The first casualty is retrieved. Photo: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team
A rescue team warned of the dangers of tackling an accident blackspot route after it had to go to the aid of two separate groups yesterday.
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team said the walkers involved could have been killed in the incidents on Sharp Edge on Blencathra.
The team was alerted after a teenager fell from the edge and others on the route got stuck in conditions described by the team as treacherous underfoot. Five walkers and a dog got into difficulties while trying to make their way down the ridge.
A spokesperson said: “Sharp Edge is hazardous at the best of times, but after rain it is very slippery for a number of days, and descending it is more difficult than ascending.
“This is one incident that could have led to fatalities, given the conditions.”
The Keswick team said a woman and her son, who had a dog with them, reached the 868m (ft) summit of Blencathra about 1pm on Monday.
The team spokesperson said: “They were advised that it would be safe to descend Sharp Edge by a group of three, who then descended in front of them.
“The ground conditions were very slippery, and when they arrived at the area by the bad step, the three in front decided that it was unsafe to continue.”
“As they turned to make their way back up, the youngest, a 17-year-old, lost his footing and fell 20m down the ‘usual gully’.
“He was incredibly fortunate to be able to arrest his fall, suffering only minor abrasions, but he was unable to make his way off from what was a precarious position.
“His 19-year-old brother then attempted to get down to him, and then got stuck about 20m away on the other side of the gully.
Sharp Edge
“Their father managed to cross the gully, but was then unable to assist in any way, other than ringing for assistance.
“A member of the public managed to get to the casualty and ascertain that he was largely uninjured, and gave him a space blanket to keep him warm.
“The lady and her son were witnesses to this incident, and were so traumatised that they were cragfast, unable to get up or down, not helped by the fact that they also had a dog with them.”
The spokesperson said an air ambulance that attended was unable to access the site because of low cloud and strong winds.
Rescuers made their way to the scene and split into two groups: one to retrieve the woman and her son from the upper section of the edge, and the other to rope the casualty down to the lower path from where he could be taken to Scales Tarn below the ridge.
The spokesperson added: “Conditions underfoot were very treacherous, and it took some time to set up a rigging system in order to undertake both rescues. In the event, it took nearly five hours before both groups had been rescued, and walked down to Scales.”
The 17-year-old went to Keswick Cottage Hospital for a check-up and to have cuts dressed.
Rescuers said both men in the gully were above a drop of 150m.
The rescue operation involved 15 Keswick MRT members and a further call for help that came in during the Sharp Edge rescues following an incident on nearby Bannerdale Crags was dealt with by Penrith Mountain Rescue Team.
Sharp Edge is a grade-one scramble, described in Brian Evans’s Scrambles in the Lake District as ‘justly popular’ but Evans warns: “It can be slippery when wet; a major undertaking in strong wind.”
For a descent, he advises: “Aim for a wall with a steep right wall and follow this, encountering one steep step near its foot.
“This is all very exposed and becomes dangerous if slippery of if there is any snow about.”
Bill Harrison
04 November 2012Yet another accident on Sharp Edge involving a major rescue of 5 walkers + dog! cragfast on a so called rock scramble in wet and windy conditions. Why do so many walkers get into difficulties attempting it, if it is described as an ''accident blackspot''? Maybe it is because many walkers without mountaineering experience, totally underestimate the nature of unroped scrambling on exposed terrain. Brian Evans, in 1982, graded Sharp Edge as ''a grade 1 straightforward scramble'', which for an experienced scrambler/climber in fine dry conditions, it is. However, Evans offers us a word of warning: ''Unroped scrambling in exposed situations is potentially the most dangerous of all mountaineering situations.'' (R.B. Evans, ''Scrambles in the Lake District'') Risk assessment for this particular activity: absolutely right!
Without being unduly critical, we all need to learn lessons from this incident. SE is NOT suitable for descent, especially in poor visibility; the party became too large. The party following, perhaps lacking in navigation skills, relied too much on the group in front who then got into difficulties themselves. The dog was a hazardous distraction and should not have been there at all. The mother and her son were advised it was safe to descend SE but did not question this perhaps because they lacked the experience to make their own decision. The blind following the blind! A walk on the wild side became a nightmare! Questions: When does a walk become a scramble and when does a scramble become a rock climb, and what is the difference on the hill? Should one carry a rope and be able to use it and know when to use it? Many walkers will probably say: 'I'm a walker not a climber so I won't need one'. My view is that this is a spurious distinction to make, one not shared by our friends in Alpine countries.
Broad Stand on Scafell (serious and needs a rope) Jack's Rake (Pavey Ark) and Sharp Edge are all classic scrambles but we should give them the respect they deserve and drop this stiff upper lip understatement of any grades of difficulty of our ways up and down our beloved hills. Are you a walker OR a climber? is the wrong question, no, I am a mountaineer alpinist, mountain lover.
Graham
17 November 2012I would like to see fixed wires on Sharp Edge, Jack's Rake and other so called easy scrambles. Whilst the purists would be horrified at this suggestion we know these are common on the mountains abroad. Surely the safety of everyone is more important than the so called 'purists' who would oppose such an idea. It might even highlight the dangers on these routes to the novice or inexperienced walkers.
John Hill
30 July 2013If you want to see Sharp Edge in all sorts of conditions go to Youtube and see a local who did it about 300 times in a year(2010-2011). Just put in Sharp Edge 2010 or 2011 and you'll see a border collie walking across it. You'll see it in snow, ice, rain,the lot. No music or editing.
Please don't even mention 'fixed wires' on fells! It's a horrible vandalous thought and would probably encourage a lot more accidents also.
Blame some of these daft BBC presenters who do walks on mountains in nice weather such encouraging other to do it(not by choice) in bad conditions. Maybe these presenters should walk across Sharp Edge in the rain to let families know not to try it also in such conditions.
Pmg
30 October 2016I did Sharp Edge today. I have done it previous in dry summer conditions and it was a challenge but today there had been a heavy dew, although it had not rained and was mild and still, and it was completely different. My group of three - experienced, strong walkers but not climbers - found it rather scary and with hindsight should not have attempted it. It is unbelievable how different the rock is affected by moisture at this location, unlike any climb I've ever done, presumably due to the rock type, which I think is shale. It is difficult to know what action if any needs to be taken. Perhaps just a simple sign stating that the climb is hazardous and very different in wet conditions would be sufficient to deter those who are not confident and in the know
Stupid Stew.
27 October 2017On the 20Th October 2017 i climbed Blencathra at the summit it was a white out with low cloud, i consider myself to be an experienced fell walker and scrambler but i was soon caught out by the conditions, lost my route and ended up in the gully on the north side of Sharp edge and lost my footing under very slippery conditions and slid on my back for about 30 feet before coming to a halt just above a drop off of 20 feet, my only way out was to climb out up the side of the gully which was one the hardest things i have done especially with the injuries i had incurred, my back pack saved me from serious injury and i was extremely lucky not to be more injured or even killed. On my down to the Tarn with blood dripping from my hand i passed a young man coming up towards Sharp edge with a baby in a papoose strapped to his chest, i asked if he planned to go to the summit warning him that it was extremely slippery under foot, to which his reply was ill be fine, i thought this either super confident or super stupid i hope it was the former, please become aware that this can be a very dangerous environment when the weather changes for the worst.