Climbing in The British Isles. Vol. 1 - EnglandHaskett Smith, W. P. (Walter Parry)
History
Climbing in The British Isles. Vol. 1 - England
Haskett Smith, W. P. (Walter Parry)
Mountaineering -- England; Mountains -- England -- Guidebooks
=Steep Gill.=--On Scafell, forming the boundary of the Scafell Pillar on
the Mickledoor side. It contains a very striking vertical chimney more
than 50 ft. high, the upper part of which is rather a tight fit for any
but the slimmest figures. At the foot of this chimney on the right-hand
side there is an exit by which either the ridge of the Scafell Pillar
can be reached or the chimney circumvented. The Gill becomes very wet
and steep just below the top, and extreme care is necessary in following
it out on to the neck between Scafell Pillar and the mountain. Except in
dry weather this bit may be considered a little dangerous. It is usual
and more interesting to work out here by a grass ledge on the right on
to the Low Man. The Gill was discovered by the writer, and first climbed
by him and Mr. Robinson in September 1884. A note by the former in the
Visitors' Book at Wastdale Head describes it as 'a chimney of unusual
steepness and severity.' The name is quite recent.
=Steeple.=--In Cumberland, separated from _Pillar Fell_ by _Wind Gap_.
There are some grand scrambles on the Ennerdale side of it, and it is
extremely interesting to the student of mountain structure to note the
points of parallelism between this group and that of _Scafell_, _Wind
Gap_, of course, representing _Mickledoor_.
=Stirrup Crag=, on the north end of Yewbarrow, is probably the very
nearest climb to Wastdale Head, and may therefore be useful in cases
when a wet day clears up towards evening and exercise within easy reach
is required. The quickest way to it is to cross the beck by the bridge
behind the inn and go up the hill straight to the rectangular clump of
larches, and then on beyond it in the same direction. There is a nice
little climb on an isolated bit of rock, noted by Mr. Robinson in the
Wastdale book, at Easter in 1888. The little rock should be crossed from
north to south and the same course continued up to the open fell above,
after which a short descent towards Door Head, keeping rather to the
left hand, will bring to light several small but pretty rock-problems.
=Striding Edge=, a ridge on the east side of _Helvellyn_, is called in
one of the old maps _Strathon Edge_. The difficulties of it have been
absurdly exaggerated. Miss Braddon wrote amusingly about the exploits
upon it of a certain gallant colonel, identified by Colonel Barrow with
himself. In winter it is sometimes an exciting approach to _Helvellyn_,
in summer just a pleasant walk. The idea of its danger probably arose
from the celebrity given to the death of Charles Gough by the poems of
Scott and Wordsworth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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