I'd spent quite a bit of time researching the various options and decided the Black Edition was too much for my needs, the battery life seemed poor also.
Purchase complete, it was time to get out and test the new kit - we decided on a scramble up Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark.
We've done this route twice before, however this time was the most testing. We set off early on the Saturday morning, it was Michael's time to drive. First stop was the Apple Pie bakery in Ambleside. We got there early and I ordered a full English breakfast; the right start to the day.
After breakfast, we began the drive into Great Langdale. The weather was awful, with very heavy and persistent rain. We decided to stay at the National Trust camp site. We have stayed here on many occasions. It can be very busy during the Summer months. Upon arrival we booked in and paid our fees. There was a folk festival on at the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel so the site was busy.
Pitching in the rain was unpleasant - getting soaked before even setting off on the walk. We had taken the Vango Equinox 250, an old model which has served us well over the years. The integrated ground sheet proved useful in the wet weather. Tent pitched, it wasn't worth getting our kit inside as the weather was forecast to improve later on in the day.
We set off in the rain, camera rolling. The rivers and streams had been transformed into raging torrents due to the surface run off. Stickle Ghyll was now an impressive and powerful force, with Ghyll Scramblers having to cancel their planned activities. The cloud base was low and visibility poor. I filmed throughout the ascent and our usual path was impassable in places meaning that ad-lib scrambling was necessary to follow the route. As we reached the level of Stickle Tarn, Pavey Ark was obscured by the cloud. We were the wrong side of Stickle Ghyll due to the water level so had to traverse the Tarn in an anti-clockwise direction.
As we reached the foot of Pavey Ark, the imposing Jack's Rake could be made out; winding its way into the murk. With the rain and thick cloud, the normally agreeable scramble seemed both imposing and intimidating. I had bought a Cornish Pasty from the bakery and this was still warm, so we ate our lunch at the foot of the Rake.
We began the scramble, taking care over the wet and greasy rock. Streams of water flowed down the route and made progress genuinely treacherous in places. I felt a lot more exposed than on previous occasions. As we got higher, the wind picked up. Fuelled by adrenaline, we slowly picked our way up the face of Pavey Ark and after a good half hour of careful foot and hand placement, we were on the top.
Visibility was down to a couple of feet so we found somewhere out of the wind and cracked open a bottle of 'Old Peculiar' each. After a relaxing beer and some more filming, we began to descend via Easy Gully. As soon as we were out of 'danger' the cloud lifted and the weather improved. As we reached Stickle Tarn, the sun was shining and the stark, black face of Pavey Ark stood out against the blue sky.
An easy descent back into Great Langdale brought us back to the Stickle Barn Tavern. We had a few pints outside and it was fairly busy due to a marathon which had taken place earlier on. Beers drank, we headed back to the camp site and prepared for our tea. We had brought the Weber Smokey Joe barbecue and some burgers and sausages. With perfect timing, the heavens opened midway through cooking requiring some frantic and comedic adjustments.
Full with hot barbecued meat, we filmed an introduction to our new YouTube channel, the "MCM Outdoor Show" and then headed off to the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel. The walkers bar was rammed as the folk festival was in full swing. A few pints downed and then a walk across the valley to the New Dungeon Ghyll. We must be getting old, as the live music here was too loud to be able to speak so we escaped back to the Stickle Barn Tavern and wasted £20 on the most appalling bottle of red wine I have ever tasted.
Wine finished, we headed back to the tent for some much needed sleep. The next morning, the weather was dry and sunny. I have recently purchased a Campingaz Bistro single burner stove, so we had brought along some bacon to fry for breakfast. This went down well with a nice coffee and soon we were packing up the tent and all of our gear.
This was another great trip to add to the list. Jack's Rake is a serious Grade 1 scramble and on this occasion, earned further respect as it took on a whole new guise in the wet. Take care when ascending, be prepared and know what it will entail.
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Thanks for reading.
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| Pavey Ark in the background |
