The forecast for the day wasn't too bad, with the cloudbase above the tops, which is what one wants when climbing to the roof of England.
I parked at Brackenclose and was soon climbing up the ridge of Lingmell. Everyone else was heading up to Brown Tongue and Hollow Stones but I really like Lingmell.
The view across to Great Gable is one of my favourites in the whole of the Lake District, just a pity it was hazy today. The summit cairn is splendid.
From the true summit of Lingmell the view down to Piers Gill is awesome.
Heading towards the throng that were already on the path up Scafell Pike, the view of Scafell Crag improved with every step and the West Wall Traverse was calling my name!
Having reached the top (and I still can't believe that there is a signal on the mobile up there) the route across Mickledore and up Lord's Rake was easy to see. The summit of the Pike was packed, but strangely enough no one else seemed to be heading toward Scafell. Funny that!
The view back to Scafell Pike from near Mickledore really highlights how much this whole area resembles a lunar landscape.
Now shall I try and climb Broad Stand?...................................
squeezing through 'Fat Man's Agony' I resolved 'as is customary, to do the climb next time'. (I don't think so!!) Someone has left a rope in place, but I still didn't fancy it.
So I slithered down Mickledore to join Rake's Progress, from where the view of Lord's Rake and 'The Chockstone' is excellent. The latter looks really insignificant from here.
As I reached the bottom of the Rake, it occurred to me that I had forgotten just how steep the thing is! The bottom half is fairly easy to scale because the debris is of a decent size, but in the top half it is proper scree and much more dificult to gain a proper footing.
There are lots of warnings about the safety of 'The Chockstone', but I can't see it coming down any time soon!
Having passed 'The Chockstone' I went to have a look at the second of 'The Ups'
and then took this shot of the back of the seemingly immovable object.
This is where the West Wall Traverse starts and I really don't remember the step up being so eroded last time I was here.
I think this is a great view of Mickledore and Scafell Pike from the grassy ledge of the West Wall Traverse. Still misty though despite the weather forecast saying that it would brighten as the day progressed.
So to the climb up Deep Gill which I love.
Having the climb totally to myself was a real pleasure and with the rock vertical on either side it makes one realise how tiny we are in the grand scheme of things.
Reaching the top of the gill, it is like emerging from a hole in the ground.
Suddenly, cloud came rushing up Deep Gill, like smoke up a chimney and within a couple of minutes I couldn't see a thing. Is Michael Fish still working for the BBC?
To say that Scafell is the second highest mountain in England, it really does have a pathetic summit cairn.
During my first circuit of the 214, I didn't carry on from Scafell to Slight Side and so had to go back and do it again at a later date. I wasn't going to make that mistake today. I really like the rocky climb up to the top of Slight Side. Shame there wasn't a view today.
I decided to head down to Hardrigg Gill which was very boggy after the recent rain (just for a change)
and then back down towards Brackenclose. Wastwater looked pretty as a picture in the late afternoon light.
There was still cloud on the tops and the sunshine that had been promised never did materialise. Oh well never mind.
Today certainly wasn't one of the longest walks, but in terms of rugged natural beauty and the excitement of scrambling down Mickledore and scaling Scafell they don't come much better!
All photographs taken with either a Nikon D40X (10.2mp) or a Nikon Coolpix 4200 (4.2mp)
