T
TC
Guest
Following on from a current topic in Shore Fishing where many have said something to the effect of \"we\'ve all done stupid things in the past\", I was wondering........what\'s the stupidest (possibly, life threatening, thing) you\'ve done?.........doesn\'t necessarily HAVE to be fishing related.
For my own................
In my late teens / early twenties, me and a mate used to go to the Lakes during the Summer for a fortnights walking & climbing. Never did like campsites, so we used to go wild camping - just pitching the tent by a tarn or beck when it was starting to get late.
We\'d pitched the tent on the fellside just above Sty Head Tarn and decided that we\'d \"do\" Scafell Pike the following morning by the Corridor Route. Morning came and off we set after breakfast. The Corridor Route is basically a very long & steep traverse up the mountain and the route takes you over a couple of VERY precarious ghylls (ravines). The most notable being \"Piers Ghyll\", (a place often requiring a visit from the Wasdale Moutain Rescue Team !). When we got to the top of the ghyll (the point at which you cross it), I noticed a very prominent crag which must\'ve been around 300 - 400 ft vertical and said to me mate \"fancy a crack at that?\"......\"No\" was his abrupt, but as I found out later, wise reply. We continued up to the house sized cairn on top of Scafell Pike and had a rest for about 10 minutes before heading back down. As the Corridor Route was the quickest way back to the tent, we headed off back down the way we\'d came.
When we got the top of Piers Ghyll, I again asked Keith if he fancied a crack at the big crag. Again he said no....but added \"you can have a go if you like......I\'ll hang on here and just wait for you\".
As we\'d just intedned to do the walk, we hadn\'t taken along any climbing gear, so it was gonna be a \"freestyle\" assent.
Started off fine with plenty of good holds.....then the holds got a little more difficult to find.....the higher I went, the smoother the rock became. Was starting to wish I hadn\'t bothered and got the old knee tremble - anybody who\'s been rock climbing will know that feeling - you\'re legs just go to jelly. Looking down the wall, I must\'ve been about three quaters of the way up with NO chance of decending. The only option was to continue on up. Besides the height of the crag itself, it was also very exposed and overlooked Sty Head and the Wasdale valley (about 2,000ft below)
I was crapping meself and managed eventually to get the knees steady again. Boy was I glad to finally reach the top of that wall.
Then I realised......not being able to get down the way I\'d come up, I\'d have around a 6 mile walk back to the tent.
I shouted down to Keith (who was also just about crapping himself) that I\'d see him back at the tent and for him to continue down the Corridor Route.
I got a right roasting from him when I finally arrived back at the tent (and rightly so).
Yes, it was an adventure and tested my nerve, confidence, ability and also extended my limitations.........however......it was BLODDY STUPID !
As the title of this topic says.......done it once - NEVER again !
[Edited on 17/11/2005 by TC]
For my own................
In my late teens / early twenties, me and a mate used to go to the Lakes during the Summer for a fortnights walking & climbing. Never did like campsites, so we used to go wild camping - just pitching the tent by a tarn or beck when it was starting to get late.
We\'d pitched the tent on the fellside just above Sty Head Tarn and decided that we\'d \"do\" Scafell Pike the following morning by the Corridor Route. Morning came and off we set after breakfast. The Corridor Route is basically a very long & steep traverse up the mountain and the route takes you over a couple of VERY precarious ghylls (ravines). The most notable being \"Piers Ghyll\", (a place often requiring a visit from the Wasdale Moutain Rescue Team !). When we got to the top of the ghyll (the point at which you cross it), I noticed a very prominent crag which must\'ve been around 300 - 400 ft vertical and said to me mate \"fancy a crack at that?\"......\"No\" was his abrupt, but as I found out later, wise reply. We continued up to the house sized cairn on top of Scafell Pike and had a rest for about 10 minutes before heading back down. As the Corridor Route was the quickest way back to the tent, we headed off back down the way we\'d came.
When we got the top of Piers Ghyll, I again asked Keith if he fancied a crack at the big crag. Again he said no....but added \"you can have a go if you like......I\'ll hang on here and just wait for you\".
As we\'d just intedned to do the walk, we hadn\'t taken along any climbing gear, so it was gonna be a \"freestyle\" assent.
Started off fine with plenty of good holds.....then the holds got a little more difficult to find.....the higher I went, the smoother the rock became. Was starting to wish I hadn\'t bothered and got the old knee tremble - anybody who\'s been rock climbing will know that feeling - you\'re legs just go to jelly. Looking down the wall, I must\'ve been about three quaters of the way up with NO chance of decending. The only option was to continue on up. Besides the height of the crag itself, it was also very exposed and overlooked Sty Head and the Wasdale valley (about 2,000ft below)
I was crapping meself and managed eventually to get the knees steady again. Boy was I glad to finally reach the top of that wall.
Then I realised......not being able to get down the way I\'d come up, I\'d have around a 6 mile walk back to the tent.
I shouted down to Keith (who was also just about crapping himself) that I\'d see him back at the tent and for him to continue down the Corridor Route.
I got a right roasting from him when I finally arrived back at the tent (and rightly so).
Yes, it was an adventure and tested my nerve, confidence, ability and also extended my limitations.........however......it was BLODDY STUPID !
As the title of this topic says.......done it once - NEVER again !
[Edited on 17/11/2005 by TC]
