After the extensive bouldery crossroads where Piers Gill joins Lingmell Beck, the path becomes less obvious; it seems like you could cross the stream at any time but on most occasions the water is far too high and far too fast to take the risk. The proper crossing place didn't use to be very obvious, but these days a muddy path leads down to the water's edge, and an easy hop across boulders; although, it too is sometimes a risky crossing. On the other side of the beck, there is a faint path heading in the direction of Styhead, but for a while it isn't very convincing; an even fainter variation takes you up to Piers Gill, but even with the cloud being low it is obvious where Styhead lies.

After some level walking you cross a small stream and the gradient increases, as does the visibility of the path, which takes a very reasonable zigzag route upwards. Eventually you reach an unexpected cairn, shortly before reaching what appears to be a dry stream bed; as you walk easily uphill it becomes apparent that you are at the bottom end of Skew Gill. There is no water in the gill, not above ground anyway, although I'm sure it will be flowing underneath the boulders. There is a sudden increase in the size of the boulders in the dry stream bed after you pass the start of the Corridor Route, the impressive and intimidating cliffs immediately ahead always fill me with apprehension and excitement.

Suddenly I was climbing upwards, the first section of the gill is littered with big boulders and some of them wobble when you stand on them; the mist only added to intimidating surroundings. It became clear that there was more water coming down the gill than I was hoping for; you only see small, crystal clear pools between the boulders, but up ahead the waterfalls were obvious. The big boulders are interesting to clamber over with a couple of larger steps that can be bypassed if you wish, but the rock pitches complete with waterfalls are the real challenge, especially after nearly falling off one last time; it was time to be bold.

The first waterfall is the most fearsome of all, I have looked at it a few times but never dared to climb it; maybe if the rock was dry it would be possible but it is the most reliably wet of all of the waterfalls. Fortunately, it is possible to climb up the steep bank by the side of it, but with the earth being so soft the erosion will make it a more difficult by-pass in the future. Above this point you are into the most exciting part of Skew Gill, going back down would be more difficult than carrying on. At this point there is sometimes a view of Great Gable looking back out from the gill, but today just the outline of the sixty-degree steep gully walls against the mist.

It's steeper now and more rugged, a bouldery scramble leads you to the first of the waterfalls that have to be climbed; no by-pass here where you can touch the walls on either side of the rocky gully with either hand. This is the place where a piece of rock came away in my hand and almost caused me to fall off last time; more experienced and more confident on the rock I trusted myself on the grippy rock even though it was running with water. It was enjoyable this time, but I was glad to get that one over with; shortly afterwards there was a long climb upwards with water splashing into my face and spilling into my boots. This was no time to worry about getting wet, it is a strenuous and demanding climb; but this is why I came to Skew Gill.

Then the gully widens out, but you still have to scramble up bare rock with water running down it; the highlight of Skew Gill is the final climb out of the gully. The rock is even steeper and wetter and the place is dark and intimidating; I didn't realise how steep it was until later when I looked at the photo of the water cascading down by the side of me. A final awkward manoeuvre over a rock step and a scramble up steep wet grass gets you out of the gully; there is still plenty of work to do to get up to the summit of The Band. The start of the ascent of Great End isn't obvious at the best of times but in the mist I was glad that I knew what to look for; a small section of scree leads to a narrow rock chimney and a faint path upwards.

The path disappears at a swampy grassy place and on this occasion I chose the less obvious route, although I still knew where I was, having descended that way in the past. After a short but rough bouldery traverse I came to a small, steep eroded gully that I recognised; the start of the equally steep ascent to the summit. You have to haul yourself up the stony path until you reach a small cairn, at an obvious rock face running parallel to the path; it is the top of Branch Gully which itself looks like a tough way up the hill. The mist started to play games as I carried on climbing, it cleared all around but stayed below me, I had to take my jacket off with the sun being so warm. After passing the top of Branch Gully there is a steep boulder field to clamber over all the way to the stony summit of Great End.

It was misty again by the time I reached the top and I realised that I had forgotten to bring a map; I had to navigate the broad featureless top of Great End from memory. To be honest it wasn't that much of a problem, I know the place fairly well and have practised the descent to Calf Cove enough times. When I reached the big path at Calf Cove leading to Scafell Pike, I could hear voices even though I couldn't see anybody. After hopping across boulders that seemed to have been placed there for the purpose, the path crosses the broad shoulder of Ill Crag. It was a slightly interesting puzzle to decide where to leave the path and head over to the summit; nobody else seemed to be bothering to wander through the mist, but even in good weather most people pass it by. From the summit, I navigated my way back across the flatness, and I was pleased with myself for getting back to the path at almost the same place that I left it.

