Quote Originally Posted by Splatcher View Post
The route off Great End has been covered in an earlier thread. The SE cairn is the summit, so go there first. Then go to the NW summit, head slightly E of N over boulders into a shallow gully (cairns). A cairn just before the gully gets steep & serious shows the point to go left round a rib. The trod is clear from here: steep but reasonably easy to follow, with the occasional cairn. This takes you down to the saddle at the head of Skew Gill. Go straight on to pick up a trod that continues along the shoulder & follow it down, Don't get tempted into a gully: the path is to your left on the shoulder, still with the odd cairn. Eventually it is clear you can easily drop down a short distance to your right to join the path from Sprinkling Tarn, near where it crosses the stream.
Well, nice day for a recce!! If we are sure that the ESE cairn is higher (the authoritative http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/mounta...p?qu=S&rf=2364 agrees although no survey is cited), I'd say forget the WNW cairn, just run NW, pass the 1st gully; on reaching the 2nd gully (cairn) follow the directions as above.

Alternatively, if visiting the WNW cairn, just head NNW and pick up the trod directly as it's quite obvious at that point (heading NNE then back W to pick up the trod is fiddly).

Anyway, I found the way down to the Sty Head path, in poor vis, admittedly with a few false leads and back tracking but that's what recceing is for. Is it known who devised this ingenious route?

I also found the line down off High Raise (admittedly not difficult, and in good vis late morning), and the mostly-grassy route off Esk Pike which I don't think I knew about - quite neat.

Looks like tomorrow's weather should be more conducive to a proper run of JNC Secs 1 and 2, assuming I walked slowly enough today....

Rob