| Fantastic scrambles and stunning views on this short but excellent route up Blencathra. | |||
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Date: | 28th June 2011 |
| Start Location: | Scales | ||
| Time Started: | 10:35 | ||
| Duration: | 3 Hours 15 Minutes | ||
| Distance: | 8.76km - 5.44 Miles | ||
| Ascent (m/ft): | 820m (2690ft) | ||
| Highest Point: | Blencathra (868m/2847ft) | ||
| Parking: | Roadside A66 | ||
| Weather: | Sunny | ||
| Difficulty: | Difficult | ||
| Scales - Mousthwaite Comb - Scales Tarn - Sharp Edge - Blencathra - Hall's Fell Ridge - Scales | |||
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| Lovely blue skies over Clough Head - taken from the A66. | |||
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| Clough Head and the central fells from the start of the ascent up to Mousthwaite Comb. | |||
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| Great Mell Fell and the distant Pennines. | |||
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| Skirting Mousethwaite Comb, steep drops here... but nothing compared to later. | |||
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| Souther Fell. | |||
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| First view of Sharp Edge just round the side of Scales Fell. | |||
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| Waterfalls at Scales Beck. | |||
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| It was such a blisteringly hot day today! And nowhere better to cool off and take the boots off than here by Scales Tarn - almost 600m above sea level. | |||
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| Sharp Edge - "A breaking wave carved in stone" | |||
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| Fellow walkers scrambling along the top. Time to get going, I would love to see what I look like from down here when I'm scrambling along the top. | |||
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| The beautiful Scales Tarn. A large college/school party to the far left near the tarn outlet. They were having a safety briefing before their ascent of Sharp Edge. Health and Safety said they must be attached to a rope. | |||
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| Crossing the Edge. See the video for several minutes of footage of the crossing. | |||
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| Sparkling Scales Tarn far below. | |||
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| Looking back along the edge. | |||
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| And back up the edge. | |||
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| Sharp Edge from near the top of Foul Crag. | |||
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| And now from the top. | |||
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| Sharp Edge and Scales Tarn. | |||
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| The distant Pennines. | |||
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| You can just make out the large school party to the right. | |||
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| Blencathra Summit. | |||
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| A grand and spectacular view from nearly 3000ft. The lakes are Thirlmere to the left, and Derwent Water just off centre. | |||
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| Hall's Fell Ridge, my chosen route of descent. From this angle I'd probably have to say its more difficult that it looks. | |||
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| Lots of paragliders around Clough Head - Helvellyn in the background, a further 4 miles away. | |||
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| A panorama from the top of Blencathra. Click to see larger version (1.4Mb). | |||
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| Beginning the descent down Halls Fell Ridge. | |||
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| And a last view back up the ridge - must go up this way one day... | |||