Bob Graham Route Choices

[Baggins]

As for the best way off Great Calva - I did the East Ridge once, suffice to say I've never been back! The advantages of taking the south ridge are that you are on faster ground for longer and have less *big* heather to negotiate. Also if the river is running high then about 200m upstream of the normal crossing area a fence crosses the river and you can use this Indiana Jones style to get across! On one of my attempts there was another party who left GC at the same time but went via the East Ridge and who were on a faster schedule than I was, yet despite taking a planned five minute break at the river we were on Blencathra between five and ten minutes ahead of them.
Bob

Last week coming off Skiddaw went to the left of hare crag rather than over it, horrendous, I was bashing through knee deep heather most of the time or following ditches, I take it the way to go is over hare crag that would mean joining the road skiddaw house near the south ridge.

I then went up Great galva between dead beck and the south ridge which was not much better, dropped off galva via the ground to the right of the fence, this was not too bad compared to where I'd been but looking back from Mungrisdale common the south ridge looked a better line.

So is it quicker to use the south ridge for both ascent and descent or is there a secret dry path hidden in the heather.

I'll read your notes next time Bob as I couldn't find a dry way across the river and had to strip off at least the freezing level was a couple of hundred feet higher

Bill