Scafell Pike: Take Two

As the name of this post suggests, this wasn't my first attempt at the summit of Englands highest mountain. I had gone there a few years earlier with a big group of friends with the sole purpose of getting to the top. We were camping in nearby Wasdale Head and the weather was against us from the start. Torrential rain that never stopped ensured that not only did not all the group make it to the top but that there was nothing to see in exchange for the labours of those that did. Knowing I would be a regular visitor to the Lake District, on that occasion I was happy to return having gone halfway up.

The view back down to Wasdale Head

This time I was more confident. It was a cloudy start to the day but there was a strong wind coming in from the coast that was due to blow all that away by lunchtime. My only worry was that at nearly a kilometre of height the clouds might be a bit more stubborn. I needn't have worried, however, there was still bits and pieces of cloud here and there but more often than not they served more to give the sky depth than to obscure the view.

Our lunch spot

We planned to do a circular route from Wasdale Head essentially walking clockwise around Lingmell, a total distance of about 15km and an estimated time of 6 hours or so, which turned out to be about right. For most of the journey it was t-shirts only weather with waterproofs firmly stowed away at the bottom of the bag. Only in the last couple of hundred metres of ascent did it get uncomfortably cold as we became less and less protected from the Atlantic wind; there were still a few patches of snow dotted around on the leeward slopes. The summit itself was very changeable. For thirty seconds you would have a glimpse to the north of Derwent water and then find yourself shrouded in cloud only for it to quickly break and reveal a beautiful vista of the coast of the Irish Sea away to the east. I didn't get a full 360 degree panorama but was very pleased with what I did get and, of course, it still leaves me something to aim for on my next visit.

Snowdon and Scafell Pike down; Ben Nevis and Slieve Donard to do.

Lingmell from thr final ascent to Scafell Pike

Wast water