Around Scotland: BLENCATHRA VIA SHARP EDGE

Friday, 12 July 2013

BLENCATHRA VIA SHARP EDGE

bardzo spontaniczna wycieczka do Lake District. coprawda ja ciagnelam w strone cairngormsow, ale skoro pogoda w lake district miala byc tak samo fantastyczna (lato lato lato!) wiec poszlysmy za beaty pomyslem I pojechalysmy na poludnie.

droga z edynburga do lake district (Keswick) zajela nam mniej niz 2.5 godz wiec jest to dlugosc jazdy porownywalna z glencoe czy aviemore, wiec spoko.

byl to nasz pierwszy raz w krainie jezior, mialysmy w sumie tylko 1.5 dnia. w tym czasie udalo nam sie zobaczyc prehistoryczny kamienny krag w castlerigg, wejsc na catbell, poszlajac sie wieczorem po Keswick (to wszystko w sobote, a dojechalysmy do lake district okolo 17.00!). no I oczywiscie grilla w sobote tez mialysmy! w niedziele za to weszlysmy na 'powazniejsza' gore, jak sie okazalo - najpowazniejsza w regionie. weszlysmy na blencathre przez sharp edge, czyli bardzo waska gran. I o tym wlasnie bedzie mowa :)

korzystalysmy z przewodnika po lake district (cicerone) I niestety nie mialysmy mapy ordnance survey (jako ze wycieczka byla BARDZO spontaniczna).

przewodnik owszem ok, ale bez mapy ani rusz.. chyba ze to ja jestem taka fanka map, ale bez pomaranczowej mapki ordnance survey to jak bez reki.

w kazdym razie przewodnik zaproponowal trase z mungrisdale, przez bowscale fell, blencathra, a spowrotem przez souther fell (trasa zaznaczona na niebiesko). niby trasa na 6.5godz (chyba dla biegacza! spokojnie 1.5 lub 2 godz dluzej)

nam nie udalo sie znalezc dokladnie poczatku takiej trasy wiec postanowilysmy zrobic ja odwrotnie, zaczynajac od souther fell. tutaj tez byl problem ze znalezieniem dokladnie miejsca gdzie schodzi sie z drogi I zaczyna podchodzic na gore. teraz juz wiemy: idac od strony bialego domu (the mill inn) zaraz po przejsciu przez pierwsza brame nalezy odbic w gore w paprocie, wzdloz plotu. podobno wlasciciel terenu niezbyt lubi lazikow wiec nie ma oznaczenia sciezki, ale sama sciezka zaczyna sie wlasnie tam -wiedzie wzdluz plotu I 'cofa sie' w kierunku wioski by potem prowadzic grzbietem w gore na souther fell.

nam pomysl przedzierania przez paprocie niezbyt sie spodobal wiec poszlysmy dalej droga/ sciezka rowerowa az do wejscia kolo scales (nasza trasa zaznaczona na czerwono). szlak zaczyna sie kolo plotu przy parkingu, najpierw prosto w gore, potem w poprzek zbocza az do siodla miedzy scales fell a souther fell.

koniecznie chcialysmy sprobowac sharp edge wiec podeszlysmy do jeziora a stamtad w prawo do poczatku grani.

moim osobiscie prywatnym zdaniem gran jest latwa. w sumie na zadnym etapie nie stanowila dla mnie problemu, ani waskosc ani ekspozycja ani wysokosc. zdaje sobie jednak sprawe ze odczucie zalezy od doswiadczenia oraz ogolnego podejscia do otwartej przestrzeni, tak wiec, mowie tylko za siebie. ponadto zdaje sobie sprawe ze moje doswiadczenie sharp edge byloby zupelnie inne w gorszej pogodzie- na sucho skaly byly ok, ale wilgotne bylyby dosc sliskie. zreszta jak mowi 'internet', na sharp edge gina ludzie, wiec w gorszych warunkach wierze ze moze stanowic wieksze wyzwanie. gran konczy sie stronym podejsciem do Atkinson pike -to jest rowniez latwy odcinek- oczywiscie trzeba sie wspinac, ale jest mnostwo uchwytow, a jesli macie problem z ekspozycja to polecam wejscie 'kominem' nieco z prawej.

