Upper Eskdale : In the Land of Giants

Date: 30th & 31st July 2015
Start/Finish: Jubilee Bridge, Eskdale
Wainwrights: Scafell Pike, Lingmell, Scafell, Slight Side
Height Gained: 4551 feet 
Distance: 13.8 Miles

 

The Route: anticlockwise form Jubilee Bridge (bottom right)

Wandering around upper Eskdale is a humbling experience. This area, more than any other in the Lake District has a feeling of true wilderness, making you feel small and insignificant amongst the giants of the Cumbrian fells. 

Adding to the sense of isolation is the fact that this is also one of the least visited areas of Lakeland. I only saw one small group of people from a distance in 4 hours of wandering around the Eskdale valley which was in stark contrast to when finally emerging from little narrowcove onto the main ridge to Scafell Pike summit. Talk about one extreme to the other!

The lower Eskdale valley

Bowfell standing guard at the head of the valley

The River Esk

Lingcove Bridge

From here the route crosses the old Lingcove packhorse bridge before climbing up beside the Esk waterfalls and emerging into upper Eskdale and the vast basin of Great Moss.

Nearing the top of the Esk waterfalls and Scafell Pike comes into view for the first time

Scafell Pike and Ill Crag

The upper section of the River Esk guarded by the crags of Scar Lathing

There are paths to the left and right of Scar Lathing into Great Moss but taking the left path brings you up close and personal to the huge crags of Scafell.

The crags of Scafell

Great Moss with Scafell Pike, Ill Crag and Esk Hause at the head of the valley

Great Moss is a hazardous place as your gaze is constantly drawn upwards to the majestic scenery rather than watching where you are treading! A twisted ankle awaits the unwary as the terrain is a large flat peaty area criss-crossed with many little streams. Getting through with dry feet is a challenge in itself.

Cam Spout Gully leading up to Scafell

Dow Crag

Looking back over Great Moss

There are route choices to get up onto Scafell PIke from Great Moss. 1) Camspout gully (but I have done that route before to get to Scafell) 2) Up to Esk Hause and then along the main ridge (done that route too but from Bowfell) or 3) via the steep gully of Little Narrowcove (which I haven't been up before). That settled, I headed up the gully which follows the course of a tumbling gill eventually emerging onto the main ridge leading to Scafell Pike summit. This is where I joined the hoards of other folk all wearily plodding the last few hundred feet up onto England's highest ground.

At the bottom of Little Narrowcove ...

... and the top

Looking back down the Little Narrowcove gully over Pen

First view of Lingmell & Great Gable from the main ridge

Broad Crag and Ill Crag

Scafell Pike summit

 A video of the summit view from Scafell Pike with all the main fells in view labelled
 

Scafell (where I camped later on) from Scafell Pike

Following the path down to Lingmell ...

... and then up to Lingmell

Lingmell summit with the Scafells behind

Broad Crag & Scafell Pike

Looking over Piers Gill towards Great End

Taking the path towards Mickledore

Scafell Pike from near Lords Rake

So what can I say about Lords Rake. It's steep. It's hard work. It's an exhilarating way up onto Scafell as it traverses its most impressive rock scenery. If you have a spare 5 minutes you can watch this abridged video of me struggling up it.

NB. The famous chockstone at the top of the rake finally collapsed on 31st July 2016. May it rest in 'pieces'.

Looking up Lords Rake

Looking back from the top of the 2nd Col on Lords Rake

Scafell summit views North ...

... and west over Wast Water

Looking back to Scafell Pike from Scafell

Tonight's luxurious accommodation

Drying socks out

It was a comfortable camp until the rain came in the early hours (which wasn't forecast!). While the tarp sheltered me from most of the wind driven stuff I had to seek refuge within the bivvy to keep dry. By morning there no sign of it letting up so I begrudgingly packed up in the rain and trudged back up to the summit before heading down the Slight Side ridge and back to Eskdale. It rained for most of the way. The visibility was about 100 yards. My trail shoes made a surprising variety of different squelching sounds to keep me entertained on the long descent.

