For our second day, we had chosen Blencathra in the Northern Fells as our goal. We were going to go up the hard way, via Sharp Edge.
I'd done a lot of research on the route, using the internet, TV documentaries and of course the Wainwright guides and knew that this was going to be the toughest walk we'd done to date. We're not rock climbers, but my research told me that Sharp Edge would be manageable, if challenging provided the weather held good. The early morning was a bit wet, but as we ate our breakfast the skies started to clear and we loaded the car with excitement.
I'd picked a route based on the OS map and it took us a while to find a place to park the car, but we eventually did alongside a road that was busy with walkers and cyclists. I spoke with a couple of other walkers, none of whom were going in the same direction as us, all of whom ominously wished us good luck!
From the car, we followed a very steep path, that isn't done justice by this picture, but believe me it was steep! The path can be seen running diagonally up from left to right, meeting the ridge about half way across.
This shows the scale a bit better, the "red dot" way, way, way down there (this was taken about 3/4 of the way to the top) is my Landrover:
As we reached the ridge, Blencathra and Sharp Edge came into site, about a mile in the distance:
Following the path we were accompanied by the stunning scenery that we'd travelled all this way to be a part of:
All the time, Sharp Edge loomed intimidatingly ahead:
Eventually, we had to cross a stream at the bottom of a very picturesque waterfall, where I decided to taste the water - and it was bloody nice too. You can tell Fiona took these pictures as she ALWAYS hold the camera like an iPhone
A steep ascent alongside the waterfall eventually levelled out at Scales Tarn, which was truly beautiful. It was so quiet here, that the only thing you could hear were sheep chewing - it was bliss!
High above the tarn Sharp Edge stared down at us. You can see two people right on top of the ridge in the following picture. I was starting to become a little anxious though, as the peak of Blencathra and the very top of Sharp Edge were now in cloud....
We decided to pick up the pace in case the weather turned and set off up the last stretch of path to the lowest part of the Edge:
And still, the cloud came down:
We reached the edge and started across, the rock was dry and it was good fun scrambling across:
Scales Tarn looked even more beautiful from on top of the Edge:
...... and that's the last photograph, because that's where it all went wrong. I turned from taking this picture to see Fiona, about 10 feet below me getting upset and clinging to the rock.
We made it about 80% of the way across the edge, as far as a gap in the rock known as "Bad Step" and for good reason. Bad Step is at the top of a gulley known by the local Mountain Rescue service as "The Usual Gulley" as it is here that most of the recorded fatalities and rescues take place.
In truth, I was OK with it, but Fiona became very frightened and panicked. Since we got back, I have learned of the term "cragfast" - and that's what happened to Fiona. We were hundreds of feet in the air, with no way down except to continue onto the peak of Blencathra, or to go back the way we came. I was trying to reason with Fiona and encourage her to continue as I realised this was the quickest way off the edge and the weather was turning very quickly. But she couldn't do it. She set off down a gulley and I had to grab her and drag her back up. I dropped a loose stone down to show her that it free-fell hundreds or maybe even thousands of feet straight down...
Then the weather really changed and before I could retrieve my waterproof from my bag I was soaked through to the skin and it was now very hard to grip on the slippery rock. I don't mind admitting that I was pretty scared by now, and I was almost grateful for the fact that I had to keep it together for Fiona's sake - it was all very, well
real 
Eventually, on our backsides and on all fours, I managed to talk Fiona back down to level path and we retraced our route back towards the car. We were shaken, Fiona was in a state of mild shock, we were bruised from our descent and soaked through to the skin
On the way back, I took one last picture and when I got home I realised that I had a before and after picture taken from roughly the same spot. I think there's no shame that we didn't make it all the way across and these pictures show why:
Fiona obviously feels terrible that we didn't make it across and feels as though she let me down. I feel terrible that I put her through that ordeal, but as they say, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and the only thing that matters is that we got down safely - and that really is all that matters.
I will do Sharp Edge again one day, because I'm a poor loser and I need to do this if it's the last thing I do! If any of our UK members fancy a day out let me know, as there is NO F'ING WAY (in her words) that Fiona will be accompanying me
It was still a good day out though
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