scarfell

"take the same route but let someone more experienced take over the map reading. by the way is your
map still ok?

"pign9" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Can anybody tell me the best way to approach Sacarfell Pike, We tried a few weeks ago and with a
bit of bad map reading and Following footprints in the snow we ended up scaling Great end as
visibility was poor and raining hard. We are planning to do it on 28th Dec with a early start also
weather may be an issue this time round as well. Would like to do it in a good time with little
effort as we are at least 3 hours drive away and unfortunately have to work in between Christmas
and new year.

Thanks

Paul

I'm trying to gague how competent you are with a map. You seem to know you were on Great End but you
didn't intend to be there? You must have turned the wrong direction on the main ridge. In poor
visibility you must have and know how to use a compass. If you don't then please don't take any
risks. I'm sure the route you chose (which was it?) was suitable.

--
Adrian

Dig out yer OS map of the area. Starting from the footbridge behind the NT campsite In Wasdale (
183074 ), head uphill on the very well constructed path up to Hollow Stones. When you reach the fork
in the path at 202073 take the right fork up to Mickledore, via a very imposing looking scramble
which isn't as bad as it appears. On reaching Mickledore turn immediately left, passing the
stretcher box, and follow the cairns up to the summit . . . . This is probably the easiest and most
uneventful path to Scafell Pike summit, but beware that navigation on the tops in that area can be
tricky in mist, as the whole area is a featureless mass of rocks and boulders . . . . For the
record, whenever I've used this route to ascend Scafell Pike I've finished off the day by descending
back to Wasdale via Broad Crag, Esk Hause, Sprinkling Tarn, Styhead and The Wazzy Head bar, but
there is a short way back down to Hollow Stones via the Lingmell Col.

--
Peace !

Steve Wilcox

"If Whisky Don't Kill Me I'll Live 'Til I Die"

[email hidden]

"pign9" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can anybody tell me the best way to approach Sacarfell Pike, We tried a

few

Quoted message said:

weeks ago and with a bit of bad map reading and Following footprints in

the

Quoted message said:

snow we ended up scaling Great end as visibility was poor and raining

hard.

Quoted message said:

We are planning to do it on 28th Dec with a early start also weather may

be

Quoted message said:

an issue this time round as well.
Would like to do it in a good time with little effort as we are at least 3
hours drive away and unfortunately have to work in between Christmas and

new

Quoted message said:

year.

Thanks

Paul

Following up to pign9

Quoted message said:

Can anybody tell me the best way to approach Sacarfell Pike

Hollow stones is the easiest route from Wasdale,
--
Mike Reid Wasdale "fellwalk.co.ukpage01.htmOpen ↗" (see website for email)

In article <[email hidden]>, Joe Bloggs <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Sounds a great idea ......... but what if the cairns do not lead to your destination? There are
many cairns started by walkers, and not all in a

so

Quoted message said:

called correct position .... if there is a correct position!

Heh heh heh! That reminded me. Coming off Scafell Pike many moons ago, the mist came down and I
couldn't be bothered to get the compass out. After all, I knew I could just follow the same trail
of cairns that I'd passed on the way up. I must have gone around in circles, I was convinced I
was going up onto Great End but when the mist cleared to reveal Little Narrowcove dropping down
on my left I realised that Scafell Pike was coming up, again! That was very, very confusing at
the time but taught me a valuable lesson - never, never trust a line of cairns, who knows where
they are going!!

Some years back I'd been up Scafell Pikes (Seathwaite, Sty Head and Corridor Route, and I think via
Mickledore, rather than turning left at Lingmell Col), in intermittent visibility - cloud blowing up
out of Wasdale. On the return via Esk Hause, during a break in the cloud I wondered over to the
summit of Ill Crags. The cloud closed in again on the way back, but I didn't bother with the
compass. The path, when it reappeared, was on my right, rather than my left; I'd deviated by 90
degrees in not very much distance.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

pign9 said:

Can anybody tell me the best way to approach Sacarfell Pike, We tried a few weeks ago and with a
bit of bad map reading and Following footprints in the snow

^^^^^^

what's this snow stuff??? ;-)

Peter

In message <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] writes

Quoted message said:

pign9 said:

Can anybody tell me the best way to approach Sacarfell Pike, We tried a few weeks ago and with a
bit of bad map reading and Following footprints in the snow

^^^^^^

what's this snow stuff??? ;-)

You get it in little glass domes with models of Buckingham palace inside, When you shake the dome
little white bits swirl around in the water.

