Brooding

I'm guiding a night ascent of Scafell Pike tonight - part of a National 3 Peaks Challenge. I've not done any this year - more & more I have ethical concerns regarding it; but a friend needed a hand & I think its only right to take part & try and understand before commenting. This event has grown out of all proportion - it creates its own little micro economy now - but it also creates a lot of problems. It goes somewhat against my ethos to take people into a beautiful wilderness in the total dark - I question who but a list ticker really wants to do this - to climb to the highest point in England & see nothing but the sign s of man's endeavour in the distant twinkling lights. Hopefully we'll find a moment to switch all our lights off & at least see the stars & the Milky Way (we did).
The forecast is bad (writing this back down the hill it was actually amazing!) - and the hill certainly looks like it might have some fun in store in this picture.
Wastwater is a special place - somehow, despite the N3P groups, it retains a sense of wildness, these are hills that know how to glower - the screes always impress - and to be fair if you avoid the Pike itself its easy to not see a soul once you're fifteen minutes away from the car parks. Tonight will however not be like that...