Slight Side summit in the clag

Getting back below the cloud base

Nearly back to the road

Below is a 10 minute video highlighting the best bits of the walk, and the process of making camp on Scafell summit.







Kit List

Shelter : Backpackinglight solo tarp (278g) & Integral Designs solo ground sheet (140g) 
Mat : Exped SynMat7 UL LW (595g) 
Sleeping Bag : Sleeping quilt actually, the As Tucas custom down quilt (519 grams)
Stove : High Gear Blaze titanium stove (48g)  + Primus 100g Gas Cart   
Pans : Evernew Solo-set (250g)
 
Rucksack : Osprey Talon 44 (1.18kg) 
Fluid : Deuter Streamer 2lt Bladder (185g) and 600ml Sigg bottle (100g empty) + Sawyer Squeeze filter (84g).
Food : Fuizion Beef Stew, Buttered Bread, Supernoodles,various sugary snacks.
Bits & Bobs : headtorch and spare batteries, Iphone + Anker 5800mHh battery,  victorinox knife, map & compass, basic first aid kit and Petzl e-lite, spork, various fold dry bags, flint & steel, plastic trowel.  
Camera : Panasonic DMC-LX7 & lowepro case. Go-Pro Hero 4 Silver and spare batteries.


Clothes : Ron Hill wicking T-Shirt, Rab 100 wt fleece (250g), True Mountain Ultralight windproof jacket (100g), TNF Meridian Cargo Shorts (190g), ME beany, TNF E-Tip gloves, sunglasses, Buff, Innov8 short socks. PHD wafer down jacket (about 200g).
Trail Shoes : Solomon Speedcross (310g)

Total weight excluding water = 8kg

Scafell Solo Wild Camp

Date : 24th & 25th March 2012
Route : From Hardknott pass along the Eskdale valley to Scafell and back via Burnmoor tarn
Wild Camp : Scafell summit
Wainwrights : Scafell
Distance : 17.8 km (11.1 miles)
Height Gained : 1032 m (3388 feet)

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 Well this was it. My first ever solo wild camp. After hiking in the lakes for many years and reading about the merits of wild camping in magazines and blogs I had finally decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. I too wanted to experience the tranquility, the glorious sunsets, the star studded skies and to be up there to watch the sunrise. I wanted to have a high summit all to myself for a night and appreciate the fells from a different perspective. It all sounded perfect. I had been researching the necessary kit for the past few months. The tent had finally arrived and been pitched in the garden a few times. The many mat and down bag options had finally been whittled down. The multitude of stove & pan options had been considered, reconsidered and finally purchased. All the kit was ready and I had a planned date and route. It was now just a case of nervously watching the weather forecast. I had planned to climb Scafell for the first time and camp on the summit. I had climbed Scafell Pike, Crinkle Crags & Bow Fell many times and glimpsed over at Scafell longingly. I also wanted to climb it from Eskdale which was another region unfamiliar to me. As Friday approached, the forecast was good so I packed my rucksack and headed off.

The Route - anticlockwise from Eskdale

 I parked near Jubilee bridge at the bottom of the Hardknott pass and set off along the river Esk. This is great walkers territory; expansive views, high fells all round and a real feeling of solitude. The path followed the river until Lingcove bridge where it is joined by Lingcove beck. I crossed the bridge to continue following the course of the Esk up a steep path by waterfalls.

