RAID BLENCATHRA’S RIDGES
SEPTEMBER B●e■cathra Lake District
Good ol’ Wainwright wrote that the most daring ascent of
Blencathra “can be traversed only à cheval at some risk of damage to tender parts.” That’s quite a mental image, and so if you manage to scramble up the narrow arête that is Sharp Edge in a more dignified manner than Alfred, with his legs akimbo, you’ve surely got reason for celebration!
But whichever way you manage to get up it, Sharp Edge is the crowning glory of Blencathra’s numerous ridges, and is cause for celebration whichever way you look at it. It’s high. It’s stunningly exposed. And it is magnificently do-able with a head for heights in the right conditions. It’s probably the best Grade 1 scramble you’ll find in England, and a quiet September day is a superb time of year to tackle it.
Situated in the most northerly range of the Lake District, Blencathra is the gatekeeper to the National Park from the A66. The impossibly steep angles of Sharp Edge viewed from below are enough to strike a pang of fear into the hearts of those in the know. Five more spurs sprawl out from the summit like a giant’s fist, but none pack the same punch as Sharp Edge.
The approach from the shores of Scales Tarn leaves nothing to the imagination. You know exactly what you’re in for. A few hands-on rock moves hoist you up to the less steeply angled part of the ridge, where the ground drops away abruptly – straight into the tarn one side and into nothingness on the other. The moves are not difficult in dry and calm conditions. The challenge is more likely to be with your mind, as you adjust to your new, very exposed position.
The crossing of the main ridge can be done with surefooted grace, or in a tentative, monkey-style stoop that allows hand placements as security, but it’s over before you know it, with the imposing Foule Crag playing tricks with perspective as it towers above, looking more vertical than it actually is.
But first there’s the Bad Step. Some don’t even notice they’ve crossed it, others become frozen with trepidation. Much of it is to do with the conditions as it can be greasy in the wet, and any slip could be… well, undesirable. Careful foot and possibly bum placements, and you’re across the notch and up into the crag. With rock dominating your view, rather than the unnerving airiness of the open ridge, you might experience the scrambling up Foule Crag in joyous elation. Some stick to the gullies, others enjoy a more exposed route, but there are secure hand and foot holds if you avoid the most direct route without straying too far left or right into steeper ground. All too soon, the ground shallows and widens, and the contrast of the gentle, gloriously welcoming summit plateau of Blencathra awaits.
The original Ordnance Survey stone ring marking the summit mysteriously disappeared in 2018, but has now been replaced with a replica after a crowdfunding appeal. Although a fairly unassuming summit marker, the views are anything but. On a clear day views extend far beyond Derwent Water and Skiddaw into the Lake District, out to The Pennines, Solway Firth and Galloway. Some say you can even see the Mournes in Northern Ireland!
If you’ve had enough excitement for one day, a descent via Scales Fell from the summit is a triumphant winner in anyone’s books. But if you’re up for more action and the Weather Gods are smiling, look to Hall’s Fell. It’s runnerup in the sharpness stakes, but provides thrilling and prolonged ridge-top walking with a dollop of scrambling. In ascent, Wainwright was just about able to keep his legs together, and indeed proclaimed it as “positively the finest way to any mountain top in the district”. In descent, the sense of exposure adds to the spiciness. A few slabby moves require care especially if wet, but soon the craggy towers of the initial ridge top ease into gentler terrain, where the huge views down the snaking ridge, across the valley and into the heart of the Lake District fight for your attention.
September is often dubbed the best time of year for mountain walking. The summer crowds are gone, the temperature is comfortable, the light is golden and it’s before any chance of snow. Combine the two very best ridges of Blencathra and you’ve got not only one of the best scrambles in the UK, but the makings of a magical start to your autumn hillwalking calendar.