The mountains will still be there...

I’m writing this one on a perfect afternoon in the garden, during the Great Covid-lockdown, May 2020. After months of home-schooling and the occasional strangely distanced walk with friends who I’d normally climb with; having missed 3 planned trips this year, we are starting to hear that mountains may be “open” again soon. Thoughts are turning to previous trips and future aspirations.


The Napes - October 2015
Long before the idea of a Classic Rock challenge took hold, the appeal of climbing the phallic cover-shot of Napes Needle was on the agenda, for many reasons. Historically, “the birth of British rock climbing”; aesthetically, stunning and out-there; physically, challenging and adventurous.
Having only a one-day window we travelled from the midlands on a Friday evening, walked up from Seathwaite in darkness and wandered about the hillside, hoping our nav skills could find the perfect bivi spot we’d identified on the map. We were near enough and slept as well as expected (i.e. not very well), waking to a gloomy view of Wasdale and the back of the Scafell range. (The best thing about camping is waking up somewhere like this; the worst bit being poor sleep; during lockdown we’ve garden camped with the kids and only had the poor sleep without the new view. I’m looking forward to more of these real adventures.)
A short walk after hill-side porridge led us to the iconic pinnacle, which seemed to very suddenly appear, sunlit, as we rounded a buttress. Like a celebrity you meet in real-life, it seemed both grander and smaller than expected at the same time. Unmistakeable, there was no need to have that chat about whether we were in the right place according to the guidebook.

The climbs

Napes Needle
Expert use of the foot lift technique

The route description needn’t be repeated here, but I will warn that if you do this route, it’s worth thinking about how to get down. There are a few variations on suggested safe ways off; we opted for simply down-climbing back to the stance on the shoulder after each of our party of 3 led to the top and had their moment. I remember the crux being the mantleshelf, where I lost many points for style, using knees and forcing my foot higher by lifting my inflexible leg with my hand. Finally, a couple of edgy, nervy steps up polished slab gained the summit, if we can call it such. Certainly the feeling of exposure and success is summit-like if you look South, even if there is much hill-side above and behind you.

Needle Ridge
It seems obvious to continue up Needle Ridge after succeeding on the pinnacle and it is a superb route with excellent views looking down on the Needle. Straightforward but classic mountain route, followed by awful, and equally classic, mountain scree descent through hell’s gates.








Tophet Wall
John leading the necky first pitch of Tophet Wall
Maybe walking boots weren’t a wise choice for climbing this route, I’m just pleased that John led the first pitch, which, if you take the direct start, is one of those pitches where good holds seem to keep you off balance, feet are on slippery nothings and you wouldn’t trust the gear to hang your rucksack on. Thankfully from then on the route is a varied dream of exposed moves that feel technical without being difficult. It’s a no-tricks kind of route without any problem finding the best way, each section leading neatly to the next and finishing over an exposed pinnacle before petering out into a scramble. The main crux beyond the first pitch for some is the hand traverse, which once established feels solid and secure, meaning it would be easy to place less protection than would be fair for your second.
With Scotland and Wales being stricter on the Covid measures, our next Classic Rock trip might well be the Lakes again.
Location: Great Gable, Seascale CA20 1EX, UK

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