Know when to turn back - Photo Gallery
The forecast wasn't too good, with problems on the motorway in Cumbria because of gale force winds my original route along the edges of Helvellyn was clearly out of the question. I parked the car at Seathwaite having decided to try my safe winter walk, the Corridor Route to Scafell Pike. It was overcast and windy as I started walking through the farm buildings and across the footbridge where I turned left through a gate to follow a wet path by the side of the river.
The popular route to Stockley Bridge on the other side of the river is easier and quicker but nothing like as interesting and this way you get to see Taylorgill Force, a spectacular waterfall in winter. The best bit about this route though is the rocky scramble by the side of the waterfall, it is unexpected and looks an unlikely route. There are plenty of holds for hands and feet although it needs some care when the rocks are damp, there is enough exposure to hurt if you fall off.
Once you get past the waterfall you reach the valley of Styhead Gill, a reasonably gradient free walk up to Styhead Pass. I stayed on the right hand side of the stream, it is very wet and I would prefer to walk on the more popular path on the opposite bank. The volume and speed of water in the gill means I might get even wetter if I attempt to cross it.
Styhead Tarn looked very bleak with dark mist covered hills behind it, the combination of overcast conditions and a light covering of snow made it look particularly remote. The wind had thrown a couple of strong gusts at me and when I got to the stretcher box at Styhead Pass I could see the mist racing across the tops from Lingmell to Great End, it was obviously blowing a gale up there.
There was a light covering of snow along the Corridor Route and that would have been safe enough normally but I judged that the wind would be too strong before I got anywhere close to Scafell Pike. My heart said I should see how far I could get but my head said it was sensible not to try today, the hills will always be there another day.
I decided then to walk up to Sprinkling Tarn and see how strong the wind was, there were enough strong gusts at that modestly greater height to convince me that it wasn't sensible to carry on. As I got there the Rescue Helicopter was passing over Styhead, it wasn't a good day to need to be rescued.
Just past Sprinkling Tarn I turned left across Ruddy Gill to walk down Grains Gill back to Seathwaite. Grains Gill is an interesting route, at the top you are on the edge of a steep drop into the gill, there are eroded sections that need a bit of concentration and there were little icy patches waiting to catch me out. Even quite far down there were a couple of gusts that were strong enough to stop me in my tracks, as much as I didn't want to turn back I knew it was the right thing to do.
Two days later I had the chance to try again but the forecast was at least as bad and by the time I got to Keswick it was raining heavily. There were several flooded sections on the road through the Borrowdale Valley and by the time I got to Seathwaite I was beginning to wonder if I shouldn't bother. Anyway by the time I was ready to walk the rain had stopped so I thought I would see how far I could get, even if it meant turning back again.
Sour Milk Gill on the other side of the river was just about as full of water as I have ever seen it. I followed the main path towards Stockley Bridge and there is a bridge half way along than usually spans a dry stream bed but today I needed to use the bridge. I could see that the waterfall of Taylorgill Force was a full as it could be and there was an awful lot of water squeezing under Stockley Bridge.
Once across Stockley Bridge I immediately turned left up Grains Gill, the gradient gradually increases as the surroundings become more rugged. There is a small footbridge just as the ruggedness begins crossing a narrow canyon in the rock where another stream thunders through the gap. To my surprise it still isn't raining and the wind hasn't bothered me at all, up ahead Great End's gullies look dark and threatening.
All of the tributary streams are full today and some of the rocky ones need some concentration especially where you cross them just as they crash downwards. At the top of the climb Grains Gill somewhere becomes Ruddy Gill, a small stream that has carved itself quite a spectacular canyon through the loose glacial material. After you cross Ruddy Gill you turn left for Esk Hause, the path is quite obvious and where it splits you take the right hand branch leading directly to the hause.
As I walked upwards I could see mist racing across Esk Pike and the hause and I wondered if I might need to make a decision soon. As I got to Esk Hause although I was in mist the wind wasn't anywhere near as strong as I was expecting it to be so I carried on, turning right towards Calf Cove. By now the mist had come in but it wasn't windy, I was beginning to think I might not have to turn back.
At Calf Cove, a kind of narrow bridge between Great End and Ill Crag, was the only remnant of the recent snow. You can turn right for the easiest of ascents to Great End if there is a good view but in the mist carry on upwards on an increasingly rugged path. As you get to the top of the path there is some boulder hopping to be done, it is easy to go off in the wrong direction so keep checking the location of the next cairn.
After hopping across the boulders you reach a wide obvious path on which the large cairns seem quite unnecessary but on such a large flat top like Ill Crag you are glad of the cairns when there is a covering of snow. In this poor visibility it doesn't make much sense to visit Ill Crag's summit, the path goes nowhere near it so you have to know where you are going, the detour on the left is well worth it in good visibility.
The path remains obvious and well cairned if somewhat eroded as you descend to the col, the next high point is Broad Crag, the path is not so obvious so you need to be following the line of cairns again. There are many cairns and they seem to keep changing direction but keep the next one in sight and you will get to the crest of the path. In good weather it is worth following the highest line of cairns on the right to get to the bold summit of Broad Crag and make the rocky scramble down the other side back to the path.
The descent to Broad Crag col is obvious even though the path disappears a couple of times and you have to clamber through boulders. It was here near the col when I saw the first other walkers of the day, this route is usually one of the busiest in the Lake District. Just the final climb up the eroded rocky path and Scafell Pike is all mine, I have the summit all to myself, at least for ten minutes anyway until a party of walkers appeared out of the mist.
The summit of Scafell Pike is a large boulder filled plateau so even I have to take a look at the map when it is misty. There are many paths and many cairns that all look the same and it is easy to go off in the wrong direction. After getting the direction right I was soon recognising familiar landmarks, to me anyway they are familiar and unique. As I got to the point where you turn right towards the Corridor Route I was suddenly below the mist, it looked quite a nice day at Styhead Tarn.
Once you get this bit right the path is obvious again and there are plenty of cairns just in case you lose the path. You have to cross the start of the gully that becomes occupied by Piers Gill and it is becoming noticeably more eroded and loose each time I go there. The waterfall that takes Piers Gill into the gully is full today, a worthy start to an impressive natural feature.
The Corridor Route is quite obvious but it has its moments where it can be quite tricky. There is another gully head that it crosses and it too has become very eroded, lots of loose material probably washed away by the heavy rain of the past year. This isn't too bad because you can't lose your way, there is only one possible path. There is another part of the path, a rocky scramble up to the right with no cairns looks unlikely, there is a small eroded path going down to the left can lead you astray.
If you go left you will end up heading to Wasdale, yes I made that mistake once. The rocky scramble is the way to go, you need to pick your route if you don't have long legs but after the initial step up there isn't too much exposure. Once you get over the rocks it is pretty much downhill all the way to Skew Gill, a choice of wet paths will take you to Styhead Pass for your steady walk back to Seathwaite.
You should always know when to turn back, the hills will be there again.
Andy Wallace 2nd & 4th January 2005