--
Martin Richardson
216/284 Munros (34/34 'Furths'😉
217/89 Donalds 390/1552 Marilyns 439/439 Nuttalls

"Adrian Tupper" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I'm trying to gague how competent you are with a map. You seem to know you were on Great End but
you didn't intend to be there? You must have turned the wrong direction on the main ridge. In poor
visibility you must have and know how to use a compass. If you don't then please don't take any
risks. I'm sure the route you chose (which was it?) was suitable.

My first ascent of Scafell Pike sans map and compass in 10 metre visibility involved me squinting
through the mist to where I thought the next cairn was, heading towards it and then trying to shout
above the wind for my girlfriend to follow once I'd found it, repeating this cairn hopping process
till we found what we assumed was the top...happy days.

steve Wilcox said:

This is probably the easiest and most uneventful path to Scafell Pike summit, but beware that
navigation on the tops in that area can be tricky in mist, as the whole area is a featureless mass
of rocks and boulders . . . .

and at this time of year you could well get the combination of mist and a light snow covering -
doesn't take much up there to make the paths much more difficult to recognise, and you soon lose the
cairns among all that jumble of rocks. Just be warned!

Paul Leigh Lancs

Quoted message said:

involved me squinting through the mist to where I thought the next cairn was, heading towards it
and then trying to shout above the wind for my girlfriend to follow once I'd found it, repeating
this cairn hopping

process

Quoted message said:

till we found what we assumed was the top...happy days.

Sounds a great idea ......... but what if the cairns do not lead to your destination? There are
many cairns started by walkers, and not all in a so called correct position .... if there is a
correct position!

Basic navigation skills are better than using cairns. You should have been sending your
girlfriend ahead, guiding her along the bearing until just out of sight, stopping her then
joining her. Repeating this process until your destination is reached. Far safer than following a
series of cairns.

--
Sandy Saunders @ www.thewalkzone.co.uk

'Mountains or Mole Hills ... summiting still brings
the same excitement'

"sandy saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

involved me squinting through the mist to where I thought the next cairn was, heading towards it
and then trying to shout above the wind for my girlfriend to follow once I'd found it, repeating
this cairn hopping

process

Quoted message said:

till we found what we assumed was the top...happy days.

Sounds a great idea ......... but what if the cairns do not lead to your destination? There are
many cairns started by walkers, and not all in a

so

Quoted message said:

called correct position .... if there is a correct position!

Heh heh heh! That reminded me. Coming off Scafell Pike many moons ago, the mist came down and I
couldn't be bothered to get the compass out. After all, I knew I could just follow the same trail
of cairns that I'd passed on the way up. I must have gone around in circles, I was convinced I
was going up onto Great End but when the mist cleared to reveal Little Narrowcove dropping down
on my left I realised that Scafell Pike was coming up, again! That was very, very confusing at
the time but taught me a valuable lesson - never, never trust a line of cairns, who knows where
they are going!!

Dave

sandy saunders said:

Sounds a great idea ......... but what if the cairns do not lead to your destination? There are
many cairns started by walkers

and a few started by climbers, which you almost certainly do *not* want to follow!

Quoted message said:

On the return via Esk Hause, during a break in the cloud I wondered over to the summit of Ill
Crags. The cloud closed in again on the way back, but I didn't bother with the compass. The path,
when it reappeared, was on my right, rather than my left; I'd deviated by 90 degrees in not very
much distance.
--

When I was a young 'un (many years ago) learning my trade on the Morecambe Bay shrimpers I always
had the compass on deck in the finest of weather.It's too late when the fog,mist or cloud descends
to start learning about which course to set.. Dave All Wainwrights completed 74 Walks......763
miles......approx 200,000' of ascent to complete. At Heysham looking across Morecambe Bay to the
Cumbrian Fells

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My first ascent of Scafell Pike sans map and compass in 10 metre visibility involved me squinting
through the mist to where I thought the next cairn was, heading towards it and then trying to
shout above the wind for my girlfriend to follow once I'd found it, repeating this cairn hopping
process till we found what we assumed was the top...happy days.

