It's incredible to think that I've only ascended Sty Head from Wasdale Head just the once during a failed unrecorded attempt on Great Gable on a day which brought almost every Lakeland MRT to the Wasdale valley due to storm force winds and rain which saw becks and rivers break their banks flooding the valley. It was also the day when a Mountain Marathon event was taking place which was cancelled around midday leaving hundreds of runners taking refuge at Honister Slate Mine or stranded on the hill between Borrowdale and Wasdale, it was the runners who had somehow made it off Great Gable who warned me to turn around, that day was 10th October 2008. That day is soley my memory of the ascent from Sty Head from Wasdale Head

Fast forward to present day.

Today I'm back in Wasdale Head for two main reasons, to ascend the path between Wasdale Head and Sty Head (commonly known as Moses Trod) and secondly, to climb Great End via the length of The Band, an ascent that I have partially ascended by after ascending Skew Gill with Tim Oxburgh back in May 2013. After taking in the delights of The Band I'll summit Great End before linking Broad Crag, Scafell Pike and finally Lingmell to complete the walk. It seems ages ago since I last did a 'big walk' in this area and even longer ago since I tried something new.

With the Jubilee Bank Holiday over Lakeland is returning to normality and I was able to park easily bringing the total of cars at Wasdale Head to just eight cars, which will increase but for now it's a lovely quiet start to the walk.

The morning air is warm with just the gentlest of breezes meaning a single base layer should be suffice for now. Just as I'm thinking how quiet it is another car pulls up and a young lad and his girlfriend get out almost ready to the hit the hill as they carry out some last minute checks on gear by which time I'm trying unsuccessfully to neatly fold my Alp Kit windproof into my pack which I've tailored to just the essentials to cater for the extra hydration I'm carrying and not forgetting the share bag of Fruit Pastels for that sugary energy boost when I need it.

The young couple and I lock our cars simultaneously and I pass with a 'morning' and get one in return. It's at this point I wondered of their route, turns out they were heading for Sty Head too.

I managed to pass the young couple as the young lad waited for his girlfriend to catch up 'you wouldn't have to wait so much if you stopped leaving her behind' I thought to myself..

The path varied between steepness which made it a tad awkward by the rock underfoot which varied from the size of ball bearings to 'good hand sized rock' all of which seemed to sink when you walked over it. Throw in the heat from direct sunlight and you had a right O'l mix!

After continuing ascent 'the dome' of Great End appears, even for the seasoned fell walker it's a pretty impressive mass of rock with Central and Cust gullies appearing over in the upper left.

Todays route of ascent is to follow the footpath seen foreground which directs towards the left before diverting right via easy scramble before ascending a steep grass rake.

During my descent of Scafell Pike I sighted a couple of walkers making their ascent on Lingmell and bumped into them at the summit cairn and got chatting. It turns out they were from Barrow and were going through their Wainwrights with Lingmell today bringing thier total to 111 They went onto mention that they weren't keen on Scafell Pike due to how busy it gets but loved Lingmell "I always try to link Lingmell with Scafell Pike" I replied.

They asked me where I was from and I replied "Wigan" "ohh rugby lad are yer" (everyone naturally assumes if your from Wigan you watch rugby and eat pies) I do neither. Nahh I joked I'm Wigan Athletic since knee high - Dads fault I joked and with that they began their descent while I walked over to the north cairn to satisfy the growls in my stomach.

The best of the sunshine had been confined to the morning and although the sun still broke through more cloud was now filling the gaps. As I descended into valley level the temperature rose at which point I'd have done anything for a cool summit breeze. The couple from Barrow crossed Lingmell Beck and disappeared under a canopy of trees as they made their way through the pasture behind what was Wasdale School. It was my turn to cross Lingmell Beck via the footbridge before dropping onto closely clipped grass where I stopped to kick the heels into the backs of my boots, the shift felt heavenly and I thanked nearby sheep for keeping the grass so short.

Wasdale Head was much busier now but it retained the quietude of a weekday afternoon nonetheless. Through the fields I passed through the gate and onto the tarmac of Wasdale Head. A car approached, it's the couple from Barrow who both wave as they pass which I return kindly. I make it to the back of my car and pop open the boot then ease myself onto my three legged travel chair to remove my boots before untieing my boot laces which in turn releases a little dust cloud into the air.