Looking up the Esk valley

The river Esk with Bow Fell at the head of the valley

Deep clear pools along the Esk

Lingcove Bridge

Waterfalls by Throstle Garth

A nice place to refill the water bottle

A first view of Scafell Pike at the foot of Throstlehow Crag

 
 As the path emerges from the steep gully under Throstlehow crag you are rewarded with the first views of the Scafell range. Beyond the crag the landscape opens up into the wide expanse of Great Moss, a large area of flat grassland near the headwaters of the river Esk. The ground is quite boggy underfoot and criss-crossed by many small streams. There is a real feeling of wilderness here. Despite nestling in a hollow surrounded by many of the highest and most magnificent fells in the region, Great Moss is a remote area and I didn't see another soul as I picked my way across the plateau towards Camspout gully & my path upwards.

Scar Lathing, a large crag guarding Great Moss

Looking over Great Moss to the Scafell range

Camspout gully leading up to Scafell Pike

Looking back over Great Moss and upper Eskdale from the top of Camspout gully

Looking up to Mickeldore

 From the top of Camspout gully the path continues upwards but before reaching Mickeldore I bared left and climbed the boulder strewn Fox's Tarn gully, one of the classic routes between Scafell Pike and Scafell.  

Fox's tarn gully

Fox's Tarn

 At Fox's Tarn (which was more of a puddle than a tarn today), the path turns right and winds up a steep section of loose rock and Scree before emerging on the summit ridge.

Scafell summit cairn bathed in evening sunlight

Scafell Pike from Scafell summit

Scafell summit panorama east

Scafell summit panorama west over Wast Water

 I found a flat grassy area about 30 meters west from the summit and made camp. Having carried the Scarps cross-poles I decided to use them (newbie's piece of mind) but of course they were not needed. My first wild camping meal was a peppered sirloin steak & mushrooms fried in olive oil and served with a tomato salad, eaten while sat watching the sun setting over Wast Water. This was exactly how I imagined it would be. I was so pleased with everything so far, I forgot to take the obligatory sunset picture.

My view over Wast Water from camp

 I didn't sleep too well, mainly because I was still buzzing at having 'popped my wild camping cherry', the relief of having been lucky with the weather and the anticipation of tomorrows exploits. As soon as it was light I brewed up, made some breakfast and walked up to the summit to watch the sun rising over Bow Fell. This time I remembered the camera.

Sunrise over Bow Fell & the Crinkles

The morning panorama east

.... and west

 After breaking camp I headed down to Burnmoor tarn and then along to Eel tarn. It wasn't until I was nearly back on the road that I saw the first people since leaving the car yesterday. This is truly an area of wilderness. 

Burnmoor tarn

Burnmoor tarn

Looking back to Scafell from Burnmoor tarn

Eel tarn

 The wild camping bug was now well and truly bitten. While plodding along the road back to to the car I was busy pondering the next trip.  

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Kit List
  Tent : Tarptent Scarp 1 (1.36kg) Mat : Thermarest Prolite plus regular (620g) Sleeping Bag : Rab Alpine 400 (970g) and Rab silk liner (132g)   Stove : High Gear Blaze titanium stove (48g)  + Primus 100g Gas Cart   Pans : Evernew Solo-set (250g) and Titanium frying pan (138g)
  Rucksack : Osprey Atmos 35 (1.3kg) Fluid : 2 x 1 litre Sigg Bottles (147g each empty) + Drinksafe systems travel tap (165g), 200 mls milk, coffee Food : Sirloin steak, Mushrooms, Olive oil, tomato's, salad,  Buttered Bread, Supernoodles,various sugary snacks
  Bits & Bobs : headtorch and spare batteries, Iphone + Anker 5800mHh battery, tent light,  victorinox knife, map & compass, basic first aid kit and Petzl e-lite, spork, various fold dry bags, flint & steel, plastic trowel Camera : Sony DSC-HX5 & lowepro case Clothes : ME Astron Hooded jacket (400g), Ron Hill wicking T-Shirt, TNF Meridian Cargo Shorts (190g), ME beany, Rab phantom grip gloves, sunglasses, Buff. Montane prism 2 jacket (423g) and Montane Superfly Jacket (500g) both not used Boots : Merrell Moab Mid (1020g pair)