Skiddaw house route

[philblack40]

There's probably a thread somewhere on this but I can't find it. Has anyone gone from Great Calva to blencathra via skiddaw house, cloven stone and then followed the dotted line on the maps shown on howfasts tracking maps upto blencathra? I know the track off calva past skiddaw house is fast, dry, easy to find in the dark/clag, and doesn't drop so much altitude as the direct line or fence line off Calva. I've Tried the direct line from "the stake" on howfasts maps but that was rough steep and crap! any info much appreciated. Cheers Phil

[Derby Tup]

Long way round and few advocates for this route. I noticed Nicky Spinks took the direct line on her recent run

[philblack40]

But that's Nicky Spinks. I'm a mere mortal! And that was in the light with half decent conditions. Would the extra mileage be compensated by the easier path?

[Martyn P]

DT is right, that's quite a long detour, I honestly wouldn't think the slight height advantage would be a real benefit. What would it really gain you? About the only rationale for doing it is if the river is in raging spate and/or severe winter conditions.

I'd say that your recce time would be better spent getting a good line up Mungrisdale common and knowing where the pancake stone is that marks the start of your traverse under the ridge line and to the summit.

[Derby Tup]

And getting strong for that trudge up from the Caldew

[Bob]

Look in the sticky thread about route choices. There's a sub-thread in there about the Skiddaw House route. I tried it once but didn't get the advertised line above the Cloven Stone (I was going by memory of reading the thread some time earlier). I didn't find it any quicker than *my* preferred route of dropping down the S ridge of Great Calva for a couple of hundred metres then taking a direct line to the summit of Mungrisedale common. I did my round ten years ago but I understand that the heather on that line has grown somewhat since then. There is a faint track in amongst it all though that links up the areas without heather - I believe I took DT down it on his first attempt.

[Derby Tup]

We had had a great descent that Friday evening Bob. Even though I didn't succeed I always remember leg 1 as being very enjoyable

[Derby Tup]

Some Calva descent chat starting here