UKC

I am supporting a friend on a Bob Graham Round Sunday (tomorrow), he wants to go up Lords Rake/West Wall Traverse.

What is the snow condition like at the moment in there? Micro Spikes or axe and crampons?

As an alternative, now I know this is a long shot, but has anyone done the east wall, climbers traverse into foxes tarn, this week? It's a route I know well, but not one I would want to do with hard ice patches on the grass.

Also - has anyone been up the BG route on Bowfell this week? Again, spikes, or axes and crampons?

Thanks for any info.

In reply to ablackett:
We were in Lord's Rake this afternoon I can confirm that microspikes would definitely not be suitable. The neve is pretty hard and ice axe and crampons are definitely required

In reply to Simon Theobald: thanks, that's what I expected.

In reply to ablackett:
Was it a no go from wasdale?

In reply to Fell hog: It was bullet hard neve up Bowfell and very slow going with fell shoes, crampons and one axe each. Then despite meeting a very kind Alan Bowness (who slowed down to see we were ok and rekicked all the steps for us) at the bottom of Lords Rake, we couldn't do the West Wall traverse, because it was banked out with hard neve, so we ended up continuing up a route which goes up and down a bit following some old steps, until we came out near the summit of Scafell. All in we lost 10 minutes on Bowfell, and 35 minutes on Scafell.

He was on an 18:30 schedule and was so far behind at Wasdale because of the hard snow he stopped. Great day out, shame conditions/skills weren't right to keep the schedule.

In reply to ablackett:
Not that old fell hog Bowness, sorry should have said, good effort considering conditions but beyond Wasdale would have been mixed under foot requiring crampons for short periods,again loosing more time. Better luck next attempt, cheers. Alan.

In reply to ablackett: I'm hoping to recce legs 3 & 4 on Saturday. Has anyone been up lords rake & w. wall trav this week? Would it go with micro spikes and an axe? Won't be carrying crampons so if its a no go ill just miss out scafell.


Ta, jack.

In reply to Jack: Was few days ago (Sunday) and am not really sure what conditions have been like since but snow was pretty solid on Scafell. Didn't actually venture onto rake but took a looksie and wouldn't have done it without crampons I don't think. That was on Sunday though, and everything could have changed by now.

In reply to monkeyme2:
It's been mildish, but not enough for a proper thaw, and is due to freeze again atb the weekend.

In reply to Jack: A couple of weeks ago West Wall traverse was totally banked out, think 60 degree neve requiring front pointing rather than walking along a ledge, and looked like a very serious undertaking so we continued up a Lords Rake variation which went up and down a bit before popping out near the top.

I would imagine if the snow is soft you might be ok in spikes, but if it is hard and the steps run out half way up for any reason you could be in serious trouble in spikes.

Drop off to the left and go up Foxes tarn route, it's a nice variation and a lot safer in summer than lords rake, less stuff that can kill you!

In reply to ablackett: has anyone been up lords rake this weekend?

In reply to ablackett: weather was a bit wild on the tops so missed out the scafells. Dropped down to wasdale after Esk pike then continued along leg four. Didn't do all of it, weather continued to get worse in the afternoon. So, no idea what lords rake is like. I would imagine its still banked out and now has a few inches of new snow on top. Will leave a full recce till we have a good thaw.