Some people may say that the Lake District holds nothing special but after conquering the 3000 footers challenge I wish to differ. During the late summer of 2011 I successfully went with my father to climb the four highest mountains in England in two days.
To Climb:
- Helvellyn 3112ft
- Skiddaw 3054ft
- Scafell 3164ft
- Scafell Pike 3208ft
DAY 1
The first and perhaps the most interesting mountain was Helvellyn. The walk starts at and finishes at the peaceful village of Glenridding. The ascents sees you take on the challenging Striding Edge and then the Swirral Edge to come back down. The round trip takes about 4 hours on a 12 mile route. The best part here was buying a hot drink and chocolate from The Highest Cafe in England.
After the morning’s warm up we moved on to Skiddaw, the lowest of the four peaks. This
hike is not at all a scenic one and is best avoided unless you are doing the challenge. One large rocky boulder you may call it. The 9 mile trip starts at Latrigg Car Park and descends down Carlside to Millbeck. You will definitely deserve your dinner after today’s walk.
DAY 2
After a limited sleep we were up again and ready for an even longer day’s walk. Departing from Keswick, we made our way up summit both Scafell and Scafell Pike consecutively. After a good few hours we were faced with a decision of which path to take. Unfortunately, our lack of skill in map reading led us up the wrong mountain and it was very disappointing to see something in the distance higher than what was supposed to be the highest point in England. Oh well, at least we added a third peak to the day.
We eventually found the right route and ascended via the Corridor Route, Esk Hause or Grains Gill, presenting the most demanding part of the challenge. I had never seen anything like this before and it came as a great surprise. There was no path showing the way but rock after rock that you had to climb over. One false step could have led to a cliff. Luckily we missed the cliffs and made it to the top in dampened moods after so much physical activity.
So there may have been a few problems but overall the trip was a success. We completed our challenge and felt good about it after. If you are planning on attempting the Lake District 3000 footers challenge then please feel free to contact me at stayrefreshed@gmail.com for any information about lodging, routes, equipment and more. Thanks!
Sounds like quite a challenge! Glad you avoided the cliffs!