Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England and undoubtedly one of the most popular, but is it one of the best?
I decided to consider this question after meeting a farmer friend of mine in Langdale a couple of weeks ago. Bruce is a born and bred Langdalian sheep farmer, whose parents still farm at the head of the valley. If you cut Bruce in half, he’d have the word LANGDALE printed through him like on a stick of rock!
In spite of having spent many long days gathering sheep on the rough terrain of Crinkle Crags and Bowfell, Bruce had never been to Scafell Pike and so had decided to walk there with his family one September Saturday if the weather held.
The weather was good on the day, and I bumped into him (almost literally) as his Landrover tore along the track to Baysbrown later that afternoon on his way back. 'Did you have a good day Bruce', I asked. 'Aye, OK' he said, 'but it’s’ a b..... s.......up there isn’t it' He doesn’t mince his words doesn’t Bruce. 'I’ll not be gaan back'.
I knew what he meant. I’d been to the summit many times over the years and when I was the National Park Ranger for Langdale I’d been up there on several occasions to clear piles of rubbish from the summit plateau. Maybe he had a point.
As luck would have it, a few days later a lady contacted me who wanted to be guided up Scafell Pike. Fitness wasn’t a problem for her, but she had limited map reading experience and was worried about finding her way. I suggested we walked from Borrowdale along the Corridor Route, arguably the finest way to the summit.
Saturday morning saw us parked up at Seathwaite 'Welcome to the wettest place in Britain' the sign should say, but maybe that’s something Seathwaite does not want to boast about! There are signs though, asking walkers on the Three Peaks Challenge to respect the residents of Seathwaite and to pass quietly through. Herein lies one of Scafell Pike’s deep-seated problems, if you’re the highest, every man and his dog wants to get to the top.
We only saw a handful of other walkers on the ascent, which is a wonderful walk, and much of the top 1000 feet was shrouded in mist, but my companion was astounded at how many people were on the summit, and how many more walkers arrived while we had our lunch there.
The rocky summit plateau is liberally peppered with cairns, stone shelters old and new……and rubbish. Walk a few yards from the top and sit behind one of the many shelter walls and you’ll find chocolate bar wrappers tucked under rocks, loo paper, banana skins and orange peel. As Bruce said, it’s a.............
The approach walk is fantastic though, with stunning views into the head of Wasdale, onto Gable’s screes and crags and into the magnificent ravine of Piers Ghyll .It’s just a shame about the top!
The rough and rocky terrain of Scafell is a test for anyone’s footwear, and I continue to wear my Brasher Borgues for this sort of walk, which cope with anything below the snowline with ease and which have become established along with the Lithium as favourites for 3 season walking. One of our instructors recently wore a pair of Borgues on Kilimanjaro, and the legendary Lake District author Bill Birkett now slips his Brashers on in preference to anything else.
John White and the Highpoint Mountain Guides offer waking and climbing guides for walks and climbs countrywide and year-round.
www.mountainguides.co.uk and 01931 713115
