We set off about 9ish and after a short drive to the bottom of the mountain, we parked up and got our climbing kit out which consisted of a compass, a first aid kit, lots of maps and of course the trusty torch just in case!
Luckily we didn't need the compass as there were plenty of people milling around so we crossed over the river and started our adventure! The first part of the walk was mainly grassland, with a few animals on the way!
It was a long walk up, pretty steady and we had some gorgeous views so really enjoyable.We were very lucky with the weather, temperatures of 15c and lots of sun which probably made it a lot easier than trudging through the wet moors!
We stopped ever so often for a little leg break and a swig of water, admired the views and then went off again.We weren't really sure how long it would take so we were cautious with time as we didn't want to be lost in the dark!
About a third of the way up, the path split left and right. There were people on both paths, but the right hand path was definitely a quieter one. We asked another walker what the difference was between them, he said "left is longer but easier, right is shorter but steeper" ......being new to the mountain we took the sensible route and went right. Yes you read this correctly! We decided to join the other nutters and tackle the steep cliff side leading up to the summit. It was hard, the hardest part of the walk and it was more scrambling than walking at this point. The higher you got, the harder it was but the end was at least in sight (or so we thought)
After what felt like hours, we were near the top of the cliff and as we pulled ourselves over the top expecting to see the summit, we sadly saw that the summit was still a fair way to go. But it was a great feeling knowing we had made it so far.
The terrain was mainly big rocks and stones at this point which was pretty hard work, much preferred the grass at the bottom. It's funny, when you are walking up there you sometimes feel so isolated as you don't see anyone for ages but the closer you get to the summit, people seem to pop up from everywhere! We made it to the summit in just over 3 hours and the view from the top was incredible. It made all the hard work worthwhile and the sense of achievement was awesome!
So, one peak down, 2 to go so the next one will either be Snowdon in March or Ben Nevis before that. I want to get all 3 done as it is a fantastic achievement and more importantly excellent training for Kilimanjaro.
My top 5 bits of advice before climbing Scafell Pike are:
1 - Train for it! Do lots of walking, preferably hill walking before you go. Joe put me through a lot of squats and lunges at bootcamp, tough at the time but very beneficial on the mountain!
2 - Get some suitable footwear and clothing. I have invested in some fancy walking shoes but that is because I will be using them in Tanzania. You can get some very good shoes for under £100. Good grip, ankle support and waterproof are the key things to look out for.
3 - Pack the necessities, but don't pack the kitchen sink! The key things you need on the mountain include a compass, a map, a torch, a whistle and a fully charged mobile phone. You may not need all of it but it's better to be safe than sorry. But remember, you are carrying it on your back for a long time so don't overdo it! Get a good bag, with back support and it will make the journey a lot more comfortable.
4 - Check the weather. The weather can change rapidly on the mountain and can either make your climb enjoyable, or dangerous and utterly miserable! We noticed a sudden change in the temperature around 3/4 of the way up, it gets chilly so make sure you pack a fleece. If the weather looks a bit iffy, I would advise you not to risk it as you don't want to be 1000m up and get stranded.
5 - Take plenty of water. We both packed a litre bottle each but we could have easily of drunk 2 litres each. It was hard work and very warm so you do sweat, and therefor will lose water. This needs replacing. We did actually fill our bottles up with water from the running river on the way down. Not sure if this is advisable but hasn't done us any harm!
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