Scafell Pike with Brendan and Tom • Walking the Cumbrian Mountains

Name of walk	Scafell Pike with Brendan and Tom
Date of walk	2009-08-22
Distance walked (miles)	6
Duration of walk	6 hours 0 minutes
Weather	Sunshine
Peaks on walk	Scafell Pike
Walked with	Brendan and Tom
Parking	NT car park at Brackenclose.

Brendan has been on holiday for the last week which meant the weather has been awful with rain and gales. Yesterday there was a break in the weather so we decided to go up Scafell Pike, England`s highest mountain at 3210ft. Brendan and Tom had never done it before, but it would be my 4th time. As it was a Saturday we needed to get an early start and arrived at 8.45am. Unfortunately lots of Transit Vans and Mini-buses were in the free car parking spaces so we actually had to pay to park! It was the Three Peaks Challenge (Mount Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis in 24hrs) so there were loads of people on their way down as we were on our way up.

View down to Wast Water from the route up by Lingmell Gill.

Lingmell Gill.

Scafell Pike was in cloud when we started, but was due to clear. The weather was looking promising.

Pulpit Rock and Mickledore from Hollow Stones.

I sat on a rock and waited for Brendan and Tom to catch up.

....plenty of time to stare up at Scafell Crag.

Borrowdale beneath the clouds.

The cloud is still moving through. Lingmell in the foreground.

Summit view.

Tom looking smug at the Ordnance Survey trig point. It took us 3 hours to reach the summit..... (I usually do it in 2.15! Too much sitting on rocks waiting for the slow coaches to catch up!)

Top of the cairn, the highest boy in England! Bowfell and Windermere on the left. Crinkle Crags behind him. The Coniston Fells in the mist.

Broad Crag and Ill Crag with Great End to the left. The Helvellyn range in the distance. There are over 30 fells in view!

Brendan made it too!

We took a walk to the South Peak. Looking over at Ill Crag and Esk Pike.

Looking down into Upper Eskdale. Mosedale on the left of Hard Knott, Eskdale on the right.

Scafell. The large vertical gully half way down the slope to the left of the photo is the route up via Foxes Tarn. I came down that way once......I thought it was steep!

Having lunch with the masses. This was the first time I had been on the summit when it wasn`t cold and windy. Maybe it is because it is the first time I have done it in summer! The last time was in fresh snow. Today we could spend some time on the summit and have lunch.

Looking over Harter Fell to the sea.

Looking towards Sellafield on the right.

Setting off back down....care is needed as the surface is ankle breaking!

A good view to the Mosedale Horseshoe. L to R Haycock, Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Steeple, Pillar, Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, Kirk Fell. Lingmell in foreground.

An equally good view out to Great Gable with Grasmoor to its left. Skiddaw and Blencathra at the back. Styhead Tarn in the foreground Derwent Water behind.

A Great White Shark in Lingmell Gill!

Looking to Wasdale Head just before crossing Lingmell Gill..

It`s that view again! A better day than was forecast! Our route up by Lingmell Gill can be seen.

The walk is about 6 miles and had taken about 6 hours. The rocks take their toll on your feet and knees especially on the way down. We stopped at The Bridge Inn at Santon Bridge for a drink before heading off home.

A good day!

Jo.