Approach: The normal approach is from the car park at the New Dungeon Ghyll. Follow Stickle Ghyll (Formerly Mill Ghyll) up the often overcrowded and extremely obvious tourist path to Stickle Tarn. From the Tarn the line of Jack's Rake stands out clearly running diagonally up the imposing face of Pavey Ark ahead. Go around the tarn to the base of the route at the right hand corner of the main cliff near the start of Easy Gully
Route - Start up a rocky, but often wet, trough that slowly steepens as you pass below popular rock climbs like Stoat's Crack. beware here in summer of rocks dislodged by climbers above.As you approach Rake End Wall the trough levels momentarily before heading up again, passing an obvious dark looking chimney on your right. Pass a tree and continue to a second, larger, tree at a ledge. Keep your eyes open here for the obvious white banding of quartz intrusions in the slate. Now you can choose between staying in the security of the incut ramp or taking a more exposed line along the crest of what is effectively the left hand wall of the trough. Continue to another obvious tree, then after a short less inclined section pass Gwynne's Chimney to a steep step up. The route returns to its easy gradient and the trough deepens before you emerge onto an obvious platform below a rib. The route now moves out onto the front of the buttress then over a short rock step to a rib. A depression witha cairn at the top brings you to a wall and the normal walkers path for the last few yards to the summit. Although protection is hardly necessary on Jack's Rake it's a good idea to wear a helmet, especially in summer, as the route passes below many classic climbs with a danger of dislodged stones from above. Likewise, in the upper sections take care not to knock rocks onto climbers below.
|
|