With my break coming to an end I thought I'd break the mould as of late and try something a little different. My original intention was to repeat a route that I did back in June 2014 where I ascended the Scafells via Piers Gill, Lord's Rake and Deep Gill only back then had the misfortune to have completed the whole route in fog due to a misleading forecast.

Every now and again the route would pop back into my head where it stayed up until this week and I thought I'd end the week by repeating this epic route, it was only by chance I might add that the best day forecast happened to be the Bank Holiday but I could live with the hustle it brought.

I set my alarm for 4.50am and by 5.30am I was on my way to Wasdale, during that drive west my mind was occupied by just how hot today was going to get and was I possibly taking too much on a school day knowing I have to live with the aches and pains without a recovery day afterwards. By the time I arrived at Wasdale Head some two and a half hours later I had already made my mind up, why not gain just Lingmell by its grandest ascent.

Okay, I admit it didn't at first sit right, I kinda felt like I'd weasled my way out of a dam good walk but after only a few minutes kitting up in the heat and humidity that sinking feeling quickly started to fade knowing I could now take it easy and for a change, maybe even do a little exploring. Despite altering my route whilst still stood behind my car I figured I'd still take the four litres of hydration that I had packed for the Scafell walk along with half a dozen Satsuma's which would help quench my thirst in the heat of the day.

Despite today being a Bank Holiday Wasdale Head wasn't as busy as expected with the car park being mostly occupied by motor homes, a chap to the left of me kits up then heads out towards Down-in-the-Dale while another chap who arrived after me packs ropes and harnesses into a large climbing pack who then walks of in the direction of Mosedale, there was no question he was heading to climb Pillar Rock.

With my car locked I threw my pack over my shoulder, placed my sunglasses on and set about enjoying the first Satsuma of the day. Only a few weeks ago I exchanged the items in my pack from Summer to Winter and you'd think that the pack would be much easier to carry around, well in theory yes, but when you add four litres of hydration your shoulders really feel the difference, the only way to combat this is to hydrate, but not too quickly mind.

I joined Moses Trod after leaving Burnthwaite behind and followed the stony track towards Sty Head passing over Gable Gill at the footbridge while both Gable and Lingmell domineered both my flanks. To my right I can hear Lingmell Beck as it cascades through waterfall after waterfall some of which are well worth exploring if only to see the emerald pools which flow so clear and vivid.

I continued to the follow the track which then starts to rise slightly, to my right I'm joined by a stone wall where a path runs alongside, it can get quite boggy here but today I faired well only managing to dampen the caps of my boots. The path then branches right again, this time much closer to Lingmell Beck where it's worth to keep an eye out for a suitable crossing, here the beck is often deep and wide and isn't worth taking a soaking so early into the walk, I persevere while using my hand to shade my eyes from the strong sunlight, up ahead the beck narrows while on the other side I spot the start of the path for Piers Gill distinguished by its rising zigzags straight from the banks of Lingmell Beck.

You can see Piers Gill in the lower right of the photograph which looks like the rock bed of any gill in Lakeland, it's only when you start to climb does the bed turn into a ravine, the start of which can be seen up ahead in the centre of the picture.

Just in case you were wondering if I look 'off path' you'd be quite right, a good path navigates (with the odd scramble thrown in) all the way to the top of Piers Gill but please be advised for the less experienced walker please stay with the path at all times and do not attempt in bad weather.

The path keeps to the north east or, left of the ravine, should you find yourself on the right, please with care make your way back, there is no path, nor a safe route nor by the actual river bed itself.

The views...

The path levels out a little before a short descent over Greta Gill, crossing the gill with ease via a series of stepping stones made for little to no effort, it's worth a look left here as you find yourself looking deep into Greta Gill. I easily ascend out of the gill from where the path starts to steepen.

It wasn't only Greta Gill which takes you by surprise, the views back to Great Gable were outstanding.

From the summit of Great Gable the Westmoorland cairn is situated to the lower left (above the Tophet Bastion ridge) Both little and Great Hell Gate distinctive red scree sections are navigable to the experienced walker as is Gable's South traverse which runs parallel below the Napes from Sty Head or Beck Head, a route that I aim to walk within my Birkett project.

My apologies if this photograph makes this short section of scramble look something from the Eiger, it really isn't as daunting as it looks but I would advise to only attempt if you are comfortable with a little 'hands on' scrambling and have attempted similar beforehand, please also be advised that some parts of this rock wall are prone to slime and moss, today due to conditions I only encountered dry moss across across the upper section.

I packed my walking poles away here, hardly worth the effort in the time it took to get to the top but much safer knowing my hands were both free without the disadvantage of trailing poles.

Well, I can't repeat what I actually said on arriving at once was one of the finest beacons in the Lake District, I could only hope that the beacon fell naturally and wasn't the result of mindless vandalism.

With that said, I promised myself an early lunch (chicken salad on granary bread) which I ate while gazing over to Great Gable and Sty Head, with lunch finished I even had the opportunity to close my eyes and soak in my surroundings while tucked below the coolness of a faint summit wind.

From the top of Lingmell Crags I traced my way towards the top of Goat Crags while avoiding the hollow found between the summit of Lingmell and Lingmell Crag. A stone cairn appears on the opposite side of the hollow as does the summit wall which descends steeply back to Lingmell Beck.

With the wall crossed I found myself looking down on the prominent path over looking the top of Goat Crags, it was somewhere around here did I pass a Facebook friend Amanda Armstrong who with her husband were making their way into Scafell Pike via Lingmell. It was only later that evening after Amanda had posted that she and her husband had been on Lingmell did I realise I had passed her (and said hello) between the summit and the top of Goat Crags.

I made my way back to Wasdale Head once again while passing the odd walker heading to and from the mountain and for the first time this year I could look down on dust that had collected over my boots, a true sign of Summer even though I might have slightly over estimated how much fluid I would need but at least I could gulp it down at free will.

The car park is a little busier now but not hectic and no hustle, just folk minding their own business doing their own thing. The smell of cooked meat wafts across from the campsite which brings a grand mornings work to an end but the one thing I'll never forget about today was sitting at the summit of Lingmell with my eyes closed, and as I opened them Great Gable was the first thing I saw, I guess I must have actually dosed off for a few minutes there.