I'm hoping for late May, early June. its not horrendously deep, but even when I took my shoes off to attempt a wade, it was very slippy and stoney underfoot. Came up about a foot or so the bit I 'dipped my toe' in. Hopefully I'll eventually get to recce with someone who knows the drill exactly, rather than approximately. I'm probably just being a wuss!!
The first time me and my mate walked up and down trying to find the best spot but you just need to cross it. You get your feet soaking on Mungrisedale common anyway. But it is much easier come summer. Happy to go round with you at some point - when are you likely to do it next?
I seem to remember it being vaguely thigh deep but not too fast moving. I just took the mountain marathon approach in that I needed to get to the other side and had to just 'man up', but it is was pretty nippy even in spring. The trudge uphill afterwards soon warms the legs back up again, though! I must get back to the Lakes again as I fancy a BG attempt this summer - a dodgy knee mucked up my plans this summer. I think Leg 3 is the main bit I want to recce, as I have only done that once after having run Leg 2 through the night, and my navigation was hardly triumphantly good!
Met a bloke from Otley AC (Simon) today plus a group of three lads on leg 3. Not a bad day on the hill and saw a fantastic Broken Spectre on Pike of Stickle
Poacher turned game-keeper
Derby was Simon doing alright? (I'm sure he was)
He was moving very nicely and in the right directionOriginally Posted by Macali
Poacher turned game-keeper
Doing leg 1 tomorrow if anyone's interested in joining.
We're meeting at Horse and Farrier car park in Threlkeld at 9am and taking one car to Keswick.
Anyone got any reports of the boggy bits over Hare Crag and beyond? (it seems to be boggier each time I go there)
When going between Scafell Pike and Scafell yesterday I tried the Lords Rake/West Wall Traverse for the first time and really liked it. I'm sure you descend less from the col for the bottom of Lords Rake than you do the Foxes Tarn route, and leaving LR before the chockstone to take the WWT and popping out of Deep Ghyll seemed pretty quick. Anyone else tried this route?
I'm glad you did, as I'd been wondering about this option as well. I've not gone that way for many years, but you're right about it descending significantly less than the Foxes Tarn route. It used to be slightly slower than Broad Stand, assuming you knew Broad Stand & could solo it quickly - 5 minutes I seem to recall (I timed it). But of course most people aren't as confident as that on BS, & using ropes will slow you down. If Lords Rake/WWT is reasonably stable these days I'll give it a recce in the spring.
I looked at BS and think it must be the quickest way if, as you say, you can solo it quickly and your pacer(s) can too. I reckon though that after 12+ hours running and the likelihood of the rock being wet, it's too risky for the big day. I don't want to use rope, so it's Foxes Tarn or LR/WWT for me. Lords Rake was fine... the chockstone is still there and there are a few other big rocks near it, but it looked stable enough and there's plenty of space on the sides to miss any slide. Deep Ghyll was probably worse in terms of looseness underfoot, but not dangerous. I did 29 minutes from top to top and was by no means pushing it.
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