I wasn't quite sure if my Wansfell walk was going to be the last of 2017 although I always held a little hope that I might be able to squeeze one last walk between a break in the weather and that's just what happened with todays walk. Usually at this time of year the forecast changes hourly, but the forecast for the Tuesday and Wednesday between Christmas and New Year looked set to hold so I came up with two walks, one of which was to return to the High Stile ridge from Buttermere, the second walk was a little more epic in Scafell Pike and Lingmell from Wasdale Head.

It was only after swapping emails with David the evening before did I ask did he want to join me on my now decided Scafell Pike walk, sadly David was unable to join me due to family commitments but David did leave me thinking about road conditions in and around Wasdale where a hard freeze was forecast overnight which could only spell trouble before I'd even left the car.

I had a quick mull over the pro's and cons and everything pointed to ditching my starting point from Wasdale Head and instead I choose to start the walk from Seathwaite which added another three miles to the walk bringing the total miles walked to ten. Ten miles within the mist of Winter deserved a perfect forecast with equally perfect conditions underfoot, I got my wish with crisp blue skies and fresh snow underfoot. I've had some great walks during 2017 but this one came very close to topping them all.

Dawn still hadn't broke as I drove along the A66 towards Keswick first passing Great Mell Fell then the glorious Blencathra where through the darkness I could see a thick white coating of snow set against a black starry sky, it was an incredible moment which sent butterflies tingling in the pit of my stomach, next came Clough Head, Lonscale Fell then Skiddaw before taking the A591 for Keswick immediately skidding over a patch of ice before coming to a stop at the roundabout, blimey that caught me by surprise and I was pleased the road was quiet. I drove through Keswick town centre passing dog walkers out for their morning strolls while shop keepers prepared to open up for the day. I soon found myself on Borrowdale Road and had dawn f broken I might have stopped off to take a few snaps from Ashess jetty or Kettlewell car park but instead I continued towards Seathwaite thinking maybe I'll stop later on my return home.

It was still dark during my drive through Borrowdale although by the time I reached the parking spaces close to the farm dawn was just starting to break, before I even had chance to park up three head torches were lit up alongside Sourmilk Gill no doubt on their way towards Gillercombe or Base Brown. With a strong forecast I wasn't surprised to find just a few spaces left and I parked my car next to a metal gate making sure enough space was left to manoeuver a tractor or quad bike, the car on the opposite side of the gate had done the same. It's -2°C but with little to no wind it feels milder, I kit up accordingly adding my new Mammut beanie which I kinda lost patience with into the walk but more on that later, my three year old Extremities gloves are also added which are now showing their age with most of the touch pads on each finger completely worn away but they still do the job of keeping the wind and damp out and that's good enough for me.

It's a view that I never tire of and todays was no different, in fact after changing the route at the last minute the first thought I had was the view of Great End from Grains Gill, bloody perfect.

Up ahead the trio of walkers whose boot prints I had been following come into view seen centre left.

While the temperature continued to plummet I decided to de-shoulder just prior to reaching the top of Esk Hause where I found a dry boulder to place my pack on, despite the lack of hardened snow underfoot it's always best to add the crampons before they are actually needed and I gathered this was as good a time as any. The rock was just the right height in which to add my crampons comfortably double pulling on the straps before carefully looping the strap between the metal securing rings leaving time to also tuck away any excess strap.

From no-where a fell runner passes with a joyful Hi! and before the time I had to look up he had gone in a flash, I only caught the colours he was wearing and nothing else! Before I re-shoulder I also add my neck gaiter before continuing my way towards the top of Esk Hause, each step bringing with it mind numbing windchill, but that didn't matter...

The light show over Esk Pike continued and after taking a 30 second clip on my mobile phone (which required the removal of my gloves) I couldn't hang about any longer despite the fabulous views I was leaving behind I had been stood for around ten minutes and my body core was starting to feel the affects.

I push on towards Calf Cove.

Despite the lure of Great End and Broad Crag my main objective had always been to reach Scafell Pike, adding extra summits to a pre planned walk can add extra time especially under such conditions and in the worse case scenario can result in descending after dark, if this is something you aren't used to and you aren't properly equipped it can come as a shock which is when panic can set in and accidents happen, please remember at this time of year on a clear day there are only seven to eight hours daylight. Most people adhere to this rule but some simply don't think ahead, please don't be one of them.

