HI Guys we are both thinking about doing 3 summits in LD Land this weekend…
BUT… We are thinking about doing a overnighter on a LD summit…
Old Man of coniston
Scafell Pike
Great Gable
Kirk Fell
Which is best for camping overnight…IE Shelter…or firm ground…Somewhere to put pegs in and fit a HF antenna up aswell…
So listen out guys we will be on the air…
2E0RCS Cant post for some reason so he is watching your posts…
M3XLG
Chris
In reply to M3XLG:
Here’s one for you, put your car at dunmail raise, walk up the gully tp seat sandle, then walk up to fairfield and then onto st sunday crag, once done that camp out at grisedale tarn and in the morning walk up helvelyn, sunds good to me, or like you said drive into wasdale you have a choice of 6 summits scarfell, great Cable, kirk fell, pillar, illgile fell or the one behind yewbarrow forgot its name. you can always camp at wasdale head near to the public house, or try this one just for 3 summits hard knott, pike ‘0’ plisco and the other one that iv’e not done camping at the shirestones on hardknott pass,
Steve m0sgb
In reply to M3XLG:
Of the four summits you list, the Old Man has most grass, a gently sloping field with occasional boulders on the south side of the summit will give you a reasonably comfortable bivouac and plenty of room for HF antennas, inside the AZ but away from late and early summiteers. The summit plinth and trig point are on a more or less level section of ridge but I suspect you won’t get pegs in there!
There are some areas on Gable that I remember might be suitable for your purpose but off hand I can’t remember if they are within the AZ. Scafell Pike is mostly rock and boulders, uncomfortable and difficult to peg shelters and antennas on.
I haven’t been up Kirkfell for yonks, I remember outcrops of rock, perhaps someone else has fresher memories for that kind of detail?
Have fun!
Brian G8ADD
In reply to M3XLG:
I’ll echo what Brian says, the Old Man is a good one, Scafell Pike is just full of rocks and although it is a couple of years since I was up there from memory the summit of Great Gable wasn’t much better.
One summit I have overnighted on is High Street when I activated it earlier in the year. Nice broad, flat, grassy summit, depending on the wind direction there is the ruined wall running north/south ish that may offer a bit of shelter. I actually stuck my tent up inside a wee ruined rectangle of stones(possibly a shelter at one time) about 50-100m south of the trig point I think it was.
Which ever you go for, have a good one.
Iain, M3WJZ
In reply to M3XLG:
Hmmmm, tough one Chris,
ScaFell Pike is certainly not suitable for camping as it is all rock and boulder, however at approx 1/2 way up from Borrowdale there is a fairly common camping spot at Esk Hause on the way up Scafell. Old Man Coniston is a great place to camp, grassy slopes and the odd stone here and there, camped up there a few times, however your other passion for 4x4 driving will have to be put on hold Chris as the vey famous Walna Scar Rd is now permanantly closed, great shame, but it leaves from the car park at the foot of the Old Man.
My suggestion would be park at Seathwaite, take the right hand path up towards Gillercomb under Raven Cragg (watch the map there are two versions of Raven Cragg in this vicinity, more later), follow the path to the summit of Green Gable and then traverse Greengable Cragg and over to Beckhead where there is a small tarn, here you vere right along Rib End untill you reach the summit of Kirk Fell, once activated return back along the path to Beckhead at which point chop right and up the small narrow path, which is a bit rocky, to the summit of Great Gable, once activated, facing SW you look towards the tarns in the bottom, Sty Head Tarn on the left and Sprinkling Tarn straight on, there are two paths, one goes straight down Raven Cragg pt 2 and is a bit harsh on the knees by this time, or the slightly more gentle path on the left, both of which converge at Sty Head. Follow the path down past Sprinkling Tarn heading towards but underneath Great End and you will meet a crossroads of paths, turn right and camp anywhere along the sheltered path side, it should take you approx 1hr from Sty Head To the camp spot at Esk Hause. Get some sleep and then in the morning rise early to attack the Scafell Massive, up over Broad cragg then the Pike, return via Sprinkling Tarn, then dive right down to Sty Head Tarn, follow the Gill all the way back to the Car Park.
Did that route and camped about 5 years ago, but did some of it 2 years ago with Mick (HJD) on our way up Scafell. Great adventure, you will love it !! Hope the above gives you some ideas. Good Luck and will be listening for you.
Regards
Lee
Cheers guys I think where ever we go in the lakes will be hard to get pegs in but then there are rocks to hold the tent down. Looks like the old man of coniston is a good one to do for the over night stay. We will have all bands HF also 2m & 70cms.
But then there is the weather to think about…!
Cheers Lee. We need to be camped up in the activation zone aswell… No good being there if we not going to give points away in the night…lol
In reply to M3XLG:
Aahhhhh, you are going to activate thru the night, sorry didnt catch that bit, hey remember Chris theres only a majority of drunks and Australians up at that time of night HI !!
In reply to M0LMP:
HF-dxing through the night I hear ooooooolllaa ooooooolllaa.
VHF-dxing through the night I see a long night for nothing,
As for some of the summits mentioned Old-Man-Of-Coniston sounds good, Lee say’s Walnar scar road is closed, last time I was up here I parked up at the top car park. where very close is loads of common land for camping, Don’t forget you might be able to camp at Low-water, like eveyone say’s have fun and look forward to the report.
Steve m0sgb
Been looking at the weather reports and its looking very grim up north…lol
In reply to M3XLG:
Yep. I was going up there myself this weekend. Pass arranged. Leave booked - and cancelled. It’s supposed to be fun.
When will we get some decent WX in this country? Just a couple of days would do.
Richard (depressed of Enstone).
In reply to G4ERP:
When will we get some decent WX in this country?
Just come with me and Jimmy! Five consecutive good days in the Lakes. Super weather for Ben Nevis and our other two GM activations. And all this was somewhat against the odds according to the forecasts.
Don’t follow us to Snowdon though. I always have a wx shocker on there, none moreso than my most recent visit…
Tom M1EYP (dry of Macclesfield)
In reply to M1EYP:
When are you going out next? I’ll start making arrangements now. With that promise of good WX, it could be a busy time for the chasers.
Richard (soon to be of Bishops Cleeve - I’m going home)
We do have a few outings in the pipeline Richard - but, because of Jimmy’s agenda to catch up with my Activator Uniques, they are all in Snowdonia. So don’t be counting them chickens.
Tom M1EYP
Yeh shame about the weather. I dont think it be a good idea to go up this weekend… i not got the right tackle sorted but watch this space guys…
In reply to M3XLG:
Hi Chris, If things go right, I might catch you on a summit to summit, as I will be up arnside knot on sunday being the nearest to my new house 