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

Lord’s Rake

Walked on 12/02/2009

Start point: Brackenclose (NY 182 074)

Brackenclose – Brown Tongue – Hollow Stones – Lord’s Rake – Hollow Stones – Brown Tongue – Brackenclose

Distance: 3.5 miles     Total Ascent: 800 metres     Time Taken: 3 hours

Weather: Cold, snow blowing in. 1°C.

I set off with the intention of climbing Scafell from Brackenclose today, however conditions managed to conspire against me. There is no shame in turning back or knowing when to bail out…

NOTE: Do not try to climb Lord’s Rake in winter conditions without crampons and an ice axe (and nerves of steel!).

12.02.09-003

Strangely clear yet murky in Wasdale.

The-Screes_small

A panoramic view of The Screes. Select on the image to see a larger version.

12.02.09-014

Great Gable, Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell reflected in Wast Water.

12.02.09-017

Scafell reflections.

12.02.09-029

Lingmell Gill.

12.02.09-031

A close up on the icy waterfall.

12.02.09-034

Illgill Head, Wast Water and Middle Fell from the climb along Lingmell Gill.

12.02.09-036

The Lingmell Gill crossing to Brown Tongue.

12.02.09-039

The north face of Scafell from Brown Tongue.

12.02.09-042

Middle Fell and Yewbarrow from the ascent.

12.02.09-044

Mickledore from Hollow Stones.

12.02.09-048

Scafell Crag.

12.02.09-056

Close up on the icicles on Scafell Crag.

12.02.09-058

Heading towards Mickledore Buttress on Scafell Pike.

12.02.09-059

Across Lingmell to Haycock and the Pillar group of fells.

12.02.09-061

Heading for Lord's Rake.

12.02.09-063

Superb winter scenery today.

12.02.09-065

Spot the two climbers climbing Moss Gill, there were plenty of them around today.

12.02.09-070

At the foot of Lord's Rake. It took a minute or two to work out that it actually was Lord's Rake as the snow was pretty deep up there, obliterating all features apart from the chock stone at the top. There were no other footprints in there either, but I thought I would give it a go and was quite prepared to turn back if it looked too dangerous.

12.02.09-074

The view from half way up Lord's Rake. There are a small group of climbers visible at the foot of Steep Gill.

12.02.09-078

Phew, made it! It certainly was an exhilarating climb in some deep snow, this view from the top looking towards Pulpit Rock on Scafell Pike.

12.02.09-081

An icy looking Pinnacle.

12.02.09-083

Casper has a look around at the start of the first descent on Lord's Rake.

12.02.09-086

The chock stone at the head of Lord's Rake. When I looked around to the normally easy second section of the Rake, I knew immediately that I wasn't going any further in that direction today. The second col was almost in touching distance but in between was a treacherous slab of snow covered ice - a great chute into Hollow Stones a couple of hundred metres below, and there was no way I was risking that. But which way to go now? I had a look at the West Wall Traverse but the entrance to that was a great snow cornice and that surely would be suicidal to attempt. No, the only way was back down the way I had come but even that would be no cakewalk and I had to carefully descend backwards kicking deep with the crampons and making sure the ice axe had a good, deep bite on each stroke. No photos of any of that as I was too busy with the job in hand.

12.02.09-088

I passed a couple of climbers going to Deep Gill as I descended, this view is of one of them half way up. Looks like he is following my footsteps to the right of the Rake, the best side to keep out of the deepest snow.

12.02.09-093

Casper watches the climbers from the foot of Steep Gill - see the end of their rope to the left?

12.02.09-090

...and when I turned around, the snow and wind had come in with a vengeance, here looking across to Lingmell. That finished the day off for me - there was no point continuing to Scafell Pike in pretty horrendous conditions. However, there was still the small matter of the descent from here into Hollow Stones to tackle, and that was pretty tricky in the snow too. I descended the worst bit backwards once more, the same as I did in Lord's Rake. I was becoming quite good at it now!

12.02.09-094

Blizzard over Mickledore.

12.02.09-098

These were some impressive looking icicles, the top ones were a good 20 feet long. I'm not going to stand under those!

12.02.09-108

Icy Lingmell Gill on the descent.

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