Rock-climbing in the English Lake District: Third EditionJones, Owen Glynne
General
Rock-climbing in the English Lake District: Third Edition
Jones, Owen Glynne
Lake District (England) -- Description and travel; Mountaineering; Rock climbing -- England -- Lake District
Combe Ghyll is the name of the course that drains the north side of
Glaramara, the stream making its way down the little valley that has
already been described as lying between Thornythwaite and Rosthwaite
Fells. At about the 1,000-feet level in the valley the land is flat and
marshy; with little provocation the stream could produce a respectable
lake, and the tourist in wet weather feels that such absence of
deception would be to his advantage. Above this level the mountain
rises abruptly, and the ghyll has to acknowledge two sources. That
which sends its supply straight down the centre of Raven Crag was the
first to be regarded as Combe Ghyll. But the other is longer and more
obvious. Looking up from the marsh the watercourse is very distinct
away to the left, though the climb is equally in evidence on the right.
When a short time since three curious cragsmen (including the curious
writer) penetrated to the recesses of this almost unknown country to
find the climb that Messrs. Robinson and Wilson had discovered and
christened as long ago as September, 1893, we were compelled by that
name to tackle the east branch, but vowed at the same time to go later
to the west. Our conscientiousness was praiseworthy, though mistaken,
but as events developed themselves our mistake had happy consequences.
We managed both ghylls, and were probably instrumental in preventing a
nasty accident to a couple of would-be mountaineers whom we discovered
in difficulties.
It was on a hot day in April. We had been disporting ourselves for
photographic purposes in the Kern Knotts crack, and had sauntered
down to Seatoller for some soda and milk to give grace to our jam
sandwiches. Then we walked down the Rosthwaite Road as far as the
bridge over the Derwent, and went across the opposite shoulder into
the combe. It was very close down in Borrowdale, and we were glad to
get out of the well of warm air and follow the water for a mile or so
to the marshy upland. Here the walking was soft and pleasant. Water
in our boots was no hardship, and we even hoped that there would be
many waterfalls in our gully. Then came the dilemma and our decision
to keep to the main stream. But the aspect of the Raven Crag gully on
our right, as we skirted the boggy ground below us, was magnificent.
Pitch rose above pitch apparently without any easy stretches, and the
whole gully seemed to form just one vertical chimney in the rocks, five
hundred feet high. Moss Ghyll itself is not grander than the Raven Crag
gully as it appeared that afternoon to our longing gaze, and even now
that the details of the latter climb are impressed vividly in my mind I
can assure myself that it was one of the finest I have ever undertaken
in Cumberland.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account