Striding Edge

A photo diary of Lake District fell walks

  • Walks
  • Fells
    • Wainwrights
      • Eastern Fells
      • Far Eastern Fells
      • Central Fells
      • Southern Fells
      • Northern Fells
      • North Western Fells
      • Western Fells
      • Outlying Fells
    • Birketts
  • Dogs
  • Love The Lakes
  • Contact

Scafell Pike

Walked on 30/01/2006

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.

01 Scafell Pike

30.01.06-002

Scafell at the head of Upper Eskdale from Brotherilkeld. The cold, dark valley contrasts with the sunlit higher slopes.

30.01.06-006

Still in the cold Esk Valley - Bow Fell and the Crinkle Crags catch the early sun.

30.01.06-010

The River Esk.

30.01.06-012

Lingcove Bridge, an old packhorse bridge.

30.01.06-014

Further up the River Esk. River Esk movie clip.

30.01.06-018

Scafell Pike, England's highest.

30.01.06-021

Slight Side and Scafell along a part frozen River Esk.

30.01.06-025

Scafell Pike and Ill Crag across Great Moss. The sound of silence - Great Moss movie clip.

30.01.06-030

Looking to Esk Hause along Great Moss, Esk Pike to the right.

30.01.06-033

Esk Buttress with the rocky peak of Pen, the first target of the day. How the heck are you supposed to get up there?

30.01.06-035

Cam Spout Crag, Cam Spout waterfall and Scafell.

30.01.06-039

Esk Pike from the ascent of Pen.

30.01.06-042

Icicles on Pen; things were happening in the valleys now.

30.01.06-046

Looking south to Harter Fell and the Coniston fells.

30.01.06-051

The River Esk and Great Moss below Pen with a nice temperature inversion to the south.

30.01.06-059

The way ahead: Scafell Pike from Pen.

30.01.06-060

At the top of Little Narrowcove.

30.01.06-062

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.

30.01.06-063

Looking over Styhead Tarn to Skiddaw and Blencathra.

30.01.06-064

The valleys to the east are inverted as far away as Ingleborough and Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales.

30.01.06-065

A panoramic view of the eastern fells from Scafell Pike.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Select on the image above to see a larger, annotated version.

30.01.06-067

Looking south-west to Harter Fell.

30.01.06-069

Pillar above Mosedale.

30.01.06-074

A panoramic view to the north-west from Scafell Pike.

30.01.06-076

A close up of Ennerdale; the view extends to Scotland behind the Loweswater fells.

30.01.06-077

Skiddaw.

30.01.06-079

Whitfell with the cairn visible and Black Combe beyond. North Wales is on the horizon over the sea of cloud.

30.01.06-084

The Pillar group of fells in golden light from Mickledore.

30.01.06-086

Lord's Rake; the fallen stone is still there at the top.

30.01.06-088

...and here it is.

30.01.06-089

Looking back down Lord's Rake.

30.01.06-091

At the start of the West Wall Traverse.

30.01.06-096

Looking down the steep scree slope.

30.01.06-097

The West Wall Traverse from the top.

30.01.06-099

Looking down on Wast Water from Sca Fell; Illgill Head is on the left, Middle Fell right.

30.01.06-101

Looking across to Scafell Pike from Scafell with Great Gable centre with the High Stile range and Skiddaw beyond.

30.01.06-105

Still there - Whitfell and Black Combe.

30.01.06-108

The Scafell range from Slight Side.

30.01.06-120

Slight Side from Catcove Beck.

30.01.06-128

Border End and Hard Knott across Upper Eskdale.

30.01.06-130

Scale Gill falls.

Share this…


  • Facebook


  • Twitter


  • Messenger


  • Whatsapp


  • Email

Previous walk Next walk

Walking Diary

  • The Mosedale Horseshoe 01/03/2022
  • Caw 18/01/2022
  • Coniston sunset 17/01/2022
  • Blencathra 15/01/2022
  • Scafell Pike 14/01/2022

Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Information

  • Striding Edge
  • T&C’s
  • Privacy
  • Links