Rock-climbing in the English Lake District / Third Edition

by Owen Glynne Jones

’Tis a far cry from Wastdale to the head of Mosedale to find an outcrop of wet slabs less than 200 feet high. Yet several parties of enthusiasts have developed the art of finding diminutive new climbs in remote corners. There are two main rifts splitting the Mosedale Rocks. These are known as the East and the West Cracks. The former is the more difficult of the two; in fact, the pitch near the top would seem to require the use of a lowered rope from some friends above if the ascent is to be made safely. It has not yet been climbed without this aid. At least two routes have also been found directly on the face between the two cracks, and two smaller rifts to the right of the East Crack have been added to the list of conquests. All are well marked and easier to find than to climb, for the experts of the Fell and Rock-Climbing Club, usually under the skilled leadership of Mr. H. B. Lyon, have specialised on the Mosedale Rocks.

Great End. The Brothers’ Crack.—Glorious as is Great End in the winter time, it has never appealed largely to the rock-climber pure and simple. But these latter will be entertained excellently if they join the brotherhood of the new crack, which owes its exploitation to those well-known judges of a sound climb, Mr. G. F. and Rev. A. J. Woodhouse. The crack rises about 60 feet to the north of the well-known Brigg’s Cave Pitch on the east end of the crags. The actual crack itself is nearly as high as that on Kern Knotts. It is situated in a corner, and rises vertically from a large grass ledge. This take-off is reached by ordinary scrambling, though the final landing is made by means of a short crack. The real climbing up the main crack, which is here too narrow to admit one’s body, begins with a slabby section in two parts, in all about 20 feet high. The crack now widens, and is available for wedging purposes. After a short stretch of ‘back and knee’ the most difficult portion is reached, and for this the leader would be well advised to thread the rope behind a jammed stone. The final obstacle possesses an overhanging chock-stone, but good ledges on the left wall simplify the finish. The climb is undoubtedly severe, for the leader can nowhere receive any help from his companion.

Scawfell.—Of late years but little new climbing of any magnitude has been done on Scawfell. This is no doubt entirely due to the fact that in the early days Scawfell was the most attractive and most exploited of all the Lakeland crags. The present decade has produced first-rate climbers to an unlimited extent, but their best efforts have been restricted by the rocks themselves, and, where these have been forced to yield climbs, what they have given us are in many cases just beyond the line of safety, even for the best parties. Another effect of this strenuous search after new routes has been the discovery of many variations, and some of these are worth description, although necessarily brief, in a work like the present.

Scawfell Pinnacle climb direct from Upper Deep Ghyll.—The start of this climb is described by Mr. Jones on p. 88. After the first 15 feet or so he traversed away to the left on to the arête of the Low Man.

Messrs. A. G. Woodhead and W. L. Collinson climbed this lower difficulty in August 1907, after which they bore straight upward over shelving and fairly difficult ledges for a hundred feet or so, until impending rocks forced them away to the left. When almost in a line with the top of the Pinnacle they struck straight upward from a broad platform (where a cairn now stands) over a bulge of rock, necessitating a good arm pull, until a belay was reached. Thence a grassy gully led them without difficulty to the top of the High Man. The climb is one of much merit, and deserves more popularity than it enjoys. The exceedingly difficult start may have acted as a deterrent, but it may be an encouragement to leaders to know that once they have overcome this mauvais pas the higher rocks contain climbing of a much easier order.

Scawfell Pinnacle from Deep Ghyll, Variations.—A somewhat easier way of reaching the Low Man from the firma loca (p. 81) than that of the arête followed in the first ascent, was found and climbed by Mr. A. H. Binns alone in August 1904. This is now called Gibson’s Chimney route, after Mr. H. O. S. Gibson, who repeated the ascent in June 1907, and left a lucid description of it in the Wastdale Climbers’ Book.

From the firma loca a traverse is made in the direction of the arête until a crack sloping up to the right is reached. This is followed for about 15 feet, and the upper reaches of the chimney described by Mr. Jones as ‘hopeless’ (p. 82) soon attained. Here a leaf of rock, with good holds on its edge, affords moderately difficult and strenuous climbing for 30 feet until the chimney becomes impossible. It is then abandoned to the left, along a traverse which leads past a good belay to the arête. The first step upward on this gives a pretty problem in an exposed position. The holds are small but good until the vertical piece is scaled. Thence the going is comparatively easy to the crest of the Low Man. Other variations have been found from the firma loca, but, while some of these many prove useful to a leader unable to follow Mr. Jones’ route, the original climb is by far the most entertaining for strong parties.

A good belay about 40 feet up the lower crack has dispelled many of its terrors, and now renders the long initial run out on the part of the leader quite unnecessary.

Deep Ghyll, Second Pitch.—It is of interest—a melancholy interest perhaps—to know that it is no longer necessary to climb up the left or right side of this famous pitch in the historic manner, and that an inglorious ascent can now be made through a hole at the back of the cave. Stones drop straight down this hole from the Ghyll above, perhaps as a hint to climbers to play the game in the old-fashioned way!

Moss Ghyll, Upper Variation.—This starts some 20 feet to the right of the foot of the Great Chimney. A few feet up the face a crack is reached, and this can be followed to a small cairn. Here a choice of routes offers, one back to the top of the Great Chimney, and the alternative one to the Pisgah Ridge. A strong party led by Mr. F. Botterill first proved the possibilities of this variation, and described it as slightly more difficult than the direct exit up the chimney.