Scafell Weekend - the big walk!

Everyone was awake very early on Saturday morning, not least because in the b&b we were in the loft conversion with Velux windows and inadequate curtains - once it got light the whole room was bathed in light and we were awake! Early breakfast and then the rather nerve racking drive over Birker Fell and down to Wastwater and on to the car park at the foot of Scafell.

Everyone was excited and up for the challenge.



Please note that on the Friday when the rest of us had been enjoying a leisurely drive up the M6 James and Ross had climbed Helvellyn. Just because they could, with no thought to saving their legs for the challenge of Scafell. Fit doens't quite cover it.


"Lions and tigers and bears" was my first thought when I spotted this. Scafell safari anyone?


Malcolm and Kirsty with Great Gable as backdrop. They don't look nervous at all.



The obligatory team photo. Well, I have to justify my existence some how!


And they are off! I walked with them til the bottom of Great Gable, or until the path stopped being almost completely level and started to have an incline. You will notice at this point that there is no sign of James, Ross and Chris, all that was left of them were some footprints and a cloud of dust.

I decided to have a bit of a climb up Great Gable, just to get enough height to have a reasonable view back over Wastwater.

Glorious isn't it. It was so peaceful sat there in the sun.




Ta da! My 2nd photo of the 100 strangers project. This chap was walking up Great Gable with a lady and another gentleman and we had a bit of a chat, they are all very keen walkers and had come up from Norfolk and Essex for their annual pilgrimage to walk in the Lakes and were delighted to have been blessed with such fantastic weather. I didn't get his name but I hope they had a great day.


After taking his photo I whacked on the zoom lens and began to scan the hillside and there, just at the bottom of the picture you can make out Steve, Rachel, Nu, Kirsty and Malcolm! and if you look really closely, up above them you can see James, Ross and Chris, at least I think its them.

I had a lovely walk, once I had managed to get back down from Great Gable, nimble I am not and I usually have Steve to hang onto, was very glad to get back onto the level path. There is a small church between the car park and the hills and I decided to have a mooch.



Lovely little place. Found this and decided to google their story when I got home.

Seems they were climbing and fell to their deaths.


Had never seen one of these before and luckily there was no sign of the beast that it was warning of, phew!


I checked, this isn't him either!


Went for a walk along the river and sat by the bridge and watched the birds dashing back and forth underneath this bridge.

Kirsty decided that great as her love for Malcolm was her need not to stomp up Scafell was greater and she nipped back to join me in the pub for a drink. Everyone else got to the top, and back down again and was suitably proud and knackered! Well done everyone.