After been inspired by many of these walk reports over the last year i thought i would have a go myself. So bare with me it's my first report. Today i was out with Cockney Bill and Gozza and we were wanting to have a good stretch of our legs aswell as some easy grade 1 scrambling. So my choice was Ill Crag via the Cockley Pike ridge and the south east face, firstly taking in Hard Knott and Great Moss.

We set off from Kendal at 7.00a.m parked at the side of the road at the head of Eskdale (on the lower slopes of Hard Knott pass). We arrived there at 8:30a.m. and set off immediatley up the pass towards the old roman fort, after leaving the fort we aimed for Scope End and took in a bit of scrambling up to the summit of Hard Knott.
The clouds was low and it was not the best light for photo's, but i got quite a few anyway. Showers were stopping and starting making the rock quite slippery.
We then headed towards Yew Bank and dropped down to Lingcove Beck and aimed to the right of Gait Crags, then traversed around the base of Esk Pike to the foot of the Soth East face of Ill Crag, this is a continous grade 1 scramble of over nearly 500 metres, where you can make it as difficult or as easy as you please, route finding in never hard but you can stray accross grade 2/3 territory if your no careful.

Also there is quite a lot of loose blocks so we were checking every hold, but very pleasant and felt rather safe and not too exposed compared to it's impassible look from the bottom, it is unlike any scrambling in the Lakes that i have done before and has more of a scottish or welsh feel to it.
After summiting we headed towards the col between Ill Crag and Broad Crag and then down Little Narrow Cove back into Great Moss, by which time the sky had cleared to a beautiful sunny Lake District.

(So many times do i seem to walk allday in the rain and cloud only to walk out in glorious sunshine, maybe i should start walking in the afternoon as we always seems to get the better weather then.) Back at the car for 4:50p.m. Had an absolute cracking day and a nice drive home over Birker Fell.