Wet ’n’ wild
Ghyll scrambling is awesome!
YOU’RE CLAMBERING UP a large boulder. A trickle of water runs over your right hand as it clings to the rock. You look down and see the main channel of the stream dropping over a ledge and landing on a slab below, creating a spray that forms a miniature rainbow in the sunlight. You reach a ledge and are greeted by a deep pool into which another waterfall lands. You leap into the natural bath and dip your head below the surface before tackling the next rocky ascent.
This is ghyll scrambling. You get wet, you get tired, but you never get bored. You explore a world that few get to see – one that’s great fun and which constantly changes. One moment you’re negotiating a rapid, the next you’re sitting back while a waterfall beats down on your head and shoulders.
The concept of ghyll scrambling, also known as gorge walking, is simple – to ascend a stream by walking, wading, swimming, plunging, climbing and anything else that seems fun. It’s not to be confused with canyoning, which is all about descending a stream.
Obviously, some waterways are more exciting than others, and the region where the activity has really taken off is the Lake District National Park. Particularly popular for first-timers and families is Stickle Ghyll in Langdale. Starting from the National Trust car park near New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, it’s possible to climb all the way to Stickle Tarn, though there are plenty of opportunities to exit the stream before then.
The route widely regarded as the best is Esk Gorge in Eskdale – both stunning and challenging – perhaps a little too challenging for many to do on their own, so it’s a good job there are several companies who will guide you up this and other great water scrambles, if you’d rather be led by experts. They include Path To Adventure
( pathtoadventure.co.uk) and The Lake District Walker (thelakedistrictwalker.co.uk).
If you’d rather do your own trip make sure you bring a towel, helmet, drybag, change of clothes, and prepare for an action-packed trip.