Lake District Walks
Scafell Pike
Date: 25th May 2007
Distance: 7.9 miles
Ascent: 4059 feet
Time: 7 hours 40 minutes
With: Dave
Start Grid Ref: NY182075
Walk Summary:
A climb to the highest point in England on a beautiful May day marred by a knee injury.
Route Summary: Wasdale Campsite - Lingmell - Lingmell Coll - Middleboot Knotts - Round How - Great End - Ill Crag - Broad Crag - Scafell Pike - Mickledore - Hollow Stones - Brown Tongue - Lingmell Gill - Wasdale Campsite.
Pictures:
1. Lingmell
2. Mosedale and Pillar
3. Scafell Pike
4. Crossing a stile on the climb up on to Lingmell
5. The awe inspiring Scafell Crag
6. Scafell Pike from Lingmell
7. Looking across Sty Head towards Blencathra from Lingmell
8. Great Gable from Lingmell
9. Great End
10. The summit of Lingmell
11. Round How
12. The summit of Great End
13. The view north over Sprinkling Tarn from Great End
14. Ill Crag from Great End
15. Broad Crag from Ill Crag
16. Scafell Pike from Broad Crag
17. Ill Crag from the Broad Crag col
18. On the summit of Scafell Pike
19. Mickledore and Scafell
20. Pulpit Rock
21. Looking back up to Scafell Crag and Pikes Crag
Walk Detail: Having arrived at the National Trust campsite in Wasdale in the late morning we made short work of pitching our tents and by about 11.45am we were ready to set off on this long anticipated walk. The climb up the shoulder of Lingmell is unrelentingly steep but there was ample compensation to be had in the views of Wast Water, Mosedale and the impending crags of Scafell.
We ate our lunch at the top of Lingmell which proved to be another superb summit with the views of Great Gable and Great End being particular stand outs. Having showed Dave the rest of the route he was in two minds about taking the direct route up to Scafell Pike. In the end he decided to accompany me but miss out the diversions to the summits of the lesser tops.
As it turned out it was a diversion to the first of these, Middleboots Knotts, which altered the course of the weekend, as well as my walking year. Descending the latter my left knee started to give me some trouble and by the time I’d got to Round How I knew I was in some trouble.
The climb up to the Calf Cove col proved to be painful and was accomplished mainly by my right leg. Dave left me at this point as I made stubborn but painful progress to the top of Great End from where I had a tremendous view from the edge of the cliffs looking north over Sprinkling Tarn to Derwent Water. The ridge from Great End to Scafell Pike is notoriously rough and rocky but despite the pain I was in I was determind to bag all the tops.
First of all I went over to Ill Crag with its excellent view of upper Eskdale. Next I headed over to Broad Crag which was a slightly trickier prospect with its massive boulders, many of which wobbled alarmingly when stood upon. Having met up again with Dave the final climb to the highest point in England was accomplished by about 4.30pm which was not too bad all things considered.
We were truly blessed with some excellent weather and for my second Lakeland walk in a row I could see the Isle of Man. After soaking up the atmosphere of the summit we eventually headed off to Mickledore from where we turned off down a rocky path in to Hollow Stones.
What followed was one of the slowest most painful descents I’ve had to endure. However so inspiring were the surroundings that I was not too disheartened. I could not have asked for better weather to do this walk and while my mind was often distracted by my knee nothing could detract from the quality of the scenery. Unfortunately the next day I could barely stand and so my hopes for at least another walk that weekend were dashed.
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