Sunday, April 06, 2008

England's Highest.





Scafell Pike pronounced Sca Fell Pike is England’s highest mountain. It is a bulk of a mountain and in my opinion not as attractive as somewhere like Haystacks or Great Gable, however it does have attractive
aspects to it, my own favourite being on the way up to the summit from Wasdale Head, about 1/3 of the way up you come to an open expanse of scree and cliff known as Hollow Stones. This is a fantastic place to bivvy
down for the night with a range of overhanging boulders for shelter. The summit is not visible from this point one must continue past Hollow stones by either Mickledore on the right approach (my favourite) as it provides one with a nice little scramble up a cliff before turning left and and following through the boulders to the summit, or the approach to the left of Hollow stones via Lingmel Col which is a winding path through rock & scree. Once on the summit you (depending on the weather) are subject to wonderful views of Great Gable, Crinkle Crags, Scafell , Bowfell even Skiddaw & Blencathra with Derwent Water. I ascended from Wasdale head via Hollow Stones and returned to Wasdale head via Broad Crag, Esk Hause and Sprinkling Tarn. From Sprinkling Tarn to Wasdale Head I followed Lingmell Beck which gave majestic views to my right of the Napes high above me on
Great Gable. Right at the end of this walk is of course the Wasdale Head Inn.
The photo's are from top to bottom. 1.The view from Hollow Stones of Pulpit Rock & Mickledore.2.Looking over Piers Gill onto Great gable, the bank of scree down the centre of Great Gable is called Great Hell Gate,I came down this when I did Great Gable (mostly on my bum). 3.Me on top of Skafell Pike with Skafell behind me. 3.Pulpit Rock from Mickledore..

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're pretty quiet in this little video Mr Tom! Really glad I'm getting my eyes opened to England again. Spent most of my adult life in Scotland, which of course has some spectacular scenery - the west coast, Hebrides, Orkney, etc. Bu home is where the heart is eh?

Feels good to be back in England.

Trying my hand at a little blog:

http://cliff-views.blogspot.com/

Tommy said...

Not very often I'm quiet :-) On this one though, I was quite tired and just about to scramble up Mickledore when the rain,clouds & strong winds swept in. I was desperate for a mug of Yorkshire tea :-) Scotland is indeed nice, I visit Hamish the Pict, the true chief of the Scots, every year in Bridge of Weir, we travelled the Trans Siberian Express together. Last year we visited Glencoe and had a swift one (or three)in the Clachaig Inn, a lovely pub. Loving your blog, lots of beautiful places in your neck of the woods.

Anonymous said...

Do you mean Robbie the Pict, who campaigned against the tolls on the Skye Bridge? I had contact with him when I was in Scotland. He's certainly notorious up there!

You've travelled the Trans Siberian Railway?!??! Wow. That is something I always wanted to do. I did get to visit Moscow and Leningrad in the late '80s though. Not quite the same, but still...

Off to post on my blog now. This is catching!

Tommy said...

No mate, Hamish the Pict, well known in Ulan Bataar.

Anonymous said...

Ahhh, him. Mr Pict of Mongolia. Now I know who you mean :-)