| Name of walk | Low Tarn, Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Steeple and Scoat Tarn in Snow |
| Date of walk | 2013-02-12 |
| Distance walked (miles) | 9 |
| Duration of walk | 7 hours 45 minutes |
| Weather | cold |
| Peaks on walk | Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Steeple |
As it was half term I chose a walk that was mostly off path. I wanted to visit Low Tarn and Scoat Tarn, as I have only ever looked down on them from above. We could also incorporate Red Pike (2707ft), Scoat Fell (2760ft) and Steeple (2687ft) in our plans.
It is a walk of just over 9 miles.
I drove to the Overbeck car park at Wasdale. Looking up at Yewbarrow from the path besides Over Beck
We cross over and head up to the far left ridge. Red Pike ahead.
Kas crosses the bridge of Brimfull Beck first.
View back down the valley to Wast Water and the Wasdale Screes. It is cold today with quite a strong wind. It is forecast as -6C on the tops. The visibility is worse that it was forecast to be. It said there would be good visibility except in hill fog. Which is rather like saying it will be dry except where it is raining. Grrrrr!!!!!!
Red Pike with Dore Head far right and the end of Yewbarrow.
A frozen Low Tarn with Red Pike behind. We would walk up on the far left to meet the ridge.
The snow was deep here and it was hard walking.
A rare glimpse of sunshine on Low Tarn.
Haycock
Middle Fell and Seatallen
Approaching the ridge.
On the ridge looking down into Wasdale and Mosedale. Kirk Fell with Great Gable in sunshine. Lingmell right.
It had taken four hours of constant climbing to reach the summit of Red Pike. Very tiring!
We need to keep Kas well away from the cornice
Looking down on Scoat Tarn where we would be later this afternoon.
We follow the Red Pike Ridge. We are heading for Scoat Fell, top left. The ridge to Pillar is off right.
Bloody hell! More up!
Looking back to Red Pike.
Steeple ridge
The route on to Steeple is a bit "iffy" in snow....I took no pix en route, too busy making sure I didn`t kill myself! Ged and Kas on Steeple summit. Ennerdale Water beyond. Visibility not too good in this valley either.....
As you can see slipping is not an option! I wouldn`t do this without spikes. It is all powder snow though, not ice! So it was quite easy really! My sister would so love this!
Ged took a few pix of me on our return. Yes, that ridge is as narrow as it looks! "No I bloody won`t give you a twirl!"
On our way down to Scoat Tarn we find a boulder to huddle behind for a ten minute lunch stop. Far too cold to stop for longer. Walking down through the snow was easy
Scoat Tarn is only partly frozen even though it is a higher altitude than Low Tarn.
Only the edges are frozen.
The split boulder, a great example of freeze/thaw.
We follow the right side of the outflow. It is a long way back as we head down and around to the left, meeting a path down from Haycock when we cross Nether Beck.
Beside Nether Beck. Looking back up. Our way down is just right of centre
Awkward walking!
Then it gets even worse when you hit the boulder fields. This is the last thing you need after seven hours of walking
View across to Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell
Looking up to Yewbarrow.
Nearly back to the road, but a very boggy descent, then we would need to walk along the road back to the Overbeck car park beneath Yewbarrow.
The walk took us 7 hours and 45 minutes. It was just over nine miles but with all the snow walking it seemed a lot further.
Even though it is half term week we did not see anyone else all day! So I guess I chose right! An excellent, if tiring walk.
Jo.
