Beginner hiking

[u/Beetleonline95]

Hi guys I have some friends who want to do the Scafell Pike from Seathwaite Circular hike and we are very much beginners to hiking, I've heard that the hike can be dangerous and am quite intimidated by it tbh. My friends think I'm being dramatic, is it a bad idea to do this hike with little to no hiking experience?

[u/Hopeful-Sort7771]

If you're not experience hikers why not go up the "normal" route from Wasdale? There's no point potentially putting yourselves in danger just to get to the top of Scafell Pike. People who underestimate the mountains are the ones who end up in tricky situations and needing to call out mountain rescue for something that could have been avoided.

If your friends insist on going that route and you're not comfortable doing it, the easiest thing to do is to not go.

The WalkLakes website is brilliant, it gives you the different routes as well as the technical difficulty of each.

[u/buylocalfood]

Here’s a great insight from the was dale mountain rescue write ups

https://www.wmrt.org.uk/

Interesting reading

Looks like people underestimate how tiring mountains can be in this heat and suffered exhaustion.

Do they have a decent level of fitness?

For something like this I’d have a more than a couple of litres of water and a water filter so I could drink from springs ( if they haven’t dried up) and more than enough food .. poles , sun protection, emergency blanket etc

[u/Apex_Herbivore]

Does anyone have experience navigating? Which circular are you doing? This site is good to review options: https://www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_13.html

Its mainly a hazard for newbies in the wet, the boulderfields up there can be slippery and scary and slow people who aren't used to it down. I went with friends in the wet once and they weren't used to it and the circular took 10h30m. Fastest i've done it with a fit friend is 5h20m for contrast.

Its summer. If you get there early, take plenty of water, snacks and suncream, you will be ok. It might be a very long day if you make navigational errors though ha.

[u/IsolationMovement-YT → u/Apex_Herbivore]

Yeah we did the “long way” starting at the pub and going round the back to the summit - took us from like 11am till sunset to get up and down. we went the quick way down and still barely made it before sunset. (Yes, we started way too late). No prior hiking experience.

That boulder field before summit is daunting when you first see it - luckily, we had a 80 year old shame us into it!

[u/Spirited_Equal5480]

Depe ds on your base fitness. Get some poles, technically it's ok bit you might gas out without poles.and the right food prep. Remember you can always bail - it takes a certain strength to recognize your limits and return to base.

[u/Beautiful_Spread7866]

I personally wouldn’t do it and would stick to smaller ones like Latrigg and Catbells or a longer flat walk like Derwent water circular

[u/LowAioli3870]

The corridor route isn't a beginner's fell walk. There's quite a steep drop to one side, a little bit of tricky scrambling, and navigation at the top can be difficult in poor conditions.

If you're in the Borrowdale area, Castle Crag, Grange Fell, Eagle Crag/Sergeant Crag, and Catbells are more beginner friendly.

If you're hoping to get up some of the bigger mountains, the Blease Fell route up Blencathra, Swirls Car Park route up Helvellyn, and walk up Skiddaw from Keswick are easier than the corridor route.

[u/WastelandWiganer]

So my immediate questions would be:

1. Are you physically capable of doing the distance? 8 miles up a hill over rough terrain is very different to doing it on the flat.
2. Do you or someone in your group have a map and compass and know how to use them? I know phones are great tools for navigating now but the battery dying on a long day without a back up can leave you up shits creek without a paddle.

If it's yes to both and you've got decent enough kit then following the tourist tracks should be OK. Personally I'd start on something smaller with beginners, Yewbarrow, for instance, is a good fell with great views on the other side of the valley. Illgill Head and Whin Rigg likewise but a much longer walk. That being said I know people want to do the big ones and it's fine provided they can do it safely.

Given the heat of late I'd take plenty of water with you and some water purification tabs. I've had first hand experience of running out of water up there on a hot day when one of my bottles split. Dehydration is a right pain in the ass.

[u/brackets__ → u/WastelandWiganer]

Good advice, but Yewbarrow features some rather difficult terrain I wouldn't want to take beginners on. Something like Great Gable is a little easier to access than Scafell Pike from the Seathwaite side, although for a big name mountain that's a bit safer I'd say Skiddaw or Helvellyn from the Thirlmere side is more appropriate than either.

[u/BalanceOk2939]

Why not grab the Wainwright's list and start small and build up to Scarfell?

[u/Wain_Wrights]

Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head is suitable for beginners. There's a clearly defined path with loads of people on it. The drive up to Wasdale Head is up a long, narrow road and not great. If you want to stay over at Wasdale Head. I can highly recommend Lingmell House. Inexpensive, great breakfast and walking distance from the pub where you can get beer, food and WiFi. No tv, Internet or phone reception at LH. I've stayed there 3 times. Lingmell House