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I've tried dropping to the path much earlier - it brought me back out with the same group I had been with who took a higher line shortly before where the good path levels off before beginning the climb up to the hause. (and handily at a good water source). I've never hugged the base of the crags but have tried a more direct line up the steep bank to meet the path higher up. That was a tough steep climb, I prefer the easier longer route up the path.
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Hah, I had eyes on that climb while I was going up the coledale path, thanks for warning me off it.
there is a lot to be said for not running over big lumps of rock. I thought I was a genius at Ennerdale last year, not dropping too far into Windy Gap and contouring really tightly around Great Gable… but the going underfoot is so tricky that I just ended up getting separated from the group I was with, and allowing a guy who was tailing me by quite a bit to catch me up.
(saving grace was, he was quite a nice fella and I enjoyed his company slogging up Pillar)