UKC

Lake District ridges in winter

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 Sliabh1982 19 Nov 2012
New to this site so forgive me if this has been discussed many times. When we do finally get a winter in the Lake District, what are the best ridges to go at that include a full mountain day?

Looking at up to around grade III but also happy with I and II.

Thanks,

S82
 xplorer 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982:

Get lake district winter climbs, published by cicerone and frcc.

I wouldn't say plenty of ridges to go at but there's afew.

Also try the search on here aswell
OP Sliabh1982 19 Nov 2012
In reply to xplorer:

Sorry, I have that book, was just after some feedback of what people on here had enjoyed.
 Darkskys 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982: Striding Edge and Swirral. Sharp Edge. to be honest I can't think of any other? i'm sure others will be able to give you a bit more variety. Also Pavey Ark is pretty fun in the snow
OP Sliabh1982 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Darkskys:

Does Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday Crag ever come into condition?

If then there is not much ridge wise to go at in the Lake District then what are the good gully climbs which can involve a long mountain day and summit finish?
 apd 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982: Sharp Edge/Halls Fell Traverse or Pinnacle Ridge get my vote.
 Exile 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982:
> (In reply to Darkskys)
>
> Does Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday Crag ever come into condition?
>

Quite often, (by lakes standards.)
OP Sliabh1982 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Exile:

lovely. Did you solo it or use rope?
In reply to Sliabh1982: There aren't loads to go at, but some good ones. The best of them are all in here: http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/539/title/the-ridges-of-e...
 LakesWinter 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982: Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday Crag is a decent route that comes in quickly, around II.

Also you could look up Flaky Rib on the FRCC website, also on St Sunday Crag. It benefits from frozen turf but it does have a cool knife edge ridge pitch on pitch 3 or 4, grade around III/IV

Pendulum Ridge is another good one, although mostly more a narrow buttress than a ridge. Also I don't think it's grade III, more solid IV in my opinion.
 elliptic 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982:

Add the other Pinnacle Ridge (just to confuse the issue) on Gable crag onto the list.

Also, bear in mind that...

> when we do finally get a winter in the Lake District

...is most years, actually, just keep your eye on the ball and get in there quick when good conditions arrive!

> what are the good gully climbs which can involve a long mountain day and summit finish?

The Great End gullies are the place to start if you've not been there already, but be prepared to get up early or join the queue.

 Gav Parker 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982:

A few gullies on Brown Cove Crags and then Helvellyn Summit, or a walk from the ODG langdale up to Angle Tarn do the grade 1 gully above and finish with a summit on Bowfell...

 Wesley Orvis 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982:

Pinnacle, Striding and Sharp are the best, but a few others i can think of that go well in winter and aren't in the guidebooks are:

1) the summer scramble of Stepped Ridge on the left edge of the right buttress of Browncove Crags, the one overlooking the gully that splits the two main buttress's (not Central gully the wider unnamed gully) the same buttress as what two grooves is on. Starts as bit of rambling buttress but at the top it sharpens into an amazing ridge. Goes at about II by the easiest line.

2)This one is a bit more like winter walking with a few climbing bits thrown in if you choose to pick them out. I have managed to catch it in full winter condition a few times and is really worth doing with some pretty good exposure in places more so than Striding Edge in winter on the few occasions i have found it plastered. The Casgate Gill round from Crummock Water offers nice exposure on the Whiteside Edge part and the climb up to Eel Crag from Coledale Pass (if you pick it out) and again on the descent down the Northwest Ridge of Grasmoor (especially).
 bluebealach 19 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982: I reckon that this might just fit the bill. Scrambling to Grade III, a decent round and a couple of decent summits.

http://www.mountain-adventures.co.uk/ill-crag.html
 Blunderbuss 19 Nov 2012
In reply to LakesWinter:
> (In reply to Sliabh1982)
> Pendulum Ridge is another good one, although mostly more a narrow buttress than a ridge. Also I don't think it's grade III, more solid IV in my opinion.

Yes it does seem a bit hard for a III.
In reply to Blunderbuss: Definitely, hard at the start as I recall (tho it's been a long while)
 Exile 20 Nov 2012
In reply to Sliabh1982:
> (In reply to Exile)
>
> lovely. Did you solo it or use rope?

I have soloed it by the easiest line, but the down climbing from the pinnacle is quite exposed. If you were going to solo it it's probably worth taking a short rope so you could ab this if you wished.
 Exile 20 Nov 2012
I totally agree with elliptic; I can't remember the last winter in the Lakes that I didn't get something really worthwhile done, (6/7/8 years ago?) but you need to be able to react quickly when stuff comes in.



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