One Step Further

LETJOG PEAK No 29: Scafell Pike, Cumbria (978 metres)

Walk Date: Tuesday 20 June 2023

Wonderful colours in the rocks of Scafell Pike, that deepen when wet (see below)!

Today’s walk certainly was a step or two further than any other on my LETJOG Peaks challenge to date. Of course this was to be expected of Scafell Pike as England’s highest peak – as the old adage would have it, there is no (height) gain without pain! But in compensation, this morning, for a few minutes at least and alone beneath leaden skies, I was the highest person in the whole of England!

My walk started in the hamlet of Seatoller, just a mile or so south-west of Rosthwaite, proceeding along the lane to Seathwaite – then on tracks and increasingly rocky paths up into the hills via Styhead and Sparkling Tarns to approach the rugged top of Scafell Pike from the north-east, before descending via the ‘Corridor Route’ to rejoin my outward path again near Styhead Tarn

At 978 metres of elevation above sea level Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England – Number One on my chart of County Tops, and hence the highest climb of my LETJOG Peaks venture. With a prominence of 912 metres the mount is a ‘Marilyn’ many times over, and the summit holds astounding views over many of the peaks and valleys of the Lake District – at least in clear weather. Here are a few pictures of my experiences today, taken during breaks from the exertion and from the rain.

Sunrise over Seatoller, at the start of my walk

Three young calves contemplating morning ablutions

Past the farm at Seathwaite the road becomes a rough track into the hills alongside the upper reaches of the River Derwent: the small settlement here is renowned as the wettest place in England, with an average of over 3.5 metres of rain per year

Approaching Stockley Bridge over the Derwent, where the track really starts ascending . . .

. . . and looking back down on the dawn-lit valley floor

At about 450 metres up now, this vantage point above Styhead Tarn proved a great spot for breakfast

Another 150 metres up, Sparkling Tarn, where a small group of hardier walkers were just striking camp

Cresting a rise in the path brought into view the top of III Crag: at 935 metres this peak hides Scafell Pike, which is just beyond

The start of the boulder field on III Crag – hard going!

The final steep ascent up the scree . . .

Made it – just ahead of the rain – to the Top of England: Scafell Pike at 978 metres of elevation, where this picture was taken by another solitary walker, the only other I had seen in these early hours aside from the aforementioned campers

The view over the slightly lower peak of Scafell (964 metres) and to Wast Water beyond . . .

. . . and northwards, back over my approach – Styhead Tarn in the middle distance and far-off Derwent Water

Then the rain came – disappearing tops and slippery rocks

Quite amazingly, just below the summit and entirely by coincidence I bumped into these two fellow walkers, with whom I had shared several miles of the Pennine Way across the Cheviots on my LETJOG walk two years ago – as they say, it’s a small world!

Where does the path go? I descended via the more treacherous ‘Corridor Route’, requiring some scrambling and a good deal of concentration!

Halfway down, and a colourful cairn marks the way

Returning back to civilisation, the Derwent here eroding the drumlins, rounded piles of glacial deposits, in a scene, to me, redolent of a long-ago 6th Form geography field-trip to North Wales

Passing back through Seathwaite, on tired legs . . .

. . . and at last to Seatoller – it’s camping Jim, but not as we know it!

A few facts and figures on today’s walk – the longest of my LETJOG Peaks challenge to date at 7.5 hours of activity. My 14 miles also included 1,091 metres of ascent and well over 30,000 steps, and was the first peak on which I have needed to scramble over rocks to progress. My earliest start, on a 5.00 am alarm, was justified in ‘beating’ the forecast rain to the summit (if only by a matter of mere minutes) to enjoy some views before the clouds moved in: the descent over the slippery rocks was more treacherous than the ascent and took me nearly as long. All in all today was a marvellous experience in the hills, with a feeling tonight of some accomplishment having climbed to the top of the country.

The Lakeland town of Keswick is a joy: cafés, bars and restaurants abound, and for lovers of white stuff, snow and rock, or for those with a passion for a fat face or a weird fish there is every brand of outdoor leisure and surf-style fashion on the town’s high street – a line-up completed by numerous galleries, craft shops, and various other emporia, as well as a theatre, a cinema, and at least two museums; altogether more than enough for a week’s stay!

Our few days in the Lake District have been marvellous. Aside from my two longer climbs, Rachel and I have done some amazing walks in the Keswick area, enjoying the hills and the valleys, the water and the rock, the sun and the rain, and the fine hospitality of our hosts Hannah and BJ in the Woodside B&B, our Keswick base. It is not difficult to see how the quality and pace of life afforded by such scenery has encouraged the creative powers of so many writers, poets and artists over the generations. There are 214 ‘Wainwright Peaks’ to conquer in the Lake District – we shall return!

Back in Keswick, and appropriately in the Wainwright Inn, a pint of this ale just had to be savoured!

Well Scafell Pike certainly proved to be ‘One Step Further’ for me today, so this seems a suitable heading for this Blog. The song of the same title was initially released by the duo Bardo in 1982 as the UK’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, in which it achieved a (reportedly disappointing) seventh place. Cumbria’s Nicki French, native of Carlisle and well-known for her dance covers, included the song in her recent (2023) album ‘Eurovision’, a volume stuffed with dance versions of songs from Eurovision Song Contests past. Great if you like that sort of thing, or perhaps if you’re suffering from acute altitude sickness. Let’s get the party started!