Patterdale Scramble

Forecast – Met Office opinion of Saturday’s weather is that it is “hard to pin down”, but sounds more showery than dry. MWIS, on the other hand, predicts sunshine and light winds! So, at the moment, I’m being foolishly optimistic and going with MWIS and saying the meet is ON.

If there are further developments re the weather I will send out an update on Friday. In the meantime, here are the meet details:
Route: Tower Route, Raven Crag, Threshthwaite Cove, Hartsop. Grade 2, one star, allegedly escapable in most parts, which could be useful if it does turn wet.

Meeting Place: The small car park above Hartsop village, at 10 am. Take turning for the village from A592 and drive (carefully!) up the lane, which terminates at the parking area. Honesty Box. There is alternative parking at Cow Bridge (National Trust?) on the A592 – approx 15 minutes’ walk to Hartsop parking area.

Lifts: I will be leaving from the business park in Cockermouth at 8.45 and making a further pick-up for Keswick folk at approx 9 am at the old road near Braithwaite (where the school buses park). Let me know via my personal e-mail if you want a lift or can offer one.

The weather forecast from the Met Office has IMPROVED!

Meet is ON – Note rendezvous time 10 am, (not 9.30 as in events post on Facebook).

A glorious autumn day! Unfortunately the sunshine brought out the early birds and the parking was already completely rammed despite arriving well ahead of the scheduled meeting time. Only Brendan and Jamie got parked at Hartsop. I have never seen this car park completely full – there was a SARDA event on, but also I think it’s all part of the Lakes becoming more popular than ever. The rest of ended up half way back to Patterdale!

It was an easy walk up to Raven Crag. Admittedly it was on the shady side of the dale but the views across the valley were lovely. The route proved to be somewhat challenging for a Grade 2, being wet, greasy and a tad mossy. Some of us (i.e. me) were not too proud to accept the occasional very tight rope. Most of us also climbed a lot of rather steep grass. Not sure this scramble ever gets really dry. It could be quite pleasant in places if so, but probably not one meriting a return match.

Jamie had to forgo the ‘delights’ of the scramble as he needed to be somewhere more sensible, like a restaurant. The rest of slithered our way to the top of the route. Mark H and Brendan descended directly from there and the rest of extended the walk around the side of Stoney Cove Pike, down to the col and back out along Pasture Bottom – then the trek back to our cars. No pub as rugby was calling for some and restorative brews for others.

The team was Brendan, Mark H, Mark W, Jamie, Geraint, Fiona and Judith