The elements were again upon me but the view and indeed the spindrift more than made up for this. Although it didn't take too long to reach the descent between III Crag and Broad Crag it was made to feel longer by how harsh conditions felt. I look back and spot the trio of walkers, the strongest of whom is wearing a red jacket who at times catches up to within a whisker of me only to stop to allow his friends to catch up.

Good man.

As always I stick to the right finding no great difficulties during the whole ascent, it's always advised to carry crampons along with an ice axe during such conditions although as you can see the snow is still fresh and powdery which continued all the way to the summit. I could have removed my crampons here but I choose to leave them on knowing I'll be needing them during my descent to Lingmell Col later, however I did swap my walking poles for my ice axe which aided in ascent.

Upon reaching the shoulder of the summit I just knew that by the time I would reach the shelter I would be within the cloud, I could see it approaching and if anything it only added to the ambience of reaching Englands highest ground. At one point visibility dropped to around twenty feet and yet the sun still poked through the cloud like a giant torch only for the cloud to clear, then for it to return again. There was two guys already there which made a total of six at the summit, they spoke joyfully while the trio took shelter on the other side of the summit from the wind, one of the two guys held out a barometer gadget and I wondered over interested in its reading, it read -13°C windchill and it sure felt like it.

Both my jaws along with my teeth started to feel the affects from the windchill again and I remembered thinking that the best part of climbing Scafell Pike was not the actual summit, but the climb which I had done under some of the best, yet harshest conditions I've had the pleasure to walk in, it was time to leave.

Having traversed the Corridor Route I climbed up towards Sty Head where I figured I'd earned myself my lunch not before passing a young couple who was about to take on the Corridor Route, from what they told me I gathered they were heading back to Wasdale Head as the girl looked down and said "oh I see your wearing crampons" I'll be honest I replied, I've been up to the summit of Scafell Pike and the ascent/descent could not have been done without them but the traverse of the Corridor Route is much tricker as I point back at the base of Skew Gill where ice had formed in the lower ravine where the Corridor Route passes through, you really need to be careful right there along with equally tricker sections including the rock I had scrambled earlier, they appeared confident and thanked me for my honesty.

Having reached Sty Head I was now ready for lunch which was chicken flavoured rice with chopped baby tomatoes followed by two chocolate bars for afters, I took one spoonful of the rice which felt like it had been in the freezer and was on the verge of frozen, my body core temperature took a dive after three more forced spoonfuls and I had no choice than to put the lid back on and eat my chocolate bars instead.

You've guessed it, frozen too.

I had only rested for ten minutes or so but it was enough to feel the affects of the windchill, admittedly not as severe as my experience over Esk Hause and the summit of Scafell Pike. I took my crampons off after unpicking the frozen bindings before giving them a few taps against a boulder to free them from ice and snow. I fix my beanie which all day had just wanted to give my head the slip for the umpteenth time I start to make my descent via Styhead Gill finding the conditions underfoot icy and frozen, it was at this point I wished I'd kept the crampons on but I wasn't about to take them out again. I pass two walkers whose path I crossed while I was ascending Scafell Pike but I don't think they recognised me, they went on to descend into Seathwaite via Taylorgill Force. Views soon open out over Seathwaite which is as dark as I had left it this morning with only the captivating long distance view of Skiddaw some twelve miles away. Despite the lack of snow ice is still causing issues and I choose to descend off path as I often have before soon peering over Stockley Bridge while a solo walker wearing a blue jacket crosses. With the clunk of a gate I too cross bridge and I catch the walker up whom I share the last half mile back into Seathwaite with.

He was the type of guy who only after moments of meeting you could of sworn you'd known him longer, he went onto say he was staying in the Youth Hostel in Borrowdale, we shared a few more stories and it turned out we had a lot in common before arriving back at Seathwaite Farm where we were greeted by the farmer who with his son, he was tinkering with his tractor "how do lads" "alreet" I replied before arriving back at my car, I felt I knew the chap enough to offer him a lift back to the Youth Hostel but he thankfully declined whilst pointing towards the view "it's not the worst view to walk back is it"

It was only whilst eating lunch did I think the first thing to do when I got back to the car was to switch the engine on and set the heater too high but funnily enough I'd started to warm up and it was no longer on my mind. My fellow walker had walked a good half mile as I drove by and gave him a wave through the drivers window. Seathwaite had been in shade for the best part of the day yet as I left the valley behind I emerged into sunshine with frozen fields either side of me whilst at the same time capturing the snow capped summit of Great End basking under a Winter sun.