I turned left and descended the eroded path down to the col, and continued onwards towards Broad crag, following the line of cairns. It's not as difficult to decide where to turn off for the summit as it is on Ill Crag; there is higher ground on the right and a ridge to aim for, not far away. Once you reach the ridge, turn left to reach the summit, there is no cairn at the moment, but once you hop across a few big boulders you reach the highest point. To descend you have to find your way through gaps in the rocks, most of the ways down are safe enough, you just need longer legs to get down some of them. You should rejoin the line of cairns for the busy, eroded descent to Broad Crag col and the equally busy final ascent to Scafell Pike; for a popular path, it is quite an interesting climb, and not too eroded.

The large bouldery summit crown of Scafell Pike is topped by a correspondingly large cairn, although it resembles a large platform more than a cairn; this is a place that is almost always busy. I left the summit on the obviously cairned path towards Mickledore and took the less obvious left-hand branch that takes you down, past the stretcher box. From just above the stretcher box you can see Mickledore ridge; the windward side was clear of mist, but the breeze coming up from Eskdale was obviously meeting some resistance, and a wall of mist rose up on the Hollow Stones side of the ridge.

I walked up onto the crest of the ridge towards Broad Stand, and as I reached the rock buttress I turned right down Rake's Progress. An unlikely route, it is a climber's traverse that is very eroded, but probably not as bad as the usual loose scree descent to Hollow Stones. It took me to the bottom of Lord's Rake, and as I stepped up the familiar chock stones it was misty, quiet and very intimidating. There is plenty of new, loose material at the bottom of rake, typical for this time of year; I climbed up by the right hand rock wall, supporting myself where I could in case my weight caused the loose stones under my feet to slide. Taking it slowly and carefully, as with all scrambles, making sure I had a proper hold before moving on, I reached the top part of the rake in about fifteen minutes.

It takes me a bit longer because I take photographs as well, but there is no need to rush, it doesn't take that long. Most of the winter rockfalls have now slid down the rake, leaving a steep surface of gravelly soil; it is still a steep and awkward climb. It is best to cross over to the left hand side of the rake just before you reach the eroded exit to the West Wall Traverse; carefully trying not to dislodge the remaining boulders and with the fallen one looming menacingly above you.

At the top, although the boulder looks to be leaning precariously, it is wedged tightly against the rock wall, and it would take more than one person passing by to dislodge it. At least that is what I tell myself each time I clamber under it; I returned the same way to make the rough crossing to the West Wall Traverse. The so-called traverse is a rough, steeply upwards path that is easier and less intimidating in the mist when you can't see how exposed you are. As you reach the massive rock walls of Scafell Pinnacle at the head of Deep Gill, you turn right up the rocky gully still considered to be part of the gill. I'm sure the rocks there have moved downwards recently after being stable for several years; it is a rough scramble over boulders and loose rocks, with a steep, narrow exit scramble on wet and eroding rock onto the grassy plateau.

If you are not familiar with this plateau you should take a bearing if it is misty; there is a faint path if you can find it, that takes you to a stone cross laid on the ground. A more substantial path, complete with cairns, will lead you over to the short, bouldery climb to the summit of Scafell; a lonely summit just a few feet lower that it's busy neighbour. After making the short bouldery descent from the summit, at a collection of some seemingly pointless piles of stones, turn left onto an obvious path downwards. The path is full of loose stones and is, for me anyway, the one where I slip most frequently, as the stones slide my and my feet move from under me.

Eventually, the stones give way to grass as the gradient eases; after you pass the top of an eroded gully the path seems to bear right, but this is a fellrunners route and an unpleasant trap for walkers. Keep going along the line of the path and you should find it again; after you pass a small cairn the path veers right and goes steeply down the green slope, another favourite place for me to end up on my backside. You will reach a wall that you can cross at a stile but there is no rest just yet, another steep descent on grass brings you to a fence with a stile, you might have to cross a stream to reach it.

Nearly on level ground, and just a bit further before you reach a track leading back to the car park; the mist cleared when I was about half way down and it was a sunny day again when I got back to the car.

© Andy Wallace 26th Jul 2008