Winter Climbing in the Lake District is not something that very often comes into “condition”. However when it does it has to be one of the, if not the best places for easy access ice climbing.
With the weather forecasting very low temperatures in the Lake District. This was going to be the week where everything was going to happen. After looking at the charts and temps there was no doubt that the rare ice I was talking about was about to happen.
So with that in mind and with James buzzing as ever to get out, we set about creating a tick list of amazing ice routes that we wished to climb.
The list was by no means ambitious and for the most part very much road side. However some of these routes had not been like this in over 10 years! It’s not very often that Winter Climbing in the Lake District comes this good.
As you can imagine we were very much looking forward to getting out on to them and climbing these fantastic routes.
Whorneyside Force – Langdale. One of the more accessible lines on this list, and a great one to ease into the day on.
Launchy gill – Thirlmere. A sheltered line that’s often one of the first to come into nick when a cold snap hits.
Sourmilk Gill – Borrowdale. A proper Lakeland classic when it’s frozen up, and one of the best-looking lines on the whole list.
Tailor force – Borrowdale. Another Borrowdale classic worth adding to the day if you’re already in the valley.
Moss force – Newlands Pass. A brilliant way to finish the day, with views over Newlands Valley that make the whole trip worth it.
The video in the link gives you a great snap shot of how amazing these routes were. But also what they looked like. There is no doubt that a huge amount of skill and planning is needed for days out like this as well as having a massive amount of winter skills that all led to these amazing climbs. If you don’t yet have that level of experience, you can hire a Lake District Mountain Guide to get you out safely.
