Superb day on Blencathra

After a dreadful couple of weeks weather, we were blessed with a nice forecast for the week-end. We were on family duty in Lancaster on Saturday so decided to get out in the Lake District on Sunday. Despite being brought up within an hour of Windermere and gaining my first impressions of mountainous terrain in the Lake District, I haven't really done it justice, the North lakes in particular.  

So, we decided that Blencathra via Sharp Edge was long overdue and drove up from Garstang on Sunday morning in glorious sunshine mixed with some spectacular cloud inversions and after a pit-stop in Keswick for a boot fitting (more on that another time), parked up by the side of the road.

The approach is quite a benign walk across the toe of Scales Fell to the head of Mousthwaite Comb, though too busy talking and marvelling at the scenery and weather we managed to turn too high up the ridge line and as a result had a steep little descent to the beautiful Scales Tarn a small tarn in a classic glacial bowl framed on one side by our objective.

Sharp Edge close up

Sharp Edge is a classic 3* grade 1 scramble, with some narrow sections, gaps and steepish slabs. It's not particularly hard at its grade in good conditions but being slate has a bad reputation in the wet - something I could easily imagine as we padded up the steep slabby section - but on this day it was a delightful, airy romp in the sun, the only negative being that it ended so soon !  

Julie looking pleased with her ascent

As we climbed the polished rock told us that this is a popular route which has been climbed by countless people and the myriad of crampon scratches which indicate that this is also a popular grade I/II winter climb - something I hope we will be back for this winter.

Looking down on Scales Tarn

The day was finished with a summit of Blencathra's highest point, Hallsfell Top and quite a while sitting on the top taking in the views of the Lakes to the south and west, Pennines to the east and Scottish hills to the north whilst eating pork pies and chocolate - perfect !  
Finally, we reluctantly stirred ourselves for our descent and in keeping with the day chose to hang a right after the initial drop and continued via the slightly 'off the beaten track' of Dodick Fell to complete a most excellent day.

Beautiful panorama from Blencathra summit