[28th april 2025]
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What will the next adventure bring? I said at the end of the last Ruck... be careful what you ask for in future Graham. Before I arrived in Seathwaite I was diverted around some roadworks not a nice little 5 minutes... this is the Lakes with huge pesky mountains in the way isn't it SO 30 minutes was the detour that took me through Buttermere and up the Honister Pass. Normally routes like this don't bother me in the slightest but my car took an unfortunate aversion to the idea of mountain climbing and simply broke down when put under any pressure. This was especially not helpful when a tractor is attempting to pass you, there's a sheer cliff with no barrier to your right and your car throws a tantrum like a toddler wanting chocolate in Tesco and refuses to even start up again. Still, one disgruntled farmer aside I somehow managed to reach the farm in Seathwaite, pay for parking and head off into the mountains.
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As I walked through the valley towards Stockley Bridge the clouds and occasional rays of sunlight made for some beautifully dramatic scenery. This would become the perfect setting for my next dilemma as my god I was sweating... but not my head, arms or legs, just a huge portion of my back. Now I know the pack is pressing against my back but i've not done anything arduous to warrant the level of sweat i'd produced and wow, why does my sweat smell like beer? I know I had a couple the night before but... oh NO!!!! I quickly took off my backpack and sure enough, once I opened up the main compartment there it was, one single beer with just shy of half left in it. Both my pack and back had enjoyed the rest SO it's only fair that I should enjoy the remainder shouldn't I. Waste not want not. After a quick spray of deodorant and counting my blessings my dry sacks with my extra clothes in actually work I continued on over Stockley Bridge and up towards the first tarn.
Having ascended Greenhow Knott BANG, that was it for visibility beyond 20 meters. Dense cloud engulfed the area for the next few hours which made me laugh. I really have brought the weather with me from Pumlumon Fawr. All I could hope for is that it dissipates when I reach the summit as right now I could be absolutely anywhere...on this front I get more than I could've asked for but with every huge positive there's the chance of a huge negative. Universal balance and all that plus if you know me, you know my luck very much works this way. More on this later anyway. I followed the Styhead Gill river up to Styhead Tarn, a place i'd seen just how beautiful it is however right now, it looked like nothing more than a puddle. Once quick pan of the camera I continued on my way, hooked a left at the Mountain Rescue stretcher box and continued on up to the 600 meter point where Sprinkling Tarn resides.
The fog got denser and denser and the wind completely died down. This was now so eerie, especially considering you hear voices a good 25 seconds before you actually see the people themselves. All I can say is thankfully people did appear otherwise it would be ghosts... and I don't need ghosts in the mountains do I. I reach some stepping stones and finally reach Sprinkling Tarn where i'm met with some of the most stunning scenery i've ever seen in my life... or I would but no, it's still dense with fog. It's not shaping up to be a great video this one but then I was met with some promise of things to come. Suddenly the fog thins and for a brief moment I had my first glimpse of my home for the night, Great End. Even at 600 meters it looks daunting. I continued along the track as it veered off south and then at the crossroads near Esk hause I took the westerly trail up through Calf Cove and as I reached the plateau, before the final ascent up Great End I met a couple. They simply said "you need to hurry up and get on the summit, it's worth it". At this point the clouds were billowing around the summits and visibility continued to improve and deteriorate but in the better moments, I could see what they meant. I quickly headed up the final 50 meters up to the huge plateau of Great End and... it was phenomenal!
The fog got denser and denser and the wind completely died down. This was now so eerie, especially considering you hear voices a good 25 seconds before you actually see the people themselves. All I can say is thankfully people did appear otherwise it would be ghosts... and I don't need ghosts in the mountains do I. I reach some stepping stones and finally reach Sprinkling Tarn where i'm met with some of the most stunning scenery i've ever seen in my life... or I would but no, it's still dense with fog. It's not shaping up to be a great video this one but then I was met with some promise of things to come. Suddenly the fog thins and for a brief moment I had my first glimpse of my home for the night, Great End. Even at 600 meters it looks daunting. I continued along the track as it veered off south and then at the crossroads near Esk hause I took the westerly trail up through Calf Cove and as I reached the plateau, before the final ascent up Great End I met a couple. They simply said "you need to hurry up and get on the summit, it's worth it". At this point the clouds were billowing around the summits and visibility continued to improve and deteriorate but in the better moments, I could see what they meant. I quickly headed up the final 50 meters up to the huge plateau of Great End and... it was phenomenal!
