1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:06,800 STIRRING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC 2 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:46,000 I live in the north of England and I live in Cumbria. 3 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,400 It's a working environment where so many people still exist here, 4 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,320 just as they used to. 5 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,440 In fact, it's never changed. In little pockets and up valleys 6 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,240 and green dales, life is still like it always was here. 7 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:02,080 And it's hard-fought, is this tradition. It's hard to stick to. 8 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,160 It's the way we always did it. 9 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,360 Like not losing the dialect and not losing the way, 10 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,960 and not losing words like "aye" and "say nowt", or "that'll do". 11 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,720 And that's what this place is about. 12 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,680 That's what the mountains are about. 13 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,280 It's the centuries of shepherding them, 14 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,480 caring for them, loving them and enjoying them. 15 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:22,840 Sometimes it might seem that 16 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,600 when you live up here, you haven't got time for it, but you have. 17 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,400 At sunrise, when you look for sheep that have lambed at the back of 18 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,680 a wall, or at sunset when everybody else has gone. You're still there, 19 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,920 picking up stones, putting them back on the wall, re-hanging the gates. 20 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:38,080 Picking up the litter sometimes. 21 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:43,760 Managing this place, so it remains always the same. 22 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,080 The Lake District is still honest, like so few places are. 23 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,080 And so are the people. It's time spent and traditions. 24 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,120 It's just a wonderful place to visit and to live. 25 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,040 And I can see why so many have returned time and time again. 26 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,720 You don't have to live here or be born here to feel it. 27 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,240 It draws, I think, thousands every year. 28 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,800 And the draw of the mountains, in particular. 29 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,200 And I think the people as well. 30 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,080 Another happy mother and daughter. 31 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,640 These are twins, that were born yesterday. 32 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,000 And we've sprayed iodine 33 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,080 on the umbilical cord for infection. 34 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,000 Then we check to see whether 35 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,440 they're male or female. 36 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,120 So, if you like, this is the nursery before they're going on to 37 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,200 primary school, out in the field. 38 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,600 So, these... Herdwick's the traditional breed for the Lakeland, 39 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,960 and many people say it was saved by Beatrix Potter, 40 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,280 who bought up quite a number of old Herdwick sheep farms, 41 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:12,720 years and years ago and donated them to the National Trust. 42 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,520 But it is a traditional Lakeland breed. 43 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,240 It's been around for probably at least 1,000 years, 44 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,880 and I'm told Herdwick is Old Norse for meaning sheep pasture. 45 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,880 So, they've been here just as long as we have, if not longer. 46 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,000 And, you know, we keep these traditions going. 47 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