Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal Volume 6 Number 4

Excursions

Two days in Cumberland

Two members of the S.M.C., Messrs Lawson and Raeburn, spent the 17th and 18th of November climbing in the English Lakes. On the second of the above dates they were fortunate in having the companionship of two English members of the Club, Messrs Glover and Ling, who know the district thoroughly, and who have lately had the credit of accomplishing the impossible there. Glover and Ling have discovered two new climbs in this thoroughly polished and highly finished climbing region.

These climbs are respectively a new variation at the foot of the Eagle's Nest Arete on Great Gable called Ling's Chimney, and a fine new chimney on the Ennerdale face of the same mountain now known as the Engineer's Chimney.

Leaving Edinburgh by the 2 P.M. express to Carlisle, one can dine on board and be deposited at Keswick in time to walk up to the head of Borrowdale by nine the same night. This we did, and were surprised to find how quickly and easily the nine miles walk was reeled off.

On the 17th we began with the central gully of Great Gable's Ennerdale face. The lower two-thirds of this affords interesting and fairly easy climbing. Then a choice of three exits presents itself. We tried the central, which runs up a very steep chimney divided into two pitches, the upper of which is the most severe. The lower of these went with some little difficulty, but the leader judged the top one too risky under the conditions, all the rocks being covered with a film of ice, so we descended, made for the top by the easy exit to the right, and crossed Gable summit to the Napes, very glad to get out of the reach of the biting north-easter raging on the Ennerdale face. Here the conditions were very different, and we had a most enjoyable scramble, descending by the Eagle's Nest Arete. The traverse of the Needle was the next item, ascending by the crack and descending by the longer route at the side. We finished our day's sport by the ascent of the Needle Arete, keeping on the strict arete from the col. Taken this way it gives a capital little climb.

The start-off is tricky; its key will be found in a couple of curious rounded finger-holes - quite Dolomitic in style, by the way.

The writer was interested in comparing his impression of the top stone of the Needle with that gained on a former occasion. At that time, Christmas Day 1897, he gained the first ledge without assistance by stepping off an ice-axe-head; on this, Lawson's kindly proffered shoulder formed the take-off. The impression received was that the aid of a shoulder practically abolishes the difficulty of this part of the climb. The last bit, however, before the edge of the top stone can be grasped, still remains a distinctly mauvais pas, though the possession of a long reach would simplify it a good deal. At the ledge a long reach is rather a disadvantage than otherwise.

From the summit of the Napes we kept up, crossing the east shoulder of Gable and striking down to the path below the Styhead Tarn.

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The next day, 18th, was to be a short one, as we had to be down at Keswick the same evening to catch the 6.30 train, so we all (Glover and Ling had arrived about nine the previous evening) got away before eight for Skawfell. We went by way of Grain Gill, then over the shoulder of Great End, over the Pikes and down to Mickledore. Here it became apparent that any of the heroic climbs were not for us to-day, the rocks being sheathed in glittering fog crystals, or glistening with ice. We, however, went down Rake's Progress to the mouth of Deep Gill, the starts of the various climbs on this splendid rock face being pointed out to the two visitors by Glover and Ling. The bold audacity of the opening move of the Keswick Brothers' Climb particularly struck us; yet Messrs Ling and Glover assured us that it is not exceptionally difficult, and we should have gone up this way but for the ominous glitter of ice in the upper chimney. The way we did go up was by Deep Gill, finishing by Professor's Chimney and ascending the Pinnacle from the Col. The presence of a good deal of ice, fog crystals, and a little snow made this route considerably more sporting than it would be in summer, the excellent finger-tip holds on the Pinnacle, for instance, having all to be rediscovered and dug out. We descended by way of the North Climb, which again can by no means be considered altogether easy under winter conditions. Bundling up the ropes here, we made rapid tracks for Borrowdale, and an hour after arrival there saw us en route for Keswick, which we reached in ample time for our train at 6.30.

The weather during the whole trip was dry; in the afternoons of both days even fine and sunny. For four weeks it had poured continuously, and the idea of going to the English Lakes in such weather was received by the friends of the Edinburgh contingent with utter ridicule; but fortune favours the bold, and neither Lawson nor Raeburn for their part will regret their resolve to defy the croakers and to make a Martinmas raid on beautiful Borrowdale.

H. Raeburn