#best-climbing-days-in-the-lake-district

Top of Dow Crag - Best Climbing Days in the Lake District

Best Climbing Days in the Lake District

For anyone living in the UK, you’ll be all too aware of how unsettled the weather can be at any time of year, let alone during March and April.

Well not so this year. Here in the Lake District we have been experiencing the driest spring I can remember and the sun has been a fairly constant feature. My friends over in Spain assure me that we are receiving more sun and settled weather than they are in Southern Spain. Just wow!

It would be rude not to be making the most of the Stella weather here and we don’t like to be rude, so have indeed be out in the hills a lot. So much in fact that I’m becoming quite exhausted by all the activity. But hey, I’m not complaining, it’s fantastic.

Just yesterday we climbed on the fabled Pillar Rock, that is perched high above the secretive Ennerdale valley. Such significance is attached to that day and climb that it deserves a separate entry in the blog and will follow shortly.

Other wonderful days out with friends and clients have been to......

Brandy Crag in The Duddon Valley with my good friend Iain of Lakes Outdoor Experience. This was a day full of chatting and some climbing in the most beautiful valley of them all. Almost nobody visits this part of the Lakes and long may that remain, this is seclusion central.

More Duddon Valley loveliness came in the form of Sunny Pike Crag with good friend Sofia. As is usually the case with Duddon Valley crags, we had it all to ourselves. The routes are delightful and the views are to die for. We also had a smashing day on the granite of Goat Crag in Eskdale, good times.

Gimmer Crag high above Langdale Valley with good friend Emma, who has just launched her own outdoors website so do check it out here.

I think we climbed part of Bracket & Slab, which is a classic route. And due to the high winds on that part of the crag, we moved westward for shelter and continued upwards via D Route which is possibly the best single pitch ‘Severe’ in the Lakes. Just another cracking day out on glorious rock with a good friend.

And then it was over to Eskdale with Sam, my good friend and climbing partner on many adventures over the years. We opted for the Granite of Brantrake Crag which offers easy access and more splendid views. Some of the routes there gave us pause for thought, let’s just say that a few rope tricks were required to get us out of a pickle. Check out Sam's mountaineering & climbing website here

Oh and let’s not forget the magnificent Dow Crag and a fabulous day with Carly. I’d made the assumption that the spring below D Buttress would be flowing, so only took a small amount of water with me. To my disappointment the spring was dry and so was my mouth!! Still, we had a cracking day on this mega mountain crag.

Then came a day with Roddy and his daughter Elizabeth. Long Scar was the crag of choice and this turned out to be just perfect. Climbing single pitch routes on gorgeous rock in a mountain setting that has easy access. Seeing young Elizabeth progress and her enthusiasm for climbing is particularly satisfying.

And on to the fairly newly discovered venue of Betsy Crag Slabs, Tilberthwaite with Eugene and Andzelika. Always a pleasure to be out with these two. They have climbed at many Lakeland venues, so it was nice to show them somewhere a bit different. We enjoyed a sunny afternoon on this crag that even offers a view of Ambleside.

These are just a handful of rock climbing days so far this season and a mix of work and play. If you’d like us to provide a climbing or activity day for you whilst visiting the Lake District, please do get in touch. We know the climbing venues here extremely well. In fact, I know them so well that it is usually the case when I’m climbing with friends they leave all the planning to me, which in a way is nice. I’ve also played a part in the production of the FRCC Lake District Rock climbing guide and the Eskdale climbing guide.

Summer is here, get in touch, let’s go climbing.

Thanks for reading

Mark

#eskdale-rock-climbing