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Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle


Postby susanmyatt » Sun Mar 08, 2009 2:09 pm

Wainwrights included on this walk: Harrison Stickle, Pavey Ark

Hewitts included on this walk: Harrison Stickle

Date walked: 08/03/2009

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Hi everyone, as promised despite the snowfall on wednesday and thursday we headed off early for the Lake District and the Langdale Valley, parking at New Dungeon Ghyll. Overnight rain had washed most the snow away and it was not too bad to start with as we reached Stickle Tarn, Alan gave the go ahead to try Jack's Rake, we had heard so much about it. As we reached the top the weather was getting worse, the winds were gusting and the rain was making it quite cold. We all enjoyed the scramble up the rake but although there were a couple of exposed places we all felt it wasn't as bad as we feared. After a blustery stop on Pavey Ark summit (700m) we set off for Harrison Stickle (736m) and by the time we sat on the top it was really getting very bad, the winds making it hard to stand on exposed outcrops. For this reason even though we were only just below Pike O'Stickle summit as we passed, we decided to err on the side of caution and gave it a miss, better to fight another day. We then followed Martcrag Moor and descended down Langdale Comb to Mickleden and followed the Cumbrian Way back to the car park, a very wet, very cold Saturday Gang. :D Take care everyone, love Sue :lol:
Attachments
IMG_0697new.jpg
Myself with Stickle Tarn and Pavey Ark behind
IMG_0699new.jpg
Pavey Ark, the rake can be seen central
IMG_0702.JPG
Jack's Rake
IMG_0710new.jpg
Me enjoying the climb
IMG_0712new.jpg
The rake
IMG_0714new.jpg
Looking down the rake
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Pavey Ark summit
IMG_0720new.jpg
Harrison Stickle summit
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby Paul Webster » Sun Mar 08, 2009 2:18 pm

Did you have any trouble with any icy bits on the rake?

I actually found Jack's Rake airy in a couple of places nearer the top - the first rake bit was ok but I remember two trickier bits. Mind you I was on a stag do in Langdale at the time :mrgreen: - maybe I had a hangover
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby mountain coward » Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:15 pm

Nope - there's definitely a bad step across a gully - you can see that from below if you study things as intently and fearfully as I do! :) Great pics but I was looking also for a pic of that bad bit! It looks much steeper looking down it than it did looking up it! Is it crumbly and loose? I heard it was getting a bit eroded and unpleasant?
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby mountain coward » Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:17 pm

By the way, on one of my old maps, Martcrag Moor is called amusingly 'Martcrag Moo' ! :lol: Anyone else got that OS map? I always call it that now anyway :)
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby susanmyatt » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:06 pm

Sorry didn't get a photo of the bad step, it is a bit crumbley in places and some of the hand pulls were loose, not the easiest place to take photos especially climbing in a group :o
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby cjwaugh » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:17 pm

Nice pictures looks like a great day for all :)
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby mountain coward » Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:07 am

susanmyatt wrote:Sorry didn't get a photo of the bad step


That's okay :) quite understand - what I should do really is go and have a closer look myself (not sure I'll ever pluck up courage for that one either)...
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby susanmyatt » Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:09 pm

I don't think you are much of a mountain coward when one looks at the impressive list of conquests under your name, all the wainwrights,did you save a special one for last?
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby mountain coward » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:07 am

Nope - but I got sponsored for my favourite charity to do the last 50 in a couple of months. The funniest thing was that, as I am such a coward, I prefer to get the 'nasties' as I think of them out of the way as soon as possible which resulted in me doing Yewbarrow SECOND!! :lol: No wonder I ended up sat on top of Stirrup Crag 'waiting for the helicopter' until Richard found me a route down it that I could manage!
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby susanmyatt » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:01 pm

Brill, my husband wants to do Yewbarrow, he says theres a way off midway so as not to go down Stirrup Crag, saw Fred Talbot on a dvd and he missed out the crag as there are a few leg stretches I believe, my first wainwright was Helvellyn via Striding Edge, fortunately it was quite misty so the VIEWS were not evident, don't know where we are saturday yet, but we will be out, :wink:
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby mountain coward » Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:13 am

Stirrup Crag is definitely daunting but isn't really as bad as all that. Having said that, there seem to be several ways of descending it. The way I refused to go down (when I sat down and waited for the helicopter until Richard found me another route) was where a path seemed to lead right towards the edge over the valley (instead of over the Dorehead col). I'm sure that route was just where people are repeatedly going wrong. Richard found me a route which went down the crag in a series of drops onto ledges - I'm very long indeed so had no difficulty but Richard is a bit shorter and he has trouble sometimes and I have to find him footholds and so on as he can't reach to the floor of the steps in many places.

If you read Wainwright I'm sure he says about the route to the summit up the side. To be honest, I wouldn't want to descend by it unless I'd gone up it as it could be hard to find exactly where to start from above and it rakes rather than going straight down. It certainly avoids all difficulties though although steep but it is craggy either side of the route. I found the nearer end of Yewbarrow (with Dropping Crag, Bell Rib etc.) worse than Stirrup Crag the first time I did it as it was steep and loose in places. The second time I did it I actually enjoyed myself despite a broken rib at the time, but that was years later when I'd got more confidence. Plus I was having one of my 'good days' - I sometimes get them!
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby sipatterson3899 » Thu May 21, 2009 6:09 pm

Hi,
Just done the same walk yesterday, with Phil. We went from the new hotel up to Stickle Tarn, however we opted for Easy Gully (just to the right of the rake) and got stuck near to the top of the gully! It was really wet and the rain didn't help. I was wondering if anyone else had come across the two or three rather large boulders at the top that I couldn't seem to get over...? Is there a way past them as I'd like to try again at some point. maybe I was being extra careful as it was slippery up there and a fair old drop down the scree if I'd slipped!
Anyway it was back down the gully and around to the path up the east face of Pavey Ark when the sun came out!!! and then across to Harisson Stickle before heading back down to the car at the hotel.
A great day out and the cloud cleared in time for some great views of the Langdale valley - pure magic!
Attachments
Phil on Harrison Stickle.jpg
Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark from the path by Pike Howe.jpg
Me on top of Pike How - a bit windy here!.jpg
Pavey Ark and Stickle Tarn from Harisson Stickle.jpg
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby 37lumleyst » Thu May 21, 2009 8:23 pm

I’m planning on doing the full Langdale valley head loop in a few W/E’s time with my mate and his Boarder Terrier ‘Oscar’, should be a good walk :D

I’ll definately be posting the walk report for you all to see but would like to mention that its a result of reading Sue’s report that got me interested in the Langdale area. I’m very keen to go over Pavey Ark via the ‘rake’ and if all goes well I’ll try to get some pics of the ‘tricky bit’ for Mountain Coward :lol:
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Re: Pavey Ark/Harrison Stickle

Postby susanmyatt » Fri May 22, 2009 12:05 pm

Hope you get the weather, there must be some great views and you can do the 5 Wainwrights and not do a big mileage if you come back down to Old Dungeon Ghyll and not come down via Sticks Pass and Mickleden as we did. Good luck. :D
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