Buckbarrow Scramble

Weather looks poor for the weekend, but I’m doing a sun dance in hope that Met Office has it wrong. I’ll confirm or cancel with best data available on Friday.

Forecast has improved and is now for cool but dry weather. The meet is ON. The route is low lying and relatively short, but excellent quality. Buckbarrow Crag lies above the Gosforth- Wasdale Road with limited parking on the roadside where it comes nearest the crags at their western end.

Meet on the road below the crags at 10 am. Lifts available from Cockermouth, Lakeland Business Park at 9am.

An overnight change in the weather forecast was not enough to deter the intrepid members of the KMC. We managed to squeeze four vehicles into the tiny parking area under Buckbarrow where we stared into the murk and began to hatch alternative plans. Then the drizzle eased, so in the usual triumph of hope over experience we set off up the steep and slippery path up to the route. By the time we arrived under the ridge of Pike Crag the precipitation had recommenced with rather more vigour than before. The rock looked slimy. We retreated into the gully, taking different routes up it, of varying degrees of unpleasantness.

At the point where the line of the scramble comes very close to the gully I tiptoed over the scree to see whether we could salvage any of the route. I decided against it, but Jon, Geraint and Mike decided to give it a go. Once the whole team reassembled at the top, the scramblers reported that they had managed to do some of the ridge, but had to bypass the best looking bits – so this scramble is due a KMC rematch on a nice, sunny day!

From Pike Crag, Richard sensibly headed down whilst the rest of us plodded – and occasionally waded – our way through mist and rain to Seatallan, then back down via Greendale Tarn and beck to well-earned refreshments at The Strands pub in Nether Wasdale.
The team was Richard, Geraint, Jon T, Fiona, Mark W, Mike K, and Judith.

An overnight change in the weather forecast was not enough to deter the intrepid members of the KMC. We managed to squeeze four vehicles into the tiny parking area under Buckbarrow where we stared into the murk and began to hatch alternative plans. Then the drizzle eased, so in the usual triumph of hope over experience we set off up the steep and slippery path up to the route. By the time we arrived under the ridge of Pike Crag the precipitation had recommenced with rather more vigour than before. The rock looked slimy. We retreated into the gully, taking different routes up it, of varying degrees of unpleasantness.

At the point where the line of the scramble comes very close to the gully I tiptoed over the scree to see whether we could salvage any of the route. I decided against it, but Jon, Geraint and Mike decided to give it a go. Once the whole team reassembled at the top, the scramblers reported that they had managed to do some of the ridge, but had to bypass the best looking bits – so this scramble is due a KMC rematch on a nice, sunny day!

From Pike Crag, Richard sensibly headed down whilst the rest of us plodded – and occasionally waded – our way through mist and rain to Seatallan, then back down via Greendale Tarn and beck to well-earned refreshments at The Strands pub in Nether Wasdale.
The team was Richard, Geraint, Jon T, Fiona, Mark W, Mike K, and Judith.