Quote Originally Posted by Martyn P View Post
It's pretty subjective. On the last two BG attempts that I supported (the past two weekends actually) both contenders did as you described and ran along the edge of Rakehead Crag before dropping down the grassy line in front of Green How (ie. the line most ACW contenders go). I think it's slightly longer, but if that's what you prefer, so be it .....

My own opinion is that there aren't many easier screes to come down than the one under Rakehead Crag, the shale is small and it's just a question of wading down until you hit the grass. I also like to aim for the corner of the wall rather than hopping over it and then take the steep grassy descent down to Lingmell Gill. Through the gill, over the tourist path and then onto the nose of Lingmell for a nice grassy descent down to Brackenclose, much easier than the gnarly tourist path.
I pretty much agree with all of that.
I have used both the the Rakehead Screes route that Martyn describes above and the Green How route and measured both by GPS and mapping software and get the Green How route that I usually take to be 0.1miles longer (0.96 miles against 0.86). I admit that the difference looks greater than this when viewed from Brackenclose.

Going the Green How way I usually drop off the well trod path just after Rakehead Crag and head in a diagonal line rightwards and down. This is a much gentler and easier descent than following the path to the top of the gill dropping down from Green How. When scree starts to appear at the top of the gully Bob describes as option #2 I keep just above this and follow grass all the way across to the gill, through it and pick up the path on the left hand side (looking down to wasdale). There is then only a short steep descent to a stile after which the angle eases and is grassy all the way down to the Corpse road just above the carpark, and is grassy running all the way from Rakehead. see pic attached

When navving leg3 I usually ask the aspirant BG'er around Scafell summit which way they prefer, and the last five I've navved for have all opted for the Green How route.
The most recent two (this year) were both complaining of very sore feet on the rocky stuff and scree either coming off Scafell or before and I'm sure they chose the best option for them. I'm convinced that for most aspirant BG'ers this way is faster albeit slightly longer.