Rock-climbing in the English Lake District: Third Edition — John Shaqi
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
The crag is visible from the road near the head of Wastwater, and its
three chimneys show up as black recesses of inviting steepness and
difficulty. These retain their interesting appearance all along the
walk up Brown Tongue, and it is surprising that at Hollow Stones
everybody turns off to the right towards Deep Ghyll, when straight
ahead they cannot but observe the opportunity for novelty that Pike’s
Crag can offer them.
Between the Pulpit rock that overlooks the Mickledore screes and the
main mass of the Pikes is a little _col_ or neck that can be reached
with ease from either side. A gully runs up to it behind the Pulpit
from the Mickledore screes, with no difficulties whatever to obstruct
the walker. Another (D) leads to the same spot from the Lingmell side,
starting near the foot of the great buttress of the Horse and Man rock,
and boasting of two pitches. Between D and a scree gully well away to
the left lie the three chimneys, A, B, and C, and the best climbing of
these crags is here concentrated.
It is true that we can get some pleasant scrambling up the outside of
the Pulpit. A grass gully shows well in the illustration, close to
the right-hand edge of the picture. The square tower of rock to which
its left branch leads overlooks the D gully and offers fair sport.
There are probably a few interesting problems in the short gullies
leading from D towards the Horse and Man ridge. But to cover the best
ground in a single expedition I can recommend the ascent of A and
descent by C, then the direct climb up the right branch of B and a
return down the two pitches in the D gully. Such was an afternoon’s
work that I was advised to undertake when inquiring of those who
knew best how to gain a general knowledge of Pike’s Crag. My companion
was unacquainted with Lake District climbing; it was his first day in
Wastdale, and during our walk homewards, after following as rigidly as
we could the directions given us, he was reluctantly compelled to admit
that Cumberland climbing had good points that he had never hitherto
attributed to it.
[Illustration:
PLATE I.
THE PIKE’S CRAG GULLIES.
AA is about 300 feet high.
_a_ Initial Variation in the A Chimney.
_b_ Left Branch of the B Chimney.
_c_ Great Pitch in the C Chimney.
D Easy Gully between E and F.
E Horse and Man Rock.
F Pulpit Rock.
G Easy Grass Gully.]
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account