z Atkinson pike do szczytu blencathra spacer zajmuje 10 minut, domyslam sie ze widoki sa super... my trafilysmy na mgielke I generalnie wszystko co nieco bardziej odlegle bylo biala plama.

sciezki wyrazne, moze nieco denerwuja drobne kamyczki na ktorych mozna sie latwo poslizgnac.

a na koniec zawsze mozna wstapic do mill inn na posilek I piwko :)

dokladny opis trasy - powyzej

czas przejscia - okolo 6godz (trasa czerwona)

very spontaneous trip to lake district. I really wanted to go up north to cairngorms (lochnagar, yummyyyy) but as the weather was same fantastic in both areas, we chose bea's idea and drove south to Keswick. it was less than 2.5hrs drive, our first time in lake district and we had 1.5 day to enjoy. we were busy, I can assure you, we arrived to Keswick about 5pm and still managed to see on the same day: prehistoric ring of stones in castlerigg, climb catbell, have a wee wonder in Keswick and have a bbq! for sunday we planned something more serious, actually the most serious mountain in the area - blencathra via sharp edge (sharp edge meaning a sharp narrow ridge and almost vertical climb later on)

and this is where the story begins.

first of all I have to mention that we didn't have a proper map, just cicerone guide to lake district, which by the way was ok, but will never be the same as handling a proper ordnance survey map, which I missed very much. maybe I am old fashioned but ordnance survey maps ruleeeeee! (but we didn't have one as the trip was truly spontaneous!)

anyway, the guide suggested to make a circular walk starting in mungrisdale, up bowscale fell, blencathra, then way back via souther fell (blue route). they said it was a route for 6.5hrs... yeah maybe for a hill runner, we would need additional 1.5 to 2hrs to complete.

the thing was that we could not find the beginning of this route therefore decided to make it the opposite direction and start via souther fell. here we struggled to find a path too. now we know where we should have started: past mill inn and just after the first gate turn right along the fence. yes, there is a path apparently, which goes up along the fence and then 'comes back' towards the village and finally climbs up along the ridge of souther fell.

we didn't bother, decided to walk along the cycle path and start our ascent near scales (from mungrisdale ~1 hr walk)

path up starts along the fence at the car park, goes up and then runs across the slope to reach a saddle between souther fell and scales fell.

as we were eager to try the sharp edge, we walked towards the lochan (just used Scottish name for an English paddle!!!) then to the right, up towards the ridge.

in my own private opinion the edge was easy. I had no problem with it at any point. it is not too narrow, not too exposed and not too high/steep. but I am aware that perception of the ridge would be conditioned on person's own experience and ability to deal with open space /height. I also remember that I read online that people die falling from the ridge, I believe that in wet conditions the traverse could be more challenging and dangerous.

the ridge ends at the almost vertical rocky wall which you'll have to climb, but this was easier that the ridge itself, plenty of handles and if you're uncomfortable with the exposure, climb up the gully (to the right).

from the top of rocky wall (Atkinson pike) walk 10 mins to blencathra summit. I can imagine that views are amazing... our day was very hazy so all we saw in the distance was just a 'big white'.

good paths throught, easy to follow, maybe a little bit annoying as most of the way paths are covered in tiny scree-like stones... can make you loose control over your feet easily.

finish the trip with a meal and a pint at mill in :)

detailes route description - above

time 6 hrs (red route)

I thought that starting the walk in mungrisdale and walking back to scales was a 'transport mis-management' as we could have driven to scales and leave the car there. but there were other people (many, actually) who walked the same way, so.. no, we are not insane.... and if we ARE insane, at least we're not alone :)