Above me was glorious sunshine, I could see peaks but just below the peaks was the dense fog i'd been hiking through. I wasn't expecting a cloud inversion! It's simply breathtaking and as I took the rock i'd picked up back at the farm and placed it on Great End's Cairn, I took a look around and instantly knew this was going to be one of those views i'd speak about for a very long time. I quickly captured some footage for the video before continuing to take it all in and then began hunting for my pitch for the night. It's quite rocky on this summit plus I like to find places out of view of other hikers, especially as I need to change a good amount of my clothes after the Brooklyn Lager soaking they'd taken earlier and let's face it, a full moon in the sky is much nicer to look at than one protruding from a tent doorway. Night gear on and i'm all ready for the night. One thing is bothering me though. All I can see is person after person summiting Scafell Pike... would it be crazy to head over myself?
The route is roughly 2 kilometres there from Great End... i've never been this close to Scafell Pike before... it would be a shame to waste this opportunity wouldn't it! Never have I left my tent pitched anywhere and gone off for a few hours so i'm a little nervous about it but i've taken my sleeping bag, mat, bivvy bag and essential items so I can survive the night up here should someone take a liking to my tent. I zipped up the door and began my ascent of Ill Crag.Up here you hike across a boulderfield with huge gaps between each. One mistake in your foot placement and you'll be heading down. Already I was thinking "what the hell are you thinking Graham" but I got through it. Then back on a relatively ok track skirting around just below the summit of Broad Crag I reach the final saddle where i'm met with a steep incline up to Scafell Pike. Team this with loose scree and there I am, thinking "seriously, what the hell are you thinking" BUT we're here now. I soldiered on passed the tough scree ascent, then over loose rocks and all of a sudden I look up... I can see the summit!
The route is roughly 2 kilometres there from Great End... i've never been this close to Scafell Pike before... it would be a shame to waste this opportunity wouldn't it! Never have I left my tent pitched anywhere and gone off for a few hours so i'm a little nervous about it but i've taken my sleeping bag, mat, bivvy bag and essential items so I can survive the night up here should someone take a liking to my tent. I zipped up the door and began my ascent of Ill Crag.Up here you hike across a boulderfield with huge gaps between each. One mistake in your foot placement and you'll be heading down. Already I was thinking "what the hell are you thinking Graham" but I got through it. Then back on a relatively ok track skirting around just below the summit of Broad Crag I reach the final saddle where i'm met with a steep incline up to Scafell Pike. Team this with loose scree and there I am, thinking "seriously, what the hell are you thinking" BUT we're here now. I soldiered on passed the tough scree ascent, then over loose rocks and all of a sudden I look up... I can see the summit!
It's always been a summit on my mind, i've seen so many videos on it but never done it myself purely down to how busy it is. Tonight though, it was quiet and again the wind dropped to but a whisper. The tallest summit in England... and what an absolute beauty it is. I didn't want to come down but after 20 minutes and a now rapidly setting sun I needed to head back to Great End. All I could think of was getting back to my tent and enjoying some good food as I was absolutely starving now... remember I mentioned about positives and negatives?
As I reached the loose scree I suddenly realised... i've forgotten my gas canister! This means no brews, no Irish Stew, no noodles and more importantly, no steak! I was devastated, especially at the prospect of eating cold Irish Stew but when you see this landscape with your own eyes it really puts everything in perspective and even though i'd had to put up with a lot of problems on this ruck, I was still having the time of my life. I continued back towards Great End and at the final 50 meter ascent all I wanted was to get my boots off and my stomach somewhat filled when "ring ring". It was my dad.
