Pavey Ark via North Rake

Pavey Ark via North Rake - work away day, 21st March 2016

Hello all.

Stress levels are rising in work and as a manager, my job is to help alleviate some of that ! I was tasked with organising an 'away day' and being a fan of the great outdoors, the Lake District was the natural choice.

Many of the staff within our department have never been walking in the mountains before, so I made sure everyone knew which kit was required. I chose Pavey Ark because the route of Stickly Ghyll is relatively easy and well maintained and Stickle Tarn would be useful as a stop off location for those that did not wish to climb to the summit.

I hired some minibuses and we set off early, arriving in Great Langdale at around 10:30. A quick kit check and some photos and we set off up the path which follows Stickle Ghyll.

The Team

Some of the group were a little surprised at the gradient, however everyone pulled together and kept each other going. Great teamwork.

We took regular breaks to take on water and allow the less fit (including me) to catch their breath. 

Soon, we reached the plateau of Stickle Tarn. We had lunch and took the opportunity to take in the excellent views and amazing scenery.

After explaining what the rest of the route would entail, I was pleased that everybody made the decision to continue to the top. 

The route up North Rake is not technically difficult, but is fairly steep and an unrelenting slog to the summit. We soon reached some snow which managed to distract some people into throwing snowballs down at the rest of our group.

Team 3 (the best)

After another final push, we reached the summit of Pavey Ark and were rewarded with great views across to the West Coast.

Selfie

The temperature was really starting to drop and this was being made worse by the wind which had picked up quite a bit.

I led the group back down the North Rake and we were soon back in the relative warmth alongside Stickle Ghyll. 

The minibuses were very quiet on the way back......... Lots of people nodding off. A great day out which I hope was enjoyed by all who took part. Everyone did really well and this was a great team building exercise. I think I've made a few 'Lake District' fell walking converts now too.

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See you on the next trip.

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