"Assumed what was the top?".......There's no mistaking the top of the Pike m'lad

I bet Broad Crag has seen many a sumitt celebration

The message <[email hidden]>
from Stewart Robert Hinsley <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Saunders <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I suppose my highest single continuous ascent is Snowdon via the Watkin path. The start point is
around 58-59m I'd estimate, so the full ascent is 1025m or so.

Any other long continuous ascents on popular routes?

Quoted message said:

Skiddaw, from Keswick (bypasses Latrigg, Jenkin Hill and Low Man) Scafell Pikes, from Wasdale

Quoted message said:

Ben Nevis (unless there's a dip into the shelf between Meallie and the Ben) (> 4000 feet)
Cairngorm, from Glen More via Coire Cas (~3,000 ft) Perthshire Ben More

Alasdair (3237'😉 from sea level at Glen Brittle.

--
Roger Looking North over the Aire Valley (and Marley Gasworks) to Rombolds Moor Top Posters
killfiled on sight

[email hidden] wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My first ascent of Scafell Pike sans map and compass in 10 metre visibility involved me squinting
through the mist to where I thought the next cairn was, heading towards it and then trying to
shout above the wind for my girlfriend to follow once I'd found it, repeating this cairn hopping
process till we found what we assumed was the top...happy days.

"Assumed what was the top?".......There's no mistaking the top of the Pike m'lad

I bet Broad Crag has seen many a sumitt celebration

I have witnessed a not dissimilar scenario on Buchaille Etive Mor.

--
Adrian

In message <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My first ascent of Scafell Pike sans map and compass in 10 metre visibility involved me
squinting through the mist to where I thought the next cairn was, heading towards it and then
trying to shout above the wind for my girlfriend to follow once I'd found it, repeating this
cairn hopping process till we found what we assumed was the top...happy days.

"Assumed what was the top?".......There's no mistaking the top of the Pike m'lad

I bet Broad Crag has seen many a sumitt celebration

My worst one is Skiddaw in pretty lousy weather. Thought I was at the top, completely failing to
notice that there wasn't a trig point where I was (it must have been within 100 yards of the
summit, though).

--
Simon Challands, creator of The Acorn Elite Pages: elite.acornarcade.comelite.acornarcade.comOpen ↗ Three Dimensional
Encounters: 3dfrontier.fsnet.co.uk3dfrontier.fsnet.co.ukOpen ↗

In message <[email hidden]>

Stewart Robert Hinsley said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Simon Challands
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

My worst one is Skiddaw in pretty lousy weather. Thought I was at the top, completely failing to
notice that there wasn't a trig point where I was (it must have been within 100 yards of the
summit, though).

Skiddaw has 6 tops (Lesser Man, Low Man, (South Man), (Middle Man), High Man, and (North Man).
If you don't know the area, it probably isn't too difficult, in clag, to mistake Middle Man for
the summit.

I've been up there a couple of times in decent weather, and know the general area pretty well. I
certainly knew there was supposed to be a trig point on the top. Don't try to take away the
embarrassment I deserve for that trip!

--
Simon Challands, creator of The Acorn Elite Pages: elite.acornarcade.comelite.acornarcade.comOpen ↗ Three Dimensional
Encounters: 3dfrontier.fsnet.co.uk3dfrontier.fsnet.co.ukOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Alasdair (3237'😉 from sea level at Glen Brittle.

If by the stone shoot, it does not count. You keep sliding back a bit on the scree :-)

The Ben is sealevel to 1340+m Thats a pech of almost Norwegian levels.

I suppose you have to trawl the prominence based lists, find the hill with the biggest drop and pick
a continuous route up it. On Great Britain, it can only be the Ben.

Richard Webb