Sour Milk Gill - Borrowdale

With: Alan Rainford & Glyn Mitchell

Weather: for once it wasn't raining! 

A fine clear day with the cloud above the summits & still very mild for the time of year

Where: Borrowdale, Lake District

Glyn Mitchell is In2venture's technical advisor for mountain based activities - its always an enjoyable day when we are able to get out with him!

Today's plan was to have a look at a more interesting route up to Seathwaite Wad Mine, in an attempt to alleviate the long hard slog directly up the fell side. We elected to have a look at a combined gill scramble up Sour Milk Gill and some bouldering on the numerous rocky outcrops that litter this area of fell.

As can be seen from the photo on the left there was plenty of water in the gill, we worked our way up the right hand side ( as seen in the photo) and found plenty of interesting, safe scrambling with the added bonus of all being able to keep our feet dry. At a convenient point and before ropes became necessary we left the gill and cut a diagonal line up the fell side via numerous straightforward bouldering challenges heading in the general direction of the mines. A final, much shorter than usual, walk brought us to the top entrance. We donned SRT kits and entered the mine abseiling down the top couple of pitches before traversing over the "grand pipe" to return to daylight where we were able to view Borrowdale in a spectacular light.