Hause and Sty Head.
Hope this is useful.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
"However, I would suggest going up via Sty Head and the corridor Route, visiting the superb top of Lingmell, and returning via Great End, Esk Hause and Sty Head."

When I fist decided to 'climb a mountain' this is the very first route I did (about 4 years ago). I did it in trainers, bought a cheap map from the shop at Wasdale head and got on my way with a compass I borrowed.

The mist came down to spoil my views for the top quarter of the climb, but it's hard to get lost, you just follow the crowds. There is always someone else on this route. Just ask if you're not sure. Walkers tend to be a friendly / helpful bunch.

You'll have a great time, especially if the weather is good, the views are breath taking and you'll feel proud to have bagged the peak. Next thing you know you'll be buying wainwright books and crossing off fells every weekend!

Have fun!

In reply to StuartCJones: PS most people do this route in reverse to the way described here, so to get to the top of scafell pike first, and then trek down round great end and via sty head pass back to Wasdale head.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
You need to be self sufficient when climbing any hill. Do not rely "on following the crowds" as they have a nasty habit of disappearing when the weather turns. Get a decent pair of boots and weather gear and practise using a map and compass at home, it's fun to learn. Get a good map online at http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ you need to register to get access to the maps, but it's free, print off a 1:25000 map and seal it in a A4 document cover so it;s waterproof.
Go and enjoy!

In reply to StuartCJones: 'it's hard to get lost, you just follow the crowds. There is always someone else on this route. Just ask if you're not sure.'
Yeah, there's phone reception all the way, no need to even bother with a map and compass or head torch. If you get lost or it gets dark just ring mountain rescue they'll come show you the way down.

In reply to martin_whitton: Please don't take this seriously btw. Self sufficiency and being able to take care of yourself are some of the most important and enjoyable aspects of being in the hills. You should never rely completely on others, I have had days on scafell when I have been lucky enough not to see another soul!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

My favourite is up Lord's Rake and onto Scafell from the Wadale side, down Foxes Tarn way on the Great Moss side, up to Mickledore and onto Scafell pike summit, down the Corridor route to Styhead Tarn and then down the path under Great gable back to Wasdale.

It's a great route, but pick a clear day and have a map and compass. It's the best easy, scramble and hill walk in the distrit IMO, and you have done the two highest in the Lakes in one day!!!!!!!

In reply to Wesley Orvis:

Is Lord's Rake safe again now? I'd heard that following the massive rock fall a few years back, much of the rock there had become unstable.

In reply to Root1:

And if you buy a camera, you can take lots of pictures and write a trip report and even if you get lost and get rescued by the MRT's, lots of people on the site will say they understand as long as you enjoyed the walk

Seriously, joking aside and as other have said, its not a walk in your local park, it's England's highest mountain and it can bite - as a few have found to their cost.

In reply to Trangia:

It's always been loose and always will be.

The flake that you're referring to seems stable enough and i think the warning signs have been removed (or disappeared down the scree slope)

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

I have done it lots of times lately, in winter and summer and had no trouble at all, as said above it's always been loose, just take care!!!!!!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant: Two more options. My favourite way up Scafell Pike from Wasdale is the Piers Ghyll route. Despite the name it doesn't climb Piers Ghyll but follows the left (facing uphill) bank of it to join the Corridor Route. I'd only attempt this in good weather as you don't want to be going off course.Descend via Corridor route.

If you're wild camping you could camp in Upper Eskdale and go up Bowfell first then over Esk Pike and along the Broad Crag / Ill Crag ridge to the top of the Pike and then descend to Mickledoor and back down Cam Spout to the tent.

In reply to stewart murray: My favourite way up Scafell Pike from Wasdale is the Piers Ghyll route. Despite the name it doesn't climb Piers Ghyll but follows the left (facing uphill) bank of it to join the Corridor Route.


The True left bank gives an adventurous descent from Lingmell Col, especially if you visit the cave on Lingmell Crag along the way.

In reply to StuartCJones:
How do you know the 'crowds' are going the same way as you?

In reply to Trangia:

Seems like there has been another on the approach to Mickledore

http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2012/04/08/rescuers-urge-caution-after-sca...

In reply to Dave Perry: Have to agree - myself and a group of friends were happily making our way down the Old Corridor Route in thick cloud intending to head to Styhead and back to Borrowdale where we had started that day and we were followed by a guy who didn't say a word just dogged our steps - when we did eventually drop out of the cloud near Styhead Tarn he complained that we had 'brought him down in the wrong place'! I shan't go into our replies as they were rather blunt...

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
Really if I was you I would go from Eskdale. As it is a superb spot to camp, and the Scrambles up Thors Buttress and Pen are superb and there is one off to the left, cannot remember the name(ill Gill ?)that's supposed to be good at a lower grade, and whatever else you do, make sure you go up Scawfell as it is a far better summit. I would highly recommend also taking in the climbers traverse under the East Buttress and look out for the carving on the Rock near the foot a of Lords Rake, a monument to the Scawfell tragedy.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

I wont repeat the routes that have been previously described but having dont this via Brown Tongue and Stye Head, they are both very busy and well trodden so on a clear spring summer day you will normally only be maximum 10 matres away form the nearest person. Either way, take decent boots and be prepared, its much farther than you think.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
To be honest, if you're doing "hiking, wild camping and a bit of scrambling" then getting up and down Scafell Pike is unlikely to be the most complicated bit of navigation you need.

It's not desperately harder than anything else around there - just a bit bigger - so if you're generally happy with your navigation and self sufficiency then take a map and compass and it'll be fine and if you aren't then anything else you're planning might be a problem.

In reply to sjc:

I assume the retro-spelling is intentional ?

In reply to sheep:
Yes, bit of a snob or a knob about these things, I do have a Milk Bottle from Scawfell farm, so if it`s good enough for a farmer in the valley, it`s good enough for me.
Now is it the Peak or Peaks district

In reply to sjc:

Neither, it's the Lakes District

In reply to Toreador:
But there is only one Lake.