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.
Still in the cold Esk Valley - Bow Fell and the Crinkle Crags catch the early sun.
The River Esk.
Lingcove Bridge, an old packhorse bridge.
Further up the River Esk. River Esk movie clip.
Scafell Pike, England's highest.
Slight Side and Scafell along a part frozen River Esk.
Scafell Pike and Ill Crag across Great Moss. The sound of silence - Great Moss movie clip.
Looking to Esk Hause along Great Moss, Esk Pike to the right.
Esk Buttress with the rocky peak of Pen, the first target of the day. How the heck are you supposed to get up there?
Cam Spout Crag, Cam Spout waterfall and Scafell.
Esk Pike from the ascent of Pen.
Icicles on Pen; things were happening in the valleys now.
Looking south to Harter Fell and the Coniston fells.
The River Esk and Great Moss below Pen with a nice temperature inversion to the south.
The way ahead: Scafell Pike from Pen.
At the top of Little Narrowcove.
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.
Looking over Styhead Tarn to Skiddaw and Blencathra.
The valleys to the east are inverted as far away as Ingleborough and Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales.
A panoramic view of the eastern fells from Scafell Pike.
Select on the image above to see a larger, annotated version.
Looking south-west to Harter Fell.
Pillar above Mosedale.
A panoramic view to the north-west from Scafell Pike.
A close up of Ennerdale; the view extends to Scotland behind the Loweswater fells.
Skiddaw.
Whitfell with the cairn visible and Black Combe beyond. North Wales is on the horizon over the sea of cloud.
The Pillar group of fells in golden light from Mickledore.
Lord's Rake; the fallen stone is still there at the top.
...and here it is.
Looking back down Lord's Rake.
At the start of the West Wall Traverse.
Looking down the steep scree slope.
The West Wall Traverse from the top.
Looking down on Wast Water from Sca Fell; Illgill Head is on the left, Middle Fell right.
Looking across to Scafell Pike from Scafell with Great Gable centre with the High Stile range and Skiddaw beyond.
Still there - Whitfell and Black Combe.
The Scafell range from Slight Side.
Slight Side from Catcove Beck.
Border End and Hard Knott across Upper Eskdale.
Scale Gill falls.