Working for free I suppose this was. I had two lovely lady volunteers to come and let me use them to practice teaching on. Both were novices with no previous use of axe or crampons. I have spare so provided them.
We went up the band to the top of the climbers traverse, which i had recced a couple of days previously. we looked at footwork, and axe placement as we made our way carefully along the traverse. I did wonder if I should have done this route the other way round initially but both ladies were very competent, listened and steady on their feet. They also both said they would have been nervous to descend the way we went up so a good decision in my early wml territory. We made our way up the side of the great slab, on wonderful neve, using various ways of walking in the crampons. I covered arresting on the top of bowfell in a little steep hollow that was very safe. At all times I was in control of both ladies with both always listening and copying everything I showed them
We returned via the three tarns. A bit windy on the summit, and overcast all day, but generally very nice conditions for lake district winter.
Area :
Southern Fells (Scafell Pike)
From the Esk Valley all the way across to Kendal and the M6. Includes Coniston area as far north as Little Langdale, Wrynose and Hardknott Pass.
