Training Weekend 5/6th March

This weekend Arlene and I headed to the Lake District to investigate the longest and hardest legs of the Bob Graham Round.



DAY 1: Dunmail Raise to Wasdale. Total length 27.5km (17 miles), with 2046m ascent (and descent 2203m). Dunmail Raise to Wasdale.


Pike O'Stickle towards Harrison Stickle

After dropping the car at Honister Slate Mine on Friday night, we got a taxi to the Keswick Youth Hostel. On Saturday morning we caught another taxi to Dunmail Raise to start our walk (at 7:30am). After some apprehension about the slog up to Steel Fell from Dunmail Raise, it really wasn't as bad as we were expecting. The day started well and we enjoyed ticking off Steel Fell and then Calf Crag, as both are relatively low peaks. From here we decided to follow Mere Beck to the head of the river before aiming for Sergeant Man. By this time however, the clag had settled in and the visibility had become very poor (only about 10m).

High Raise

We then had some difficulty finding the summit of Sergeant Man but after much pacing, circling and shivering, we finally made it to the summit. From here we struck out to High Raise, disappointed that we would not see the infamous view from the summit (762m). As we headed south from here, towards Thunacar Knott, I realised that I had left my poles on the summit of High Raise. After reversing the last 500m and collecting the poles, we started to realise that we had wasted quite a lot of time on this early section of the walk!

Thunacar Knott

We then proceeded to walk SE from Thunacar Knott through craggy ground and made a quick scramble up the rock step of Harrison Stickle. Dropping through flatter, boggy ground, the cloud started to clear (coming and going), giving us a sudden view of Pike O'Stickle. We were surprised that there is actually a sort of staircase up the side of this summit!! The last 10m to the top is a fun little scramble, yielding a cracking view back to Harrison Stickle.


Towards Harrison Stickle

 From here we descended quickly to Martcrag Moor to try out the shortcut on the Bob Graham map (up a rocky terrace to the col before Black Crags). Somehow however, we missed the traverse and ended up climbing too vertically, ending up on the ridge a bit further to the right (NE). From here we followed the rough ridge to Rosset Pike near the far end. The next section is a cheeky scrabble weaving through chunky scree, boulders and crags (Hanging Knotts). At the top of the crags there is a cairn at 866m and a short distance to our 9th summit, Bowfell at 903m. This summit was busy, so we stopped out of the wind to have a late sandwhich (3pm!)

In the improving weather it was a relief to be able to put the compass away and head for peaks as they appeared on the skyline ahead. The ascent up Esk Pike passed almost unnoticed and we soon felt like we were ticking summits more quickly.


The highest peak in England!

 As the afternoon closed in we visited the flat topped Great End (907m), the rocky pile of Ill Crag (930m) and the jumble of rocks Broad Crag (934m), before we found ourselves on the NE ridge of Scafell Pike (977m). Arlene had never been up this famous top before, so it was a great treat for her that we actually had a view from the summit.



With the final peak approaching (Scafell), I started thinking about the easy rock climb Broad Stand that stood in our way. I had packed my rock shoes in my bag with the vague idea of soloing the route while Arlene walked round. I gave it a try but with the crux sopping wet, it took me a long time to work out alternative moves (avoiding obvious but slimy footholds). Finally I pulled over and made my way up the scramble above.

    

Broad Stand

  

Broad Stand in context

On the summit (964m) I waited for Arlene to appear. As more and more time passed we both wished we had made a more detailed plan for meeting up! As it became dark we managed to narrowly miss each other; with Arlene on her way up and me on my way down to look for her! I then headed down towards Wasdale Head from the col at Mickledore (hoping to find phone reception) while Arlene waited for me on the summit (bless her!) Finally I caught sight of her headtorch (descending via Green How) and we were reunited at the bottom at 9pm!! That evening we laughed about our crazy epic over a pint in the Wasdale Head Inn! 

DAY 2: Wasdale to Honister. Total length 18.6km (11.5 miles), with 2151m ascent (and descent 1873m).

This is a fantastic day out in good visibility because you can see the whole route stretching out ahead/behind you...Brilliant.

Today the weather was fantastic and we enjoyed sunshine as we struggled up the steep side of Yewbarrow and out of the Wasdale Head valley. From Yewbarrow (628m) there is a great little rocky traverse which enables you to drop quickly and easily to the low col at Dore Head (486m). It felt a total tragedy to lose the height just gained ascending Yewbarrow, only to be faced with the huge Red Pike (828m) in front of you! This was tempered by a great view round the horseshoe all the way to Kirk Fell.

 
 A bend in the wall on the north edge of Scoat Fell marks the beginning of the spur towards Steeple (849m). A striking feature with an exposed but easy scramble; this is a fab little top. It is surrounded by interesting rocky ridges and gullies. Steeple was definitely my favourite tick on this leg! Following the ridge eastwards, we scrabbled over boulders down into Windy Gap. The pull up on to Pillar from here is short but sweet, giving way to a broad flat summit with panoramic views.


Kirk Fell and Great Gable

Pillar

The next stretch was an enjoyable and easy angled (mostly) descent down to another low col at Black Sail Pass (542m). From this col, any route up the awesome Kirk Fell looked all but impossible. We followed the track upwards, weaving through fence posts, then drifting left to finish up a steep red-rock gully towards the top (this would have been very loose if it wasn't frozen!) The actual summit cairn was still a long way off though and as we walked, we looked ahead, to the Great Gable growing before our very eyes!


Great Gable


We tried to stay positive as we dropped from Kirk Fell summit (802m) down to Beck Head col (620m), with the last big climb up Great Gable (899m)just ahead . The zigzagging path is good but soon gives way to scrambling up steep piles of boulders towards the top. At this point all the hard work for this leg of the BGR is behind you, as all the remaining tops are lower. A short but steep drop-off then brings you to a narrow col between Great Gable and Green Gable, and a red slope rises up ahead.   

It was massively satisfying to look back and up at the peaks we had come from, knowing we were on the homeward stretch. An easy walk lay ahead to Brandreth (one cairn amoungst several, at a very similar height!), then on to a small rocky outcrop called Grey Knotts (697m).

We could see the road below as we descended grassy bogs to the left of craggy ground. We popped out in the Honister Slate mine, relieved to see that the car was where we had left it!!

The ascent on this leg of the BGR is HUGE and it is this that makes it seem so much harder than you would expect from its total length. Nevertheless, Arlene and I had a perfect day on some of the most interesting fells the Lakes has to offer.