HIGHEST CAMPSITE IN ENGLAND? - Lee Wood
By Lee Wood
Karen and I prove yet again to be a great match when it comes to epics; I, with unquenched enthusiasm to prove that I'm not aging and Karen with her blind faith in my target setting (and navigation).
As part of our train-in to 'Haute Route Pyrenees' we set out on a little training exercise last wkd. HRP seems to average 16km/day, with 1300m ascent /day also (one day has 2600m !), so it seemed fitting to look for something similarly challenging. Where else but the great Wasdale 'horse-shoe' range!
Of course, I dismissed the fact that we weren't trained in to carrying loaded back-packs (the running must help), or even to the fact that we started 3½ hrs late (these summer days are long eh?). So we set out with optimism at 15:30 Sat nr the foot of Wastwater.
Illgill head was a pleasant grassy feature with splendid views, crisp until the curtains of rain swept in from the North. The descent from there is steep, but speculation on the bygone history of Burnmoor Tarn and its Lodge is a good distraction. No, reality never strikes on the 1st climb of the day, but the SW flank of Scafell checked our pace and enthusiasm, especially as the rain swept in again. We discussed retreat, and advanced ...
Arriving at the summit at about 8pm obviously wasn't ideal, but less so in driving rain, poor visibility, and uncertainty that it was actually the summit ... but I reasoned that we only had to do that little scramble down into Mickledore to get out of the weather. Half an hour of groping in the mist and peering into voids past the great cliffs and pinnacles of the northern cliffs left me confused, with Karen cold and fed-up. The inevitable conclusion slowly settled on us, get pitched before darkness over-took.
As it happens, there is a small lawn on top of Scafell; it stands at the interesction of the E-W paths, on a shallow saddle. Manicured by occasional sheep, and with a good depth of soil, the pegs sank in to the hilt. We did experience some uncertainy about orientation though as the wind rotored in from several directions.
Soon warm and dry, we were munching Old Trafford mange-toute with pumpernickel, and it didn't seem so bad to be up there, except for those gusts of wind which shook and strained the Saunders 'Fell-trek' alarmingly. That might just have been the reason I still hadn't slept come 1am. At that time, Karen's bladder forced her out, and her report that all anchorages were secure finally allowed fatigue to win the battle.
We both stirred, coincident with the more violent gusts, until daylight and good visibility encouraged us to emerge. The tent was sound and security proved, an un-expected benefit of our folly. Karen however, was not so resilient, and announced that we should both return by the shortest possible route! Discussion and bargaining followed; the outcome fixed at half of yesterday's ascent.
The next two hours were easily absorbed in the scramble down Broad Stand. Big packs don't help, but Karen is no climber and needed some coaxing. This culminated with combined tactics at the bad step, which seemed exciting enough for me alone. We relaxed at last in Mickledore, reflecting on yesteray's bad luck which had prevented us undertaking that descent the previous night in poor conditions. I have since learned that we should have substituted the 'Foxes Tarn' traverse under the Eastern crags.
The Sunday passed less eventfully, with sunny skies and lighter wind; a cooked pasta lunch was made comfortable by the stone wall cross at Esk Hause. However, we did not achieve our target of 2000' ascent; the slopes of Great Gable appeared too daunting. For the future though, I think Karen might be all too ready to swap even them for the boulder screes on the E side of Wastwater. Not a path as we know it!
Which just leaves us to speculate on the HRP; Saturday's ascent with Sunday's distance, hard-going. We'll be weighing every additional item soon and purchasing some trekking poles. Sorbothane insoles might solve my foot-soreness, but what will endow me with the good sense necessary to match route with combined abilities, and perform effective navigation?!
