Tuesday 4 May 2010

Eskdale Backpack



Went for a 2 night backpack , starting Friday night . Zoomed home from work , got ready, no time for tea so I stopped at Whitehaven Morrisons for chicken tikka and naan. Consequently I was quite late parking at the cattle grid lay-by above the road end for Brotherikeld. Always slightly worrying leaving car for 2 nights, especially when its the only one there. Walk went via Tow House and Scale gill to a shelf above High Scarth Crag. A longish walk in the dark to find water that looked drinkable was needed as I forgot to fill the Platypus earlier. I awoke the next morning to a grey start.
A breakfast of crushed oatybix and dried milk saw me away and over the col to the Great Moss. The weather started to clear so I decided on Scafell Pike via Cam Spout.

Instead of heading for Mickledore I went right to look for a previously unvisited tarn. Broadcrag Tarn seems to be just a puddle, but is named on the OS map.



A quick zoom across the tops and I was filling the platypus in the stream in Calf Cove above Esk Hause. A dinner of rice , oatybix and chocolate was had on Pike de Bield after dropping down from Esk Pike.

After dinner I dropped down to Lingcove Beck below Bowfell. I just got the tent up at 4pm when the wind and rain arrived . So instead of a balmy evening looking at the view I was confined to the Hillleberg for 14 hours. I spent the first few hours making tea and cooking stew.





Sunday was a better day and I walked out over the beautiful ridge of Hard Knott and Border End.

This must be the most beautiful place in England...... The car was still there and knowing that the Laal Ratty station cafe opened at 10 o 'clock I was in the door at 10 seconds past ordering the best bacon sandwich this side of Pluto.