It was raining lightly as we left the National Trust car park in Wasdale and just a light breeze blowing. The air temperature felt chilly and we were all already well wrapped up in multiple layers.
Wonderful views were enjoyed as far as the river crossing over Lingmell Beck. Then it was head in the clouds, with just fleeting glimpses of the mighty cliffs of Scafell that towered above. We aimed for Mickledore as this would keep us away from any crowds and add to the adventure. This proved to be a good choice as we had the route to ourselves and all enjoyed the scrambling up to Mickledore. We also took a direct route over the plateau in order to reach the summit via a partly off-path route. For a brief moment we had the summit to ourselves, a rarity these days.
After taking in some energy we descended via the Lingmell Col route. This was busy with walkers. Amazingly plenty were poorly equipped for the conditions. We'd estimated summit temperature to be around minus 5 in the wind and maybe only 1C when fully sheltered, so pretty nippy! There were walkers without hats, gloves, or even coats in some cases! Crazy times.
Once we had descended below the cloud base it was time to revel in the awesomeness of our position, still high above Wasdale. We could see out to the coast, with the sun making the sea glisten, oh how we wanted some sun in Wasdale 😉
Well the weather did indeed ease up and we finished the walk fairly dry.
A smashing day out with two lovely people. Thanks to Helen and Alfie.
If you're planning a walk in the mountains over the coming weeks. Remember the daylight hours are now much shorter, it is already completely dark before 5pm and soon it will be 4pm. The weather is unsettled and generally damp, meaning good quality waterproofs and plenty of warm layers are essential items, as is a head torch for all walkers. If in any doubt and you'd prefer the safety of having a knowledgeable and local guide, please do get in touch, we'll be happy to help.
Mark