Height: 762 metres / 2500 feet Grid reference: NY 22155 06742

Pen is a subsidiary summit to Scafell Pike overlooking the Esk Valley to the south east
Height: 762 metres / 2500 feet Grid reference: NY 22155 06742
Pen is a subsidiary summit to Scafell Pike overlooking the Esk Valley to the south east
Walked on
Start Point: Jubilee Bridge (NY 213 011)
Brotherilkeld Farm – Lingcove Bridge – Great Moss – Pen – Scafell Pike – Mickledore – Lord’s Rake – Scafell – Slight Side – Catcove Beck – Brotherilkeld Farm
Distance: 10 miles Total Ascent: 1178 metres Time Taken: 7 hours Start Time: 10:50
Weather: Murky, 16°C
I had a full day available today so I wanted to do a good long walk – I did think the weather would turn out better than it did but it was still good to be out and walking in mist has its own merits of complete solitude, even on the popular fells such as this.
Heading into Upper Eskdale and the mist was lying quite low on the fells. I was hopeful of it getting out later.
Esk Buttress - and that was it for views for a good while. I climbed the steep path to Pen (the top took a bit of finding as I could hardly see my hand in front of me!) then over to Scafell Pike.
Pulpit Rock from the foot of Lord's Rake. I was surprised to see how much the path from Mickledore to Lord's Rake has eroded recently.
The chock stone is still standing although there seems to be more large boulders around it. Up on Scafell it was as misty as it was on the Pike - I chatted for a while to a couple who were completing their 214 up there, congratulations to both.
Walked on
Start point: Hardknott Pass (NY 231 014)
Hardknott Pass – Hard Knott – Lingcove Beck – Scar Lathing – Great Moss – Pen – Scafell Pike – Broadcrag Tarn – Cam Spout – Great Moss – Lingcove Beck – Hard Knott – Hardknott Pass
Distance: 9.3 miles Total Ascent: 1240 metres Time Taken: 5 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Overcast. 17ºC.
The weather certainly didn’t turn out as I expected with it being rather grey and I didn’t really know which route I would take until I did it. I must say it took longer than I thought and it was pretty arduous going at times over boggy ground coupled with a steep ascent and descent. It was still enjoyable though – this is my favourite area of all.
Casper plans the route - there is a steep descent to cross Lingcove Beck then a steep climb again over the knolls in the middle distance.
The cloud is clearing from Scafell Pike now. The peak to the right of Esk Buttress is Pen. Now, should I climb Pen or climb Little Narrowcove? In the end I decided on Pen and climbed following the gill to the left of Esk Buttress - which was steep to say the least!
Broad Stand from Broadcrag Tarn - the highest tarn in the Lake District at 827m according to Wainwright and Birkett...but my mapping software shows Foxes tarn at 837m and Crinkle Crags Tarn (near the summit of Long Top, un-named on the OS map) at 854m. Now, should I climb Lord's Rake and climb Scafell or descend Cam Spout? Oops, look at the time - lets go!
Walked on
Start point: Brotherilkeld, car park at the bottom of Hardknott Pass (NY 214 011)
Brotherilkeld Farm – Lingcove Bridge – Great Moss – Little Narrowcove – Pen (448) – Scafell Pike – Mickledore – Lord’s Rake – West Wall Traverse – Scafell – Slight Side (449) – Catcove Beck – Brotherilkeld Farm
Distance: 12.2 miles Total Ascent: 1327 metres Time Taken: 5 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Very cold at valley level -4°C. Once into the sunshine it was just like a summer’s day – shirt sleeves all the way!
The weather turned out even better than I was expecting today – I thought it would be clear, but it was unbelievably so and very warm with a temperature inversion to boot! I have been ‘saving’ this walk for a while which includes a steep scramble up to Pen, a subsidiary summit of Scafell Pike, and the scrambles of Lord’s Rake and the West Wall Traverse. It is for this reason that the walk had to be Angus-less; he would never have managed it today. As it turned out, it was one of the most memorable days I have ever had in the fells – one to remember. I make no apologies for the number of photos included in today’s walk – there could have been lots more, it was so hard to weed them out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Scafell at the head of Upper Eskdale from Brotherilkeld. The cold, dark valley contrasts with the sunlit higher slopes.
Esk Buttress with the rocky peak of Pen, the first target of the day. How the heck are you supposed to get up there?
Looking north to an inverted Ennerdale with Mellbreak and the Loweswater fells showing through the cloud. Great Gable is in the foreground on the right.
The valleys to the east are inverted as far away as Ingleborough and Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales.
Whitfell with the cairn visible and Black Combe beyond. North Wales is on the horizon over the sea of cloud.