Skew Gill to Scafell Photo Gallery

Already at 9 o'clock it is very busy and very warm at Wasdale Head, unfortunately the haze prevented me seeing the classic view of Great Gable as I turned the corner on the road from Santon Bridge. I have two companions today, Mick and Selina, I have described the route to them but I don't think they realise what they are letting themselves in for.

From the Inn take the footpath across the fields to the small church of St. Olaf's and you can't pass it without having a quick look inside and a read of some of the inscriptions on the gravestones. Turn left and follow the track past Burnthwaite Farm to join the Moses Trod path alongside Lingmell Beck. This is what Wainwright calls the Valley Route to Styhead Pass, a much more pleasant journey than the the path traversing the lower flank of Great Gable.

The path passes the point where Piers Gill combines with the other mountain streams at what Wainwright calls a beautiful watersmeet full of cool looking pools and water cascades. Beautiful today and easy to cross at a point marked by a cairn on the bank of the stream but I have had trouble getting across here when the stream is swollen. Once across the beck follow the reasonably easy to follow path up towards the head of the valley. The cairned path zigzags upwards to the river of scree that marks the start of Skew Gill and the way from there is very obvious.

This is the warmest weather in which I have walked, we are beginning to wonder if we will manage all of the planned route, the heat is beginning to get to me and I am thinking about places where we will be able to fill up with water.

Skew Gill starts off as scree and then boulders but then the rocky bed of the gill is reached and cool fresh water is flowing over the rocks. Head straight up the gill, even though some of the rocks look damp and mossy they still give good footholds. As the going gets steeper pools of water have formed above small waterfalls that make it easy to splash the contents over your face, and everywhere else for that matter. Feeling more refreshed now, the scramble up the gill is delightful, a very enjoyable way of gaining height quickly.

The little waterfalls are a good place to replenish the water bottles too, a necessary refill on what is going to be a long hot day.

The gully gets narrower as you get higher until close to the head of the gill it opens out to a wider area of boulders, a very pleasant place to sit in the sun for ten minutes before the final climb. Then the gradient becomes steeper, clambering now over wet and mossy rocks with sheer cliff walls on either side. The final step in front of a large boulder needs a little bit of concentration and then there are a few feet of slippery loose rocks to scramble up.

Having got this far and thinking that you are at the top it could be a bit demoralising to see the steep boulder field stretching up the ridge. The going isn't too bad though, the rocks don't move very much as you stand on them. Eventually as the the boulders give way to grass you can climb to the cairn at the top of The Band for a splendid view over Sprinkling Tarn. You can see Styhead Tarn sitting at the foot of Great Gable which itself looks magnificent but scarred by popular footpaths.

Drop down a few feet in the direction of Great End and you can see some signs of disturbance in the grass between the rocks and boulders. You should be able to find a way through the rock until you reach a flatter area. Looking up on the left hand side you can see large crags and gullies just below the summit of Great End, Cust's Gully is at the right side of them. Follow the contours round to the left as best you can over grass, rock and wet ground. When Cust's Gully comes into sight it is unmistakable with the large boulder wedged at the top of its rock walls.

Wainwright said it was not for walkers and he may be right but I want to go and have a look at it and the Branch Gully. Stepping over the dead sheep to get into Cust's Gully you can see that it is as steep as Lord's Rake and at at least as slippery on the lower part. Further up it becomes steeper and apart from on the left hand side the rocks are wet and covered thickly in moss. The rock on the left is steep and smooth and Mick made a brave attempt but it probably needs a climber to get over it. I went to look at the rock of the right hand side but the near vertical five or six feet was covered in wet moss and gave no chance of safe hand or foot holds.

Defeated but not disheartened we descended back down the gully and it seemed much steeper than when climbing it. The alternative plan is to try the branch gully, initially stepping through the fleecy remains of another dead sheep the steep rough climb ended at very impressive chockstone. Mick made an attempt to get up and around it but again it proved just a bit too much even for enthusiatic walkers. Once again the descent seemed must steeper than the upwards journey although we managed to bypass the sheep. I have to agree with Wainwright on this occasion, the gullies are not really walker's routes - but at least we tried.

So after two strenuous gully climbs and equally difficult descents we still have to climb the mountain. This time we use the pedestrian route, walking over steep boulders but a least it is a straight run to the summit. As you pass by the top of the branch gully you can see how close we were to getting up it. When we visited the top of Cust's Gully we could see that we really had no chance of getting over the rocky obstacles.

Whilst at the summit of Great End we saw the first other walker since the crowds on the Corridor Route. From the top of Great End the navigation is straightforward, just head for the stream of people on the obvious path coming up from Calf Cove on the way to Ill Crag. When you reach the path an ascent of twenty feet or so brings you to a small col where you step from one big boulder to another until a more obvious path takes you past, but nowhere near, the summit of Ill Crag.

Follow the eroded path as it descends to a col and follow it up towards Broad Crag, the main path again bypassing the summit. However, Broad Crag is interesting enough to make the effort to visit its rocky top so we did make the effort. From there you can see the way ahead, the wide eroded path up to Scafell Pike from Broad Crag col. There is a scramble down to rejoin the main path, over the large boulders that defend the summit of Broad Crag on its south side, probably the reason why most people decide not to visit it.

So many people here walking in both directions but most are going our way, up to Scafell Pike, a busy place at the worst of times with standing room only today.

From the summit of Scafell Pike take the obvious path over to Mickledore Ridge, we can see that Broad Stand is busy today and Lord's Rake is empty. Walk along the ridge to where it meets the cliffs of Scafell and take the awkward exit on the right to the steep and loose Climber's Traverse path. The path goes underneath the climbing crags and you have to step over the climbers and their equipment as they block the narrow path.

Lord's Rake looks steep and difficult to the newcomers but is no more difficult than what we have already climbed today, but it is still strenuous and awkward in places and legs are beginnning to tire. I had to go and have a look at my old friend the fallen boulder who I have to thank for keeping most people out of this special place. The boulder seems to be steadily falling to pieces where it stands, it won't ever fall down the rake in one piece.

I have to then clamber back under the boulder and over its fallen components down to the start of the West Wall Traverse, the climbers on Scafell Pinnacle are numerous and clearly visible. There is unfortunately no water in Deep Gill today, the reserves are beginning to look a bit depleted but it is too late to worry about that now, carry on up the gill.

Another delicious scramble, again no more difficult than anything else done today but muscles and joints are beginning to wonder where it will all end. A final awkward push out of the gill gets you onto the summit plateau of Scafell, only a simple crossing of the plateau and thirty feet of ascent bring you to the summit itself.

It's all downhill from here on the Green How footpath. Rather steeply downhill that is, firstly over an eroded stony path, very slippery so it takes a lot of effort to stay on your feet. This is bad enough but your legs and knees really start to complain when you get to the grass, it is pathless and seems endless and the more you descend the steeper it gets. Some consolation is provided by the small stream we came across, its water was cool and delicious and it came just in time to prevent serious thirst from setting in.

Eventually you reach the bottom, walk through the Brackenclose camp site and then over fields to the car park at The Green, I have never seen this big parking area overflowing with cars before.

A long report but it was a long walk, 8 hours of hard work in the sun needing 5 litres of water, an excellent adventure.

Andy Wallace 9th August 2003