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Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.
Unearthly on Ullscarf
Unearthly on Ullscarf
by The English Alpinist » Mon Mar 14, 2016 2:13 am
Wainwrights included on this walk: Castle Crag, Eagle Crag, Grange Fell, Great Crag, Sergeant's Crag, Ullscarf
Hewitts included on this walk: Ullscarf
Date walked: 04/03/2016
Time taken: 7.25
Distance: 20 km
Ascent: 1214m
1 person thinks this report is great. Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).As yesterday, I took a bus ride from my accommodation at Scales and began this walk from Grange. Not before having morning coffee and a teacake breakfast in Keswick Costa, before catching the connection into Borrowdale. The weather was somewhat wilder today, alas, but the biggest factor was that there'd been a heavy snowfall during the night. It stayed fine all the way onto Eagle Crag (stiff climb!) and Sergeant's Crag, and I had some views to remember. I'll remember the name 'Greenup Edge' too. This is a valley rim one has to negotiate to get onto Ullscarf from this direction. It was where cloud and squally weather came in with a vengeance. Furthermore, I'd made the mistake of thinking I could skirt below the crags there to avoid unnecessary height gain, but once on it I found the going was too rocky with some torturous snow drifts. Eventually, I just had to get onto the top to be able to prgress, which entailed real mountaineering hardship for a few minutes, hauling myself over rocks and virtually swimming through snow. A lot of swearing too.
The wind and precipitation relented on Ullscarf, but it was an endless and exhausting snow-trudge (knee-deep on average) in a whiteout to the summit. It felt like it would never come, and I worried I might not even find it. Happily I did, but the descent over the other side was not all that easy either. This too was drawn out, leading eventually to Great Crag, the terrain around there being snow-free (much lower) but an incessant dirty squelch. Finally it was Grange Fell, and a race against time to catch the last bus into Keswick (Greenup and Ullscarf had been such slow-going). If I failed it would mean a 4 mile road walk to tag onto a tiring day, or an expensive taxi ride, or hitch-hiking I guess (only done that once in my life, as a teenager hacked off with a wet day in Buttermere). Well, I made the bus, so all's well that end's well!
Re: Unearthly on Ullscarf
by ChrisW » Mon Mar 14, 2016 3:13 am
Another beauty TEA, blizzard aside it looks fantastic and some of your shots capture it wonderfully...just heading off now to make a toasted teacake and a latte
Keep it up mate....you're going to make it 


1 person thinks this report is great. Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
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