Hills: Caudale Moor aka Stony Cove Pike
Wainwrights: no. 60
Who: just me and the mountaineering minion
When: Saturday 18 June
Weather: clear summits after early cloud cleared
MWIS accuracy: not as good as forecast – but more accurate than the day before
Bog factor: OK as was dry. Would probably be pretty bad otherwise.
Post walk drink: coke. Yes really. No red wine till after the 6 1/2 hour drive home.
Post walk watering hole: Kirkstone Pass Inn for the coke; my living room for the red wine (does that count?!)
The day after my smash and grab raid on Scafell Pike and Lingmell, I had a dilemma. Normally the day after a big walk I just potter around gear shops particularly if a long journey is required. However I’m not sure yet when I’ll be next be in the Lakes and the forecast was again really good.. Plus having flopped info bed at 9.30 the day before after a celebratory huge steak and a few glasses of Merlot I was up, if not with the lark or as stupidly early as the previous day, reasonably early (for me) and had availed myself of a huge cooked breakfast before 9. I figured if I went for a short walk I would still be able to take advantage of the forecast and get home at a vaguely non-stupid time.
An obvious possibility presented itself in Caudale Moor (otherwise known as Stony Cove Pike) which a friend had recommended as a short blast. It had the clear advantage of a high start point and promised some good views. The only minus was a slightly scrambly approach towards St Raven’s Edge but it looked doable (even given my dislike of scrambling) so at 9.30, after the inevitable faffing about I was on my way up the steep haul up from the pass. The advantage of steep is it gets you up higher quickly of course! Continue reading