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8 of us doing it in 2 weekends time - I'm the only one who's done it before as well as being Mr Organiser.
We're taking 3 cars and arriving midday Friday - what are the chances of the parking spaces opposite the White Horse at Scales on the A66 being vacated? If they are all taken, what are our parking options? Doing a loop up along Sharp Edge then down Halls Fell Ridge for a pint at the pub. Thelkeld adds lots of dull miles so not really in favour of that if it can be helped.
Also - need a local good Plan B if windy/wet - don't wanna be responsible for any slips/injuries or worse!
PS We are doing Helvellyn the next day and will be based in Patterdale.
Cheers folks 😉
Hasn't the pub got a little car park next to it. Use that and then buy a drink / some food on your return....
You can also park further up the road near where the footpath goes off to the left...
might be a bit obvious taking bikes up at that time
I assume OPs walking - mentions dull miles, and it's in chat forum?.
Also - need a local good Plan B if windy/wet - don't wanna be responsible for any slips/injuries or worse!
Just don't do Sharp Edge if it's blowing a hoolie. Last time we went to do it, you couldn't stand up at the start, so just skirted round it and did the loop sans the edge.
We did meet a large group in the clouds who were completely lost and had no idea where they were (other than on Blencathra somewhere), so best make sure one of you can read a map!
sorry missed the 😉
might be a bit obvious taking bikes up at that time
Last time we up there we met several very miltant groups cycling on footpaths (at Easter) who really didn't give a monkeys. The best excuse I got was 'Trumps in the Whitehouse, we have more important things to worry about'.
If your riding along Sharp Edge then irrespective of if its right or not you get my respect, ha!
I do seem to remember seeing a bloke on unicycle once however.
Thelkeld to Scales is about 2Km, hardly lots of dull miles 🙄 (granted they are by the A66). Very much lap of the Gods as to whether you'll find parking spaces. There's a car park in Threlkeld, maybe start from there rather than Scales.
You don't need to walk by the road except for the last 200m IIRC, we parked at the White Horse pub, went up and over Blencathra, walked down Blease fell and then came back East on the FB which goes around Blease Farm, Gategil, Doddick Farm and then just joined the A66 footpath by Scales Farm to walk 200m back to the pub.
As others, community park at Threlkeld.
I'll be there late on Friday waiting for a BGR to turn up to mule for him on leg 2.
Thanks all - yep, we are indeed on foot rather than on bicyclettes.
Ballbags - forgot it's Bob Graham time...shouldn't really affect us there though hopefully.
Most BGR contenders set off between 1800 and 0000 so they will be well gone by the time you get there.
Most BGR contenders set off between 1800 and 0000 so they will be well gone by the time you get there
Like they'll cause congestion on the fells!
'Trumps in the Whitehouse, we have more important things to worry about'.
I couldn't agree more!
The last & only time I attempted Sharp Edge was when I was 14, on a school outward bound course. It was blowing a hoolie & foggy so we turned round & came back.
Sharp edge is a Keswick Mrt hot spot with everything from crag fast and scared to fallen and dead. Presumably everyone in your group is up to it? Quite a responsibility on you as 'leader'. In the wet it can be horrendous. Alternative parking at Mungrisdale, head over souter fell to the top of mousethwaite combe then the usual route to scales tarn, or follow the river, bearing in mind the bridge is gone since the floods. I'd have thought you'd get parked at the white horse on a Friday, they have quite a big car park now and welcome walkers, especially if returning to drink there.
I would go up Halls Fell and down Sharp, personally, but both ways are good. Take care if it's wet and consider taking the zigzags down instead.
martinhutch - I am well aware of the responsibility 😕
I thought stuff like that was generally easier to go up than down?
We're doing Striding and Swirral Edges the next day - fair to say there's less potential risk on these though unless icy and windy...
Second starting from Mungrisdale. You can do the shoulder up Bannerdale (past the remains of the mines, no marked path but obvious route) and get around to Blencathra that way, to come down Sharp Edge and back to Mungrisdale over Souther Fell.
Route finding easy, Sharp Edge needs either calm winds or moderate westerly, anything else miserable experience. If novice walkers with you would suggest avoiding it entirely if wet.
Ballbags - forgot it's Bob Graham time...shouldn't really affect us there though hopefully.
Not on Sharp Edge, not at the time you're likely to be there and not that many of them anyway. So no issue.
@rascal, I'd do Striding and Swiral on a Friday rather than a Saturday, it's the other people that are the most dangerous. Same applies to Sharp Edge but to a lesser extent. The advice above on Mungrisdale is good, a great way to get in with interesting variations, also the Mill Inn is a good pub. As was the Mill Hotel next door but Richard has long retired.