Recommend a long easy route in the Lakes?

[Martin Carpenter]

Hi,

I'll have a couple of free days in the Lake District coming up, and would
like to trundle up an easy long route or two. I've never climbed in this
area and so I'll take recommendations - we're staying in Thirlmere valley
and we will have a car. We're looking for a route to a summit that doesn't
exceed f5, without abseil descents. Any suggestions appreciated!

TIA,

Martin.

[Alan J. Wylie]

Post by Martin Carpenter
I'll have a couple of free days in the Lake District coming up, and
would like to trundle up an easy long route or two. I've never
climbed in this area and so I'll take recommendations - we're
staying in Thirlmere valley and we will have a car. We're looking
for a route to a summit that doesn't exceed f5, without abseil
descents. Any suggestions appreciated!

We'll have none of your strange foreign grading systems around here
please, and as for bolts, well ...

Borrowdale:

Gillercombe Buttress 104m S

Corvus 157m D

Langdale:

Bowfell Buttress 106m VD

[Mark Anderson]

Post by Alan J. Wylie

Post by Martin Carpenter
I'll have a couple of free days in the Lake District coming up, and
would like to trundle up an easy long route or two. I've never
climbed in this area and so I'll take recommendations - we're
staying in Thirlmere valley and we will have a car. We're looking
for a route to a summit that doesn't exceed f5, without abseil
descents. Any suggestions appreciated!

We'll have none of your strange foreign grading systems around here
please, and as for bolts, well ...
Gillercombe Buttress 104m S
Corvus 157m D
Bowfell Buttress 106m VD

Also in Borrowdale:
Troutdale Pinnacle (S)

- --
Mark Anderson/Scottish Climbing Archive
Email: maa [AT] scotclimb.org.uk
WWW: www.scotclimb.org.uk

[Martin Carpenter]

Post by Alan J. Wylie
We'll have none of your strange foreign grading systems
around here please, and as for bolts, well ...
This varied guidebook covers the accessible sport
climbing (and a touch of trad) on a selection of
different crags across the Lake District ranging

but I imagine (if it like the peak) that those bolted climbs are (a) single
pitch and (b) super-hard?


I'll leave the grading argument for another time :)

[Steve Pardoe]

Hi, Martin & all,

Post by Martin Carpenter
Hi,
I'll have a couple of free days in the Lake District coming up, and would
like to trundle up an easy long route or two. I've never climbed in this
area and so I'll take recommendations - we're staying in Thirlmere valley
and we will have a car. We're looking for a route to a summit that doesn't
exceed f5, without abseil descents. Any suggestions appreciated!

I've only done a couple of long routes in the Lakes, and neither really gets
to a proper summit, but you could consider Direct Route on Castle Rock of
Triermain
near St John's in the Vale (VS 4b, I think) or Troutdale Pinnacle in
Borrowdale (S). Either of these is within easy reach and the latter has a
more tasty Direct version, which I haven't done, but is probably less
polished than the easy one.

There are some rather poor pictures (and even worse captions) at
http://www.pardoes.nildram.co.uk/pages/troutpin.htm and of course much
better descriptions on ukclimbing's http://www.ukclimbing.com/databases/.

Hope this helps, have a good time and don't forget the Trip Report, u.r.c
needs them!

Steve P

[John Broadwell]

Martin,

< I'll have a couple of free days in the Lake District coming up, and would
< like to trundle up an easy long route or two. I've never climbed in this
< area and so I'll take recommendations - we're staying in Thirlmere valley
< and we will have a car. We're looking for a route to a summit that doesn't
< exceed f5, without abseil descents. Any suggestions appreciated!

"Fool's Paradise" on Gowder Crag Borrowdale, is a long 435' classic easy VS,
or "Little Chamonix" also in Borrowdale, a classic Vdiff, though a little
polished now, or "Via Media" at S on the south crag of Castle Rock of
Triermain. These climbs don't involve summits though.

A good route to a summit is "Moss Ghyll Grooves" on Scafell, at Mild VS
(V6 - whatever that means!?!??) it is reasonably easy for the grade and is
in a spectacular position with superb views, an absolute classic.

The route I would still love to do is Bill Peascod's "Eagle Front" at VS on
Eagle Crag in Birkness Combe - a man may dream eh?

John

[Martin Carpenter]

Alan, Mark, Steve, John: thanks for all of the suggestions, chaps - there's
certainly plenty of ammunition there.

Now I just need to scare up a guidebook locally... and persuade G to buy
some more gear so I don't have to drag mine about ;-)

[Sean]

Post by Martin Carpenter
Now I just need to scare up a guidebook locally...

The new (2003) FRCC selected Lakes guide is very good indeed:
http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Lake_District_Climbing_Guide_Books_1.html

(Possibly even worth paying for, if you can't beg, borrow or steal one!)

[Johnh]

Well Martin,
What did you do?
Any of the above suggestions I wonder?
Eagle Front is one on my list not yet done. I got to it in the wet some time
ago and thought better and left it for another day, still to arrive!
Oh and great to hear from you Mr Buckley, obviously, like me still lurkin!
cheers,
johnh

Post by Martin Carpenter
Alan, Mark, Steve, John: thanks for all of the suggestions, chaps -
there's certainly plenty of ammunition there.
Now I just need to scare up a guidebook locally... and persuade G to buy
some more gear so I don't have to drag mine about ;-)

[Martin Carpenter]

Post by Johnh
Well Martin,
What did you do?

Still plotting :) I'll be heading over towards the end of next week.

Post by Johnh
Any of the above suggestions I wonder?

Doubtless, but I'll guess we'll see how the mood takes us.

