Scafell Pike

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So now the second of the three peaks is completed, Scafell Pike, which I have learned is a different place from Scafell. I travelled up Friday evening on the train and met Andy, Trev and Sharon at Kendal for a night under canvas at Seatoller. It was about 10 by the time we had set up so we nipped back to the pub for a quick pint which would have perhaps been two if they hadn’t closed at 10:30. Ah well, back to the tent for a very cold night -4°C cold enough to freeze the breath on the tent sides by morning.

An early start the following day at 5am: I couldn’t stand the snore-a-thon any longer. So a quick coffee and some instant porridge, pack the tents away and clear the camp site and we are underway. Only the third car in the car park so none of the hike to get to the start we had to make when we climbed Snowdon.

The planned route was to take the Styhead routes on the way up so we were climbing from the start but the weather was very rewarding. The climb all the way up revealed new vistas at every step and the brilliant sunshine made for some amazing views certainly equal to anything else in the world.

Andy kept tearing off up steep slopes and through bogs so he could he could collect his geocaching sites, and we also headed up Lingmell as well so Sharon could bag another on the Wainwright list and then up Scafell Pike itself for another boulder-hopping scree-dodging climb to the summit and no queuing this time to get to the top.

We came down Grains which was 5 miles of further boulder-hopping pulling on the lower legs and knees all the way down.

So the second of the three peaks is now complete with only Ben Nevis to complete in July but before that a London to Paris cycle ride in two weeks so watch this space for further updates

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