"Hi Graham, are you at home and watching BBC1?"
"No, i'm in the mountains Dad and I just need to get back to the tent before the sun sets so..."
"Oh, well it's just they're showing a program about baby food and how it's got nothing good for babies in at all!"
"That is bad but Charlie's 2 now Dad, he's not ate that food for well over a year now"
"WELL I think it's just outrageous. These are the companies that are being investigated..."
On went the conversation. If I attempted to continue climbing the signal dropped out so I was stuck, 50 meters below where I needed to be. 20 minutes later and a quiet cry to myself (not literally) all I could do was laugh about it and get back to the tent. To say my legs cramped up would be an understatement, I actually thought they were going to drop off. Anyway, back into my night gear and my cold Irish Stew (with congealed fat) endured I found myself a good rocky sofa and enjoyed my first beer of the evening. It tasted delicious and was absolutely well deserved. As the sun set, the heavens opened. Throughout the night were some of the greatest opportunities for astrophotography i'd had to date, especially as the Moon was completely eclipsed by the Earth so it was pitch black. I was in total awe as I always am and I even caught a single shooting star... I could've wished for a gas canister but i'd already been given so much in this adventure I didn’t want to be greedy… all the while my stomach was rumbling. I finished my beers and headed off to bed where even the wind died down again to but a whisper and allowed me to have a truly peaceful sleep in the wild.
As I reached the loose scree I suddenly realised... i've forgotten my gas canister! This means no brews, no Irish Stew, no noodles and more importantly, no steak! I was devastated, especially at the prospect of eating cold Irish Stew but when you see this landscape with your own eyes it really puts everything in perspective and even though i'd had to put up with a lot of problems on this ruck, I was still having the time of my life. I continued back towards Great End and at the final 50 meter ascent all I wanted was to get my boots off and my stomach somewhat filled when "ring ring". It was my dad.
"Hi Graham, are you at home and watching BBC1?"
"No, i'm in the mountains Dad and I just need to get back to the tent before the sun sets so..."
"Oh, well it's just they're showing a program about baby food and how it's got nothing good for babies in at all!"
"That is bad but Charlie's 2 now Dad, he's not ate that food for well over a year now"
"WELL I think it's just outrageous. These are the companies that are being investigated..."
On went the conversation. If I attempted to continue climbing the signal dropped out so I was stuck, 50 meters below where I needed to be. 20 minutes later and a quiet cry to myself (not literally) all I could do was laugh about it and get back to the tent. To say my legs cramped up would be an understatement, I actually thought they were going to drop off. Anyway, back into my night gear and my cold Irish Stew (with congealed fat) endured I found myself a good rocky sofa and enjoyed my first beer of the evening. It tasted delicious and was absolutely well deserved. As the sun set, the heavens opened. Throughout the night were some of the greatest opportunities for astrophotography i'd had to date, especially as the Moon was completely eclipsed by the Earth so it was pitch black. I was in total awe as I always am and I even caught a single shooting star... I could've wished for a gas canister but i'd already been given so much in this adventure I didn’t want to be greedy… all the while my stomach was rumbling. I finished my beers and headed off to bed where even the wind died down again to but a whisper and allowed me to have a truly peaceful sleep in the wild.
The next morning, 06:00. The skies are clear yet again and the sun is already up and ready for the day... so it's only right that we followed suit. e had a mission today, simply to capture footage of everything we missed yesterday and it's just like i'd gone somewhere else. The scenery heading all the way back to the car was absolutely flawless but my favourite spot has to be at Styhead Tarn looking up to the behemoth mountain that is Great End. Someone had pitched their tent down here right beside the tarn and got to enjoy the same stars I did with this stunning landscape looking down on them. It has inspired me to do a nice, simple tarn camp at some point.
It's been a great ruck out in the wild but as ever it's time to return to normal life. All I can say is thankfully the car managed to get me home safe. Here's to the next Ruck!
It's been a great ruck out in the wild but as ever it's time to return to normal life. All I can say is thankfully the car managed to get me home safe. Here's to the next Ruck!
