The plan was to crack seven Wainrights in a day, in order of ascent they consisted of: Loft Crag, Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Thunacar Knott, High Raise, Sergeant Man and finally Pavey Ark.
I didn't really have a plan for the second day aside from checking out Easedale and Codale Tarns.
The weather forecast looked pretty grim at best!
I arrived just after midday and in a strange moment of wisdom I decided I'd tackle White Crag instead of the Cumbria Way/Mark Gate route.
Pretty soon I was in a situation where it was very dangerous to descend and my only option was to carry on upwards.
I was tested with steep sided gullies, thin ledges and loose rock.
I arrived at one particular gully and tried numerous times to climb up, I was held back by wet slippy rocks one side and a surface too vertical to get any purchase on the other, I took a few sips of water and considered my options.
My only idea was to place some rocks down in order to gain a bit of height but as soon as I put some weight on them they collapsed.
I tried again doing my best to lock them in place, this time they stood firm, using this increased height I managed to wedge my knee on the rock and somehow pull myself up, as I stood up my face was inches away from sheep remains, I didn't care as I was desperate to get out of this hellish place.
As I neared the top, the rocky gullies changed to slippery grass and loose piles of rock, it was getting easier but not by much!
Many of the loose rock piles gave way sending bits of rocks clattering down the hillside and giving me a constant reminder of how close I was to falling.
Reaching the top seemed to take forever, I needed frequent breaks as my arms and legs were exhausted.
I was mentally and physically drained before I'd even touched my first Wainright, certainly not what I'd planned.
After a quick rest and a few nibbles of a flapjack I continued upwards towards Loft Crag, it was slow going and the wind was starting to pick up.
As luck would have it, Loft Crag was the smallest of the seven and didn't take too much effort to climb, from here I had a cracking view of the Pike of Stickle and the valley below.
Within minutes I was perched on the peak of the Pike of Stickle, with my second Wainright ticked my mood was much improved and my energy was coming back.
I descended Harrison and dodged the various boggy areas on the slight uphill journey over to Thunacar Knott.
My fourth Wainright had been ticked in no time at all, the day was finally beginning to right itself!
From here I could see High Raise and I made a steady plod over the 1.5km distance, I hadn't encountered a single person since leaving the Pike of Stickle.
As I reached my fifth Wainright I had a nice but cloudy panaorama, I took my pack off to give my shoulders a rest and checked the map.
I set off Southeast on my short journey towards Sergeant Man.
The weather was closing in and I felt a few spots of rain when clambering up the rocky slope of Sergeant Man as it was starting to get late I decided to abandon Pavey Ark and instead search for a place to pitch.
I descended to the south facing slopes as it was sheltered from the wind, I found a nice well drained level ledge and pitched the tent outer, putting my gear inside while I went to collect water from a stream I'd passed.
On returning I attached the tent inner and arranged all of my kit inside, the wind and rain were getting noticeably heavier.
I inflated my sleeping mat and rested while sorting out my stuff and choosing what to have for tea.
After tea and a coffee I turned in, the wind and rain pelted the tent for a while and then settled to a quiet calm, despite this it took me ages to get to sleep.
I woke up to a sunny morning with a few clouds dotted about, thankfully the rain had dispersed during the night.
I had breakfast and packed up, making my way down towards Stickle Tarn.
After a few pics I went the scenic route towards Easedale Tarn.
It was still very quiet with only sheep and their young keeping me company along my way.
I had a little rest at Blea Rigg while overlooking Easedale Tarn and carried on towards Codale Tarn.
I found a nice little spot overlooking Codale Tarn, deciding to keep away from the noisy group way below I had a quick lunch as red ants were beginning to invade!
I'd planned to pitch up somewhere near but it was far too exposed with no flat areas so I headed off back towards Stickle Tarn, this time taking most direct path.
About an hour or so later the rain started to come down lightly.
I was awoken at around 3am to torrential rain, thankful to be nice and warm inside my sleeping bag.
I peered outside to a fairly bright but cloudy sky, I ate a chocolate bar and drank the last of my milk for breakfast, opting for a quick departure.
I headed off towards Pavey Ark as I couldn't go home without cracking this one!
It was tougher than I'd imagined with the bottom half of the path requiring hands to assist in the rocky scramble, the gradient eased towards the top and the view over Stickle Tarn and beyond was fantastic.
I joined the Cumbria Way and after a quick photo stop, headed East towards where I'd parked.
Back at the car I thought about this trip and the lessons it had taught me, it was without a doubt my biggest physical and mental test so far and I'd not only faced my fear of vertigo but completely beaten it, with this in mind I had to more careful in future :)
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