Soapbox

it's my fav mountain and done it 25 times since age of 8, however last time i went up , it nearly cost me my life. the story goes, "it all started in the pub the night before" mid january few years ago talking to a mate who wanted to go up, he was not experienced walker but phisically fit so i thought what the hell. it was snow covered , fog was on the car park, i even struggled to get ma nissan micra on the car park. anyway went up in snow and ice over the ridge and slipped a couple of times, decided it was easier to continue than go back. got onto the top finally. could not see anything but the color white. compass was useless. couldnt get a fix. ended up walking around in circles until another climber came up. very experienced guy but it took him 40 mins to get a fixed point before any of us could leave. i know the route like back of my hand but in the wrong conditions its like your blind and i found out just how tough i wasn't.lol go up in the summer. my dad however age 63 went up at bloody night time. he is a bit old school though.HAPPY TRAILS

When I lived in Keswick I used to do Sharp Edge once or twice a week, always dawn or dusk, in all weathers (including once in the snow with my right arm in a plaster cast). I had the round trip to the summit cairn and back down to 60 minutes. It was my 'potential girlfriend test' - take a non-outdoorsy woman up and see what they made of it. It's much better than the Helvellyn motorways, but I fail to see why so many people fall off it.

Bloody hell Vick, that's an interesting test to say the least...Did many pass it?

So it was you who polished the bad step then Montgomery! ...