Led pair of mock clients up Blencathra via Sharp Edge with a focus on movement technique and navigation. We set off from the Comb Beck car park and headed up to the base of Sharp Edge via the Scales Fell path. On route we workshopped movement technique and assess their competence. Conditions were ideal with a good base off snow down to around 500m. The route had full snow coverage and temperatures were hovering around -5 in the car park on departure.
I was happy with their movement skills, so we carried on up past Scales Tarn and on towards the start of Sharp Edge. We put on crampons at NY328 283 and proceeded up the route. There was a solid, well established route on the ridge and we followed that along the more challenging sections. We discussed how to tackle various awkward sections and I modelled how we could move efficiently over consequential terrain. We went back and repeated certain sections to improve on movement skills before heading up to the summit plateau of Atkinson Pike.
At 845m on the summit of Atkinson Pike we covered some key nav techniques and then set a route up to the summit of Blencathra for my clients to practice taking bearings and pacing in snow. After reaching the summit and giving feedback we discussed different methods for safe route finding then put that into practice along the SW edge of Saddleback towards Knowe Crags. More technical nav discussion then descent via Blease Fell path and down to Blencathra centre.
Area :
Northern Fells
Generally this is the area to the north of the A66 which runs from Penrith to Cockermouth and the town of Keswick.