Post by Johnh
Eagle Front is one on my list not yet done. I got to it in the wet
some time ago and thought better and left it for another day, still
to arrive! Oh and great to hear from you Mr Buckley, obviously, like
me still lurkin!

Quite so - another sage person that also warns of dampness. On Troutdale
Pinnacle that Tony mentions, I'm thinking about the pictures that I've
seen of the traverse pitch and how that might work out if it's all green
and mossy. With a neophyte second. Hmm.

I'll let you know how we get on - fingers crossed that the good weather
continues!

Cheers,

Martin.

[Martin Carpenter]

Post by Martin Carpenter
I'll let you know how we get on

A cracking weekend - thanks to all who provided hints.

Thursday was mostly spent travelling, so we didn't get out until Friday.
The crack of 10:30am saw us at the base of Corvus (VS). The notice on the
tree at the first belay caused some deliberation, and we, with some
regrets, decided to leave it alone and went back down. Not a good start.
(There's a note from someone warning of a "lethal wounding" in 2005, and
that the last pitch remains really lose).

We headed over to try Little Chamonix, but this had three guys gearing up
at the base, so we climbed Jackdaw Ridge (D) in our trainers, which was a
nice little warmup. We got on Little Chamonix (VD) next - what a corker! I
haven't enjoyed an easy route as much as this in ages. The awkward move out
from the block onto the face was particularly amusing (feet first? bum
first? head first? those that know it will know what I mean).

Then we had lunch (4pm) and retired for tea.

Saturday was a pleasing romp with the rest of the gang: Sty Beck/Sticks
Pass/Helvellyn/Striding Edge/Glenridding (beer and a pie at the Travellers)
and back over Sticks Pass. Striding Edge felt a million times different to
the last time I did it, half a life-time ago ("How can this be a
ridge? It's got grassy slopes!").

On Saturday we sampled the fine night-life of Keswick. We didn't get in
any fights at The Loft, failed to burn down the barn by enthusiastically
over-stoking the fire on our return, and didn't wake with howling
hangovers on Sunday (pick the truth out of that).


Observations:

Aren't British guidebooks nice? We got the FRCC guide recommended by Sean,
and it is indeed very good: Grid references; small enough to go in a
pocket; laminated; indexed; detailed; great piccies. (French
authors, please take note). Hats off to the editor ;-) and all other
contributors.

Short pitches (and routes), huh? I'd gone prepared for full-on rope
stretching alpine-style pitches. I suppose the 5kg rack was good exercise.

I'd forgotten how beautiful the Lakes are (helped, of course, by the
frolicking lamblets and the fact that it wasn't siling down for once).
Good beer; non-BBC accents; stupid jokes that I don't have to parse
twice; the company of old friends.

Oh, and I picked up the most preposterously dayglo yellow long-sleeved
RonHill t-shirt in the bargain bin somewhere in Keswick. If you're in the
alps this year, and you see a guy that looks like half a hi-lighter and
makes you reach for your sunnies, then it's probably an un-chic me.

Cheers all,

Martin.

[Sean]

Post by Martin Carpenter

Post by Martin Carpenter
I'll let you know how we get on

A cracking weekend - thanks to all who provided hints.

Glad you enjoyed it. Congratulations on getting decent weather, and thanks
for reporting back.

Sean
x

[Roy]

Post by Martin Carpenter

Post by Martin Carpenter
I'll let you know how we get on

A cracking weekend - thanks to all who provided hints.
Thursday was mostly spent travelling, so we didn't get out until Friday.
The crack of 10:30am saw us at the base of Corvus (VS).

Blimey that's been upgraded.

Roy.

[Tony Buckley]

Post by Martin Carpenter
I'll have a couple of free days in the Lake District coming up, and would
like to trundle up an easy long route or two.

Evening all. Forgotten but not gone, that's me.

There's a long list of classic routes you could go at Martin. One of the
problems with some mountain crags in the Lakes is that the rock can be
greasy and climbs rather more awkward than their grades might suggest in the
all-too-common wet; of the routes mentioned thus far I know from personal
experience that Troutdale Pinnacle goes in the wet, as does Corvus. Others
will be rather harder; Eagle Front is a fine, fine route but would be
considerably harder in the damp. On a fine day though it's marvellous and I
had one my most memorable days doing that route.

Dow Crag is worth looking at; lots there from the easy - Giant's Crawl and C
Ordinary (D) - through the classics such as Murray's route (S) and
Eliminate A (VS), to the less well known but still good such as Arete,
Chimney and Crack (MS) and Hopkinson's Crack (HS). Almost all routes on Dow
finish somewhere near the summit. For a good day finish alpine style up
Giant's Crawl and walk off over the Old Man of Coniston.

Gimmer Crag has some classic routes; Bracket and Slab (S), Ash Tree Slabs
(VD), the Crack (VS) and many more, some of which can be combined - the
guidebook will let you plot your way. Though these don't finish at a
summit, the Langdale Pikes are but a walk away.

And you aren't too far away from the head of Borrowdale, from which the
crags on Great Gable are easily reached. You could take in Innominate Crack
(VS) on your way to do either Tophet Wall (S) or Napes Needle (traditionally
VD though it may have been regraded to take account of the polish) and
Needle Ridge (VD).. The summit of Great Gable is then a short walk away.

Have fun!

T.

[Steve Pardoe]

Post by Tony Buckley

Post by Martin Carpenter
I'll have a couple of free days in the Lake District coming up, and would
like to trundle up an easy long route or two.

Evening all. Forgotten but not gone, that's me.

Au contraire. You're that tall, erudite bloke who likes Pimbletts Pies.
It's good to hear from you.

S