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Tuesday 14 December 2010

Blencathra Via a very Icy Sharp Edge

On what was forecast to be a clear morning, decided to go up onto Blencathra via Sharp Edge and back down via Halls Fell Ridge, one of the classic mountains days in the Lakes.A trip of two contrasts, it was cold, claggy and snowing all the way up to Sharp Edge and sunny and bright back down Halls Fell.
I knew getting up to Sharp Edge it was going to be touch and go if I went across it, it was extremely icy all the way across, but the crampons gave me good grip and it was a great buzz. Once on the Summitt of Blencathra hung around a while as the cloud was clearing and the views opening up, and then it cleared the sun was out and it was a very pleasant decent of Halls Fell ridge.

Arriving at Scales tarn, Sharp Edge looked quite dramatic in the cold misty air

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The steep climb up to the start of the arete

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The icy climb up onto the ridge

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Looking down the arete, to the climb out up Foule Crag

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It was very icy across the ridge, certainly not for the faint hearted or inexperienced

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Approaching the 'Bad Step'

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Looking back after negotiating the bad step

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The Bad Step!!

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Looking back down the arete

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Now just the steep climb up Foule Crag to the summitt ridge

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Sharp Edge disappears into the mist below as I climb Foule Crag

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Cold with no view at the summitt, although it did start to clear so I hung around a while

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Starting to clear, blue sky and the distant Pennines

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My route of descent down Halls Fell ridge

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Further down Halls Fell looking back up

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Blencathra from the waterfall at the foot of Middle Tongue

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The view across Scales to the North Western Fells

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A great mountain day out, superb over Sharp Edge, but I would not recommend it to the inexperienced or faint of heart!!

5 comments:

  1. Not recommended for the inexperienced or faint hearted you said Gary....Much more adventurous than me and no danger of being caught out up there, but good for you Gary great stuff and exciting with it too with stunning and dramatic photography to bring home with you also.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Pete, was very enjoyable with a bit of adventure thrown in!!

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  3. Superb photos from Sharp Edge Gary, very atmospheric.

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  4. Excellent pics of an excellent day out Gary - brought back fond memories of high white places in the Lakes; oh to be fit enough to be still be able to get up that high, maybe not in those conditions though.

    Cheers

    Davo

    ReplyDelete
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Thanks for dropping by, any comments you may have are greatly appreciated.
Gary