In reply to GM7PKT:
You haven’t been to the LD? Wow!
I don’t know, perhaps it’s just that the presenter of Wainright annoys me, she is clearly more interested in mugging at the camera than looking at the scenery, and the program seems to be more about her. It didn’t help that since I did Catbells in the dim and distant, they seem to have provided it with a made path using exotic stone, nearly as big a desecration as the boardwalk at the end of the ravine path in Glen Nevis! (I hope that by now it has gone for firewood at the hut!)
In reply to G8ADD:
Have to agree about paths on Catbells Brian. But can see the thinking by NT to keep erosion by the hordes under control. At least she went up the so called scrambles. If you look to the left of both there is an easy path! Catbells is a lovely hill which can be made better. If you walk up the back towards Little Town until level with the slight dip between the two peaks and then go straight up. The view is much enhanced as you can’t see it till you breach the top. Melbreak is another hill which benefits from this approach and has the added advantages that it is a SOTA summit and you’re not likely to meet anybody on it.
I must say I’d prefer to meet Julia on a summit rather than Griff. Did you notice he has moved Hard Knot Fort to the top of the pass ?
Erosion is a huge issue but it is a fact of our modern life. As you drive by Lake Windermere near the Lowwood Hotel and look towards the Langdales, there is a huge scar (eroded path) to the right hand side of
Pavey Ark. When I was young this wasnt visible but Alf (AW) described a route in his guidebook and called it the North Rake and it is now a trade route! Its not a complaint against AW, its a fact of life.
However, I saw a more blatant and harmful practice portrayed by Julia Bradbury in the episode when she climbed Castle Crag. She made a point of picking a stone off the path and placing it on a cairn. In the long term this practice accelerates the erosion process and should be discouraged. I believe it was an irresponsible message encouraging visitors to ‘do the wrong thing’.
For me, cairns are OK on the summit and OK on the route but there shouldn’t be too many nor should they be too big, after all its mans impact upon the environment.
Just a thought!
73 Ian G7KXV
In reply to G4OWG:
Oh yes, I quite appreciate the efforts to control erosion throughout the LD and elsewhere, but on Catbells I would have used some of the mine waste to surface the path - still, in time it will blend, I hope. Last time I was up there I continued along the ridge via Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head and Robinson (lovely names!) a nice circuit but I was reasonably fit then…
Ian, I quite agree about cairns, a waymark cairn can be very useful indeed, but it need not be more than a few stones put together in an obviously man-made way. The trouble is that it is a long-standing tradition to add a stone to a cairn, I seem to remember first coming across this tradition in an Arthur Ransome book (Swallowdale?) when I was 12 (i.e. the Upper Neolithic!) but I’m sure it goes back a lot further. I did it at first but gave it up years ago.
The programs may have faults but they are a lot better than nothing, which is what we get most of the time, and at least I have now discovered BBC4, which has the disadvantage that I may watch more programs now!
I enjoyed tonight’s episode of mountain much more than last week’s and the same goes for tonight’s Wainwirght Walks, but for me Griff was the winner, just a pity he had to call off the second assent of Ben Nevis in the snow just as it was getting interesting. Well at least he got to the top eventually.
I am worried! Helen is looking at the routes on the internet and I think she wants to nail Britain’s highest mountain. Maybe we will wait for the winter bonus?
Same here Steve, a much better episode this week from Griff, but I have to admit that I enjoyed Julia Bradbury’s ascent of Cringle Crags and Bow fell More.
The lovely Julia definately does things for me and I reckon I could have managed that ascent myself if I was chasing her, hi.
Same here Steve, a much better episode this week from Griff, but I have to admit that I enjoyed Julia Bradbury’s ascent of Cringle Crags and Bow fell More.
The lovely Julia definitely does things for me and I reckon I could have managed that ascent myself if I was chasing her, hi, oh to be 25 years younger.
Nice to see my favorite G summit on tv - Bow Fell. Its criminal that its not a SOTA summit when the likes of TW-004 & TW-OO5 are. (& Brandy Hill).
Year before last I did Ben Nevis 4th Sept & it was 25C art the bottom with blue skies all the way up.
73 Steve G1INK.
In reply to GW7AAV:
I didn’t recognise the route that Griff eventually used to climb the Ben, anyone recognise it? I used to us the gully he (very rightly) turned back from as a winter descent route!
Steve, in winter the tourist route can be a hands-in-pockets ascent or a battle with poor snow, but that bonus would be well earned!
In reply to G8ADD:
Hi Brian, no I didnt know the route Gryff did but he seemed to leave the CIC hut and he had the narrow section to crawl across, it could have been Tower Ridge or a derivation of it! Not sure but it certainly looked interesting.
I remember No4 Gully as an easy snow climb, but interesting at the cornice.
By far the best descent I ever had off the Ben was in winter, polybaggin on the tourist route side, with the ice-axe for braking, we must have descended the top 2000’ in 15 mins all the way to the path near the small waterfall.
I think the safest route in winter is via the abseil posts into Coire Leis and down to the CIC hut.
Either way, fabulous scenery :))
In reply to G7KXV:
Hi, Ian, I’ve just been going through my copy of Ian Clough’s winter guide (the most recent one I have!) and wonder if it was Ledge Route on Carn Dearg, to the right of No 5 Gully and one I haven’t done - if it had been Tower Ridge the crux pitch would have been easily recognisable if only for the piles of blue bricks!
OK on the polybagging, used to do that but would probably be too chicken now!
The descent via the abseil posts used quite often to be an ice sheet, very scary - but winters are milder now, so perhaps that route is safer nowadays!
I just like walking up hills. I don’t want to be bothering with an ice axe, an abseil or a poly bag. In what months is this equipment unnecessary on the Tourist Path? (I understand the ‘Summer’ on Ben Nevis is rather short).
The view, the walk and the radio are more than enough excitement. I am not seeking any more.
In reply to G8ADD:
Hi Brian,
I’ve just read the guide and it could be Ledge Route but certainly not one that I know. Anyway, fabulous TV! and these days I love the armchair climbing and the memories come flooding back.
BTW Tom, in Summer, the Tourist route is about 3 hours steady from Glen Nevis or Achintee, my little ones did it in just over 3 hours when they were in single figures.
73
Hi, Tom. Expect snow conditions any time up to early May, and they will probably occur again after September. However, the lower part of the Tourist Route from Achintee or the Youth Hostel in Glen Nevis is usually clear up to the col with Meall an t-Suidhe except in heavy weather in mid winter, and on a fine day the zig-zags from there to the summit plateau face the afternoon sun and the snow will be soft until the evening in mild weather. As long as the snow is soft enough to kick steps but doesn’t stick to your boots you can get by with a pair of walking poles but as they say, “If in doubt, don’t!”
Further to the north of the zig-zags there is a steeper path just to the right of where the crags of Carn Dearg begin, this is uncomfortably stoney but seems to hold far less snow on the occasions I have gone up it: it starts half-way along the lochan in the col.
There is a path goes up from the car park at the end of the motor road in Glen Nevis, this is relentless but will only carry snow in winter, this brings you to the summit plateau to the east of the summit. If there is snow on top do NOT go near the north edge, the snow finishes with impressive cornices and a 300 metre drop if they give way! There are safe viewpoints if you know what you are doing - not much help I’m afraid!
There was a summit shelter last time I went up, but it was in a disgusting condition so I don’t recommend using it. There will be crowds up there on any good day but they thin out fast as you walk east on the plateau.
Hope this helps!
73
Brian G8ADD
PS in edit: suddenly remembered there are two tracks from the car park in Glen Nevis: the one I am referring to goes straight up on the right of the waterslide (you can’t miss it) the other trends right to the col left of the craggy peak (Meall Cumhan) and then heads up the steep ridge to the left.
I have to say, that as much as I am enjoying Mountain and Griff’s escapades, when you watch Wainrights Walks straight after, thus allowing an immediate comparison, then WW gets my vote. At the young old age of 42, I am by no means too old or too young to appreciate Julia’s fine female form, which I do, but the program and its photography, narration, content, are far superior to Mountain. only my opinion of course, but I just think Griff wanders too far from the track so to speak, but WW is about the walks/treks and how you do them and which way you go and then the summit payback of beautiful views, in some ways after WW there is a slight and I emphasise SLIGHT feeling that you have just done the walk for yourself. lol
I have to say, that as much as I am enjoying Mountain and Griff’s escapades, when you watch Wainrights Walks straight after, thus allowing an immediate comparison, then WW gets my vote. At the young old age of 42, I am by no means too old or too young to appreciate Julia’s fine female form, which I do, but the program and its photography, narration, content, are far superior to Mountain. only my opinion of course, but I just think Griff wanders too far from the track so to speak, but WW is about the walks/treks and how you do them and which way you go and then the summit payback of beautiful views, in some ways after WW there is a slight and I emphasise SLIGHT feeling that you have just done the walk for yourself. lol
just a quick PS,
There is another series from Granada called Wainwrights Country, hosted by the formidable Fred Talbot, he is truly excellent and leads you thru some of the great fell summit walks, very much in the vain of Wainwrights Walks but the cinematography is truly excellent, another good watch for all us “fell and summit” types. I am not sure if the series is still running on terestrial TV but it is ITV at 6pm on Sundays, if you are like me and you want to catch up on past episodes, then the following link will allow you to view them on your computer FULL SSCREEN and excellent TV quality. Here at work I have just watched the first episode and it was wonderful. visit http://www.wainwright.org.uk/media/wainwright_country.html
Just noticed that the book to accompany the series is out now. Episode 5 (Wales) looks like it could be a good one. I’m especially looking forward to the bit on rock climbing with Johnny Dawes. Not sure from the quick glance at the photograph, but it looks a little like “Windows of Perception” on Seamstress slab. If Griff thought that Napes Needle was hard, then this is in a league of its own. Bit of a jump from VDiff to E7 7a.
