An evening on Bowfell

I have just got back from an after work wander up Bowfell, I was heading for Great End, but after walking down Mickledon and up to Angle tarn I remembered how far it was to Great End. I contoured in under Bowfell Buttress and climbed North Gully. I went round the main chock stone pitch on the right as there wasn't enough snow. apart from this the Gully gave a nice trip on OK snow ice. I descended the gully on the other side into broad gully and came back along the traverse path climbing one of the easy gullies on Traverse crag to round the trip off.

The freezing level was about 600m. It will freeze down to valley level tonight. The snow was good and gave good placements. The turf is frozen and there was some water ice forming in dribbles over the rock around the top of the gully. There is a cold Westerly breeze. There is nothing on Bowfell Buttress and it will only be easy gullies and buttresses that are in condition.

Anywhere where the snow has survived will give a good outing tomorrow. I guess there will be something to climb at Great End, how well formed the ice pitches will be and how much traffic they will survive you will just have to find out. Helvellyn will also have something to offer, Jogebar could be a good bet, I think Red tarn could be busy.

It will all disappear on Sunday.