I've just come back from a walk up Blencathra visiting Sharp Edge on the way. The Edge was fairly straight forward and I'm a bit of a scardy cat when it comes to exposure but this was a great scramble. I was wondering why so many people talk about it as a real scary Edge? even the Trail mag put me off this walk! I must admit I wouldnt take it on in bad weather like due to the polished rocks.
Anyway I just want to let people know that this is a brilliant walk and a must do scramble in the Lakes if your there and up for it. Its a scramble for everyone......there were 5 children 7-10 years old on it today and loving it.
In my view Sharp Edge is a scramble for the beginner with confidence, take it on you'll love it.
It's not very nice when the rock is wet; as you said, it's pretty polished in places, and becomes rather 'slippery when wet', especially on some of the big, sloping slabs.
Nick your correct, looks like November 2001 was a time for people to fall into the 'Usual Gully'.....good advice then, I'd only go up in good conditions too.
It was amazing to see the young kids tackle the ridge on Saturday they didnt have any fear at all. One dad had to tell his son to slow down and stop racing off! I couldnt believe my eyes.
Keswick MRT have a page on Sharp Edge which lists half a dozen fatalities since 1979, but only one since 1995. I'm a little surprised myself that the number is so low, given how many people were on the ridge when I did it.
Anyway - I agree that it's easy and great fun in good conditions, but in wind and rain, polished slate plus the potential for a serious fall would not be a good combination.
Mildly amused to note that the gully below the bad step is known to MRT as "the usual gully" as in "the casulaty fell from Sharp Edge and was found in the usual gully".
I'm amazed that it is only 1 fatality in the last 10 years. Must be my memory fading as I get older! Seems like I'm always reading about something terminal in that part of the worlds in the local press.
Not going to argue with Kessie MRT though.
Still a v.easy ridge in the right conditions but a slippery beast when wet/icy due to the rock type and outward slope of the holds.
Interestingly I recently took a novice scrambler up there who had 'read up' on the route (good) but was terrified of the bad step. When we got into the gully on Foule Crag I said that we had almost finished the route and he was gobsmacked that he had 'done' the step without noticing.
Also re: young kids. I do take the odd young relative or two up the easier scrambles but almost invariably rope them up at the odd point or two. They are great little scramblers but tend to lack judgement - Sharp Edge is a route where I have put the rope onto a youngster as there are sections that are easy for an adult (longer reach) but not so easy for sprogs, where a fall would probably be fatal.
Nice to see youngsters on the hills though -I wish my parents had got me up there when I was younger.
Nick wrote " I said that we had almost finished the route and he was gobsmacked that he had 'done' the step without noticing."
Yes, I was up there last week and had great fun on Sharp Edge. It was a lovely dry day, and my previous two days scrambling (Striding/Swirral Edge and Jack's Rake) had been very cautious becuase of wet rock.
When I got to Sharp Edge in the dry, risk-compensation stepped in and I ended up doing some horribly exposed stuff on the side above the tarn. When I got to the "bad step" I was so releieved to still be alive that I didn't actually notice it....
Absolutely love sharp edge. My mate was scared so I did it on my own while he went the opposite way we met at the top. I found it to be a doddle in dry but windy conditions. Although I can imagine it to be very hairy in wet and icy conditions. Great hike.
