In our quest to "Knock off"
the highest fells this year, Scafell, being the second highest seemed
another logical target for this holiday.
We chose to start from Brackenclose again, and ascend via Green
How, and again, as we parked in the lay-by at Brackenclose the sun
was shining. There was a little more cloud than on Sunday and most
of it was across the top of Scafell, but it was lifting all the
time. It was also not so hot as Sunday, but when you are fellwalking,
that is not necessarily a bad thing. |
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Scafell from the lay-by
at Brackenclose |
| As we walked across the first bridge,
David spotted a Dipper. |
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A dipper in Lingmell Gill by brackenclose |
We passed the building at Brackenclose
and turned right after the first footbridge and cattle grid to start
making our way up the enclosure towards the stiles over the wall
and onto Scafell. |
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brackenclose |
| As we started climbing, we were again
treated to wonderful views of the Wasdale fells. |
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Kirk Fell from the ascent up green
how |
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Wast Water and Brackenclose with
Yewbarrow behind |
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Wast Water with Middle fell behind |
The climb up Green How is quite
steep, but the going is easy underfoot. When you are level with
Rakehead Crag, there is a plateau, after which the terrain changes
completely, becoming the boulder field one associates more with
the Scafell range.
As always, David was ahead and reached the plateau first! |
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Burnmoor Tarn comes into view |
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Scafell's top is still in cloud
as we ascend green how, with david waving from the plateau |
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Pillar from Green How |
| The plateau seemed as good a place
as any to have lunch. As we sat down, the cloud was clearing from
the summit all the time, promising us another good day for views. |
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Burnmoor tarn and illgill Head from
the plateau on green how |
| After lunch, it was time to leave
the easy grassy slope for the beginning of the boulder field and the
last, steep climb for the summit. |
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Making our way up the boulders to
the summit |
Looking back, we got excellent
views across Yewbarrow and the Pillar range. |
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Yewbarrow, with Seatallan, Haycock
and Red pike behind |
The path got more and more indistinct
as the boulders increased, but with the excellent visibility it
was easy to see where we were heading and finding the exact route
of the path was not so important. |
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Nearer the summit, the path is a
continuous boulder field |
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more boulders.... |
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Pillar, Kirk Fell and Great Gable |
| Eventually, we clambered over the
last, steep scree-filled run to the summit. |
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David at the summit of scafell |
The summit is a big boulder with
a cairn on top, and by the side is a wind shelter, which on a less
beautiful day would no doubt have been a welcome sight.
From the summit area, we were again treated to wonderful views
in all directions, except, of course where Scafell Pike was blocking
the view.
From here, we could see Bowfell and Crinkle Crags, for once out
of cloud too, and Burnmoor Tarn looked like a jewel below. |
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The stone Shelter on Scafell's Summit |
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Symonds Knott from Scafell's summit |
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Scafell Pike and esk pike from Scafell's summit |
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Symonds Knott and Scafell Pike from Scafell's Summit |
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Mosedale with Pillar and Kirk Fell from scafell's
summit |
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Burnmoor Tarn from Scafell's Summit |
| The first part of the descent from
the summit takes you through a scree run, where the best you can do
is hope to stay upright and steady yourself on a boulder here and
there, but it soon becomes easier going. |
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Descending towards wast water through the scree and
boulders at the top of scafell |
| Back at the plateau alongside Rakehead
Crag the going got easier again, and we had another break, taking
in the stunning views, before making our way back down, trying to
find the stiles over the wall down below to head for. |
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Looking back to Scafell from above green how |
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Lingmell, with Great Gable just visible behind, from
green How |
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Mosedale with pillar at the back from above rakehead
crag |
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Scafell from Green how |
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Pikes Crag and Rakehead Crag |
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Lingmell from Green How |
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Brackenclose with Yewbarrow behind |
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Descending to Wast Water via Green How |
| Having spotted the stiles below, David
made a dash for them... |
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Brackenclose from above the wall on Green how |
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Crossing the two stiles on the way back to brackenclose |
| Further down is a fence, and we then
had to find the stile in order to cross this as well. |
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Crossing the stile over the fence above brackenclose |
| Back on level ground, we crossed the
footbridge again. |
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Back at the footbridge at Brackenclose, with Green
How behind |
| The sun was now quite hot, and some
of the sheep were finding shelter under the Gorse bushes. |
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A herdwick sheep and lamb sheltering from the sun
under some gorse at Brackenclose |
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Looking back at Scafell, Now in glorious sunshine,
with our route up Green how showing clearly, from the lay-by at Brackenclose |
| Driving back along the shore path
to Nether Wasdale, we simply had to stop again and admire the wonderful
views of Wast Water and the Screes. |
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The "classic" wast Water shot with Great
Gable, Lingmell and the Wast Water Screes |
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The wast Water Screes |
