Winter running

Woke up to clear blue skies this morning and as I can't climb with this sore elbow decided to head out onto the local fells for a run. I haven't really seen the hills in daylight for well over a week and haven't been up on them for too long. Parked up on the Green in Wasdale and headed out towards Lingmell Nose and round and down to the tourist path up Scafell Pike. As I neared Lingmell Col I could see that there was a lot more snow up there than I had really thought! Still a good new-ish pair of X-Talons was gonna be no match for the snow. I was asked by a group of blokes on the way up if I was climbing the mountain on my own, when I said yes and mentioned they were my local fells I got a stunned silence!

Pikes Crag in morning sun

I was within 50m of the pike summit when the cloud rolled over and that was the last view until I descended back into the valley 3 hours later. After a quick stop on the pike summit, I headed towards Esk Hause passing many groups of walkers huddled around maps looking confused. I have to admit it is very comforting to be able to head out on the hills in cloud without pondering the map every 50 paces. The bowl beneath Great End past Esk Hause was well banked out with snow and the path was well obscured. I was hoping to drop out the cloud by Styhead but no such luck.

Beneath Esk Hause

The climb up Gable was quiet, and I saw very few people. I paid my respects at the FRCC war memorial on the way past the summit. I heard over 600 attended the service last sunday. Only a handful or people up there today. I then dropped off down to Beck Head, and pushed on up to Kirkfell summit, meeting some friends out for a walk with their dog. It was quite cold standing around chatting in the stiff northeasterly, so we headed off in opposite directions and I plunged off down Kirkfell nose to Wasdale Head. I love this descent! Finally a view too.