SEA TO SUMMIT TWO - SCAFELL PIKE - 34 MILES

SEA TO SUMMIT TWO

Ravenglass to Scafell Pike and back - 34 miles.

Basic route - Ravenglass — Chapel Hill — Ross’s Camp — Eskdale Green —

Dalegarth — Woolpack Inn — Brotherilkeld — Throstle Garth —

Cam Spout — Mickledore — Scafell Pikes — Mickledore — Cam

Spout — Throstle Garth — Brotherilkeld — Dalegarth — Eskdale

Green — Ross’s Camp — Chapel Hill — Ravenglass

My story from “Turn Right at Land’s End.”-

That night I stayed in a bed and breakfast. I had reached the

point on the coastline where I would make my second walk inland

to climb Scafell Pike, the second of the three mountains that I in-

tended to climb on the walk. The guest house would provide some-

where to leave all my equipment so that I could travel light with just

my waterproof clothing.

I left early in the morning and crossed through the mountains of

Hooker Crag and Ross’s Camp to the Eskdale valley. This time, I

didn’t experience any of the twinges of regret about leaving the coast

that I had experienced when ascending Snowdon. In Eskdale I

walked up the road past Dalegarth station, the northern end of the

Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, and on to Brotherilkeld. From

there I moved into the mountains to Throstle Garth, Cam Spout

and on to Mickledore. I relished being in the mountains and stopped

often just to enjoy the stillness and absorb the silence. I hadn’t

realised how noisy the coast was with the sounds of the sea, birds

and wind. After so many muddy estuaries it was refreshing to see

the crystal clear water of the mountain streams.

From just above the waterfall of Cam Spout I reached snow. I

carried on totally absorbed in the ascent and not bothered by the

cold even though I was only wearing shorts. From Mickledore the

snow became quite deep and I frequently sank to my knees in it. The

summit of Scafell Pike was shrouded in cloud. As I approached I

saw a few climbers dressed in breeches and gaiters and armed with

rope and ice-axes. Seeing me just walking up in shorts and an open

necked shirt, they fell about laughing. But the most stunning sur-

prise came two minutes later when someone approached me, and

said ‘Hello John, it’s good to see you here!’ At first I couldn’t place

him, then I realised that we had met on the summit of Snowdon a

month before! Our parting words were, ‘See you on Ben Nevis!’

The cloud was very thick and to get back to Mickledore and its

mountain rescue box I had to use the compass. From there I took

another bearing to Cam Spout and as I approached the waterfall I

walked out of the cloud and could see the path towards Throstle

Garth. I retraced my steps back to Brotherilkeld, Dalegarth, Ross’s

Camp and into Ravenglass. I had walked thirty-four miles, climbed

several thousands of feet, and all in the space of ten hours. For the

first time since leaving London I felt tired. Overall I had walked

almost 2800 miles, and Scotland was just round the corner. I slept

deeply and contentedly that night.

NEW EDITION IN PREPARATION