Scafells

climbing up to Lingmell summit with a view over towards Mickledore and the Scafells.

Lingmell's elegant cairn

There are worse places to head on a sunny day than the Scafells.  I fancied a proper mountain day and Dean was up for some exploration so I devised a route with plenty of climbing and scenery.

Lingmell's summit cairn

We parked at Wasdale Head.  I didn't realise but the Lingmell Dash fell race was on the same day so Wasdale was busier than ever.  We cut across towards the Brown Tongue path, cutting again directly up the side of the fell steeply onto the nose of Lingmell, joining the main path up Lingmell at the fence where a group told us we had taken the steepest route possible.  Start as you mean to go on!

Shortly after this point, I realised I had my watch set to swim and changed it over, Duh!

After a bit of dorking around on both of Lingmell's cairns, we headed over to join the throng making their way up to Scafell Pike's summit.  As we predicted, it was very busy at the summit.  Still this was Dean's first time up there and so we marked the occasion with some photos and then headed off towards Mickledore.

Lingmell behind on our way up to Scafell Pike summit

the summit comes into view

Dean celebrates being on top

On the way over to Mickledore, I discussed the three options for ascent with Dean.  The climb up Broad Stand wasn't really an option, being a famous blackspot for falls.  We thought we would have a look at it and Dean squeezed into Fat Man's Agony, the gap between the square boulder at the bottom of Broad Stand and the rest of the rock.

I enjoy Lord's Rake and decided to take Dean this way.  I thought about going along the West Wall Traverse but we decided to carry on past the famous dislodged stone and wound our way up to the summit.

There was a decent crowd up here.  The weather was a bit cooler and so we didn't hang around.  Heading off east, we dropped down the difficult path to Foxes Tarn and then on down the gulley to the climb back up to Broad Stand.  I'm always surprised at how much you drop down from Foxes Tarn.

We climbed back up to Mickledore and then back to Scafell Pike summit.  I only took one picture this time around - of my watch which showed exactly the right height at Scafell Pike summit.  It's good to know that it gets it right occasionally.  Unfortunately, it's usually difficult to know on which occasions it is right.

Fat Man's Agony

Lord's Rake

From the summit of Scafell Pike, we picked up the Scafell Pike Marathon course.  We headed over Broad Crag and then, rather than go around as the marathon course does, we went up and down Great End, bagging another Wainwright for Dean.

We then headed back down to pick up the route again at Esk Hause.

With somewhat tired feet, we followed the path down to Sty Head and then along the front of Great Gable and back to Wasdale Head.

Dean on Scafell

My watch gets the elevation right on top of Scafell Pike

Dean on Great End

and me on Great End