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We're looking at heading up there in a week or so on a bit of a scramble/overnight bivvy mission. I'd like some ideas for the scramble bit please...!
So far we've done (not all Lakes!):-
Jacks Rake (lovely)
Striding Edge/Swirral Edge (OK)
Gable girdle traverse (more of a walk than scramble)
Failed to do Lords Rake a couple of times - combo of poor weather & time
Tryfan North Ridge. (Shame about the weather)
Crib Goch. (Bloody awesome)
Ideas for similar kind of stuff? Ideal scenario would be an evening ascent ->bivvy at the top. We won't be taking ropes/harnesses (we climb indoors, but I have no experience at setting up outdoor belays) so not too death-on-a-stick please.
Thanks!
Sharp Edge on Blencathra.
There is (or certainly used to be) a series of scrambling guide books from Cicerone. A quick search shows they are still available.
Edit: setting up belays. Maybe a short session with someone to show you how. At its simplest it can be a case of just passing the rope round a boulder and using the friction from that. Obviously gear makes things easier but at the same time complicates things and scrambling is ultimately meant to be about simplicity and freedom of movement.
Jack's Rake is probably the best in the Lakes.
St Sunday's crag has a grade III up it, which is worth a look. EDIT Pinnacle Ridge IIRC...
South Rake on Dow Crag is good if you enjoy a rake/gulley scramble.
Sharp Edge as already suggested, descent via Halls Fell Ridge.
Cam Crag ridge in Langstrath.
Worth another go at Lord's Rake/West Wall Traverse although it barely qualifies as a scramble.
TBH if it's scrambling you're after you may be better heading up to Glencoe and doing the Aonach Eagach and Curved Ridge. Very few places in the Lakes really offer sustained scrambling action.
There's also Pillar Rock Slab and Notch route. Short and it's at the limits of what can still be called scrambling, but gets you to the most inaccessible summit in the Lakes. The walk in through Ennerdale is beautiful as well, a big wild(ish) forest
A Scottish one that I did last year and I'd never heard anything about was the Creag an Duine ridge on Seana Bhraigh - really quite committing in the slightly damp conditions I did it in. It's the skyline in the photo here https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/seana-bhraigh Use a mountain bike to get to close to the base otherwise it's a long way in - supposedly one of the remotest Munros.
There’s also Pillar Rock Slab and Notch route.
Isn't that HS 4b IIRC, hardly a scramble (or possibly I'm getting my routes mixed up).
I was thinking Rib and Slab...
[url= https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8454677994_c2d6fe7ff8.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8454677994_c2d6fe7ff8.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/dT7rdf ]RIB & SLAB LOOKING UP[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Hall's Fell ridge makes a good way up/down Blencathra - down probably as Sharp Edge is better up. Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday is good but a good bit stiffer than the rest of your list, Pillar is similar. Maybe save them for when you're taking gear and have a bit more confidence?
Sharp Edge on Blencathra.
This
Id second getting the cicerone guides from eBay or the like. Think it's scrambles in the lakes South that you'll want.
I do have an issue buying old cicerone guides mind. Ha.
If you know where you want I can scan a few pages for you and email them over.
Thanks all. Sharp Edge looks like a pretty good option...
Sharp edge is good. Watch it in high winds. I'm sure your well experienced but there is an awkward notch about half way across with two off camber steps. It's a MR blackspot.
Sharp Edge is also very greasy in wet weather, but good none the less.
I've always found the Lakes to be a bit disappointing at that level, slab and notch is OK, Pinnacle Ridge is OK, Striding Edge OK, but none of them are greats. Jack's Rake is the exception, but even that has been ruined by many years of people forging easy bypasses of the difficulties and dumbing down to what has become the normal route (bit like MTB where your favourite technical section gets ruined by numpties riding around it) .
I'd be inclined to head for North Wales if you want really good long scrambling routes with constant interest (assuming that Scotland is a bit of a tall order for a journey).
Tryfan N Ridge to S Ridge to Bristly ridge.
idwal slabs Ordinary Route to Cneifon Arete to Y Gribin Ridge
Clogwyn-y-person arete
There’s also Pillar Rock Slab and Notch route.
A bit necky. Sure I used to descend it unroped after climbing on Pillar Rock but a slip could be horrendous. Well, deadly. It gets Grade 3S as a scramble I believe.
Is that the one where you traverse on the RHS, from the footpath, and then go up a broken gulley to get to the top?
That's the one.
Have a look at 'Lake District Climbs & Scarmbles' from v-publishing:
https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/categories/climbing/lake-district-climbs-and-scrambles.html
If you're doing Grade 2 or 3 scrambling it might be worth taking a rope and small rack
the BMC site has some useful stuff on Moving Together for speed etc so that your scarmbles don't end up being multi-pitch routes ...
https://www.thebmc.co.uk/hill-skills-how-to-protect-scrambles
Still, the stretcher box is at he bottom of the gully.
Still, the stretcher box is at he bottom of the gully.
Is that what they mean by self-rescue? 😉
Walk up Langstrath from Stonethwaite, Cam Crag Ridge (which is as hard/easy as you want by trending further right/left), walk over into Combe Ghyll for Doves Nest and the slabby stuff.
From there, up over Glaramara - loads of rocky walking/scrambling - to Sprinkling Tarn, giving access to Gable, Sca Fell, Langdales etc. Or, down to Seathwaite and then do these : http://www.eco-challenge.co.uk/borrowdale-scrambler/
Lorton Gulley on Grassmoor is ace when dry, but does have a short pitch where a rope may be welcome.
A nice walk/scramble/views/different route to the summit on Great Gable is traverse the flank to Napes Needle, Thread the Needle and finish up Sphinx Ridge.
Also I've descended a route on Dow Crag that I recall looked like it was a good scramble route up, it was very polished though on the climby bits. I think it's called Easy Terrace or Easy Gully.
I think you've done most of the good 'uns. Is Lord's Rake now deemed safe-ish after the rockfall/perched block issue of a few years back? Halls Fell/Sharp Edge is very much at the lower end of the scrambly scale, with only a couple of short sections.
It depends how confident you are moving without a rope/belays - Pinnacle Ridge I would have said feels more like an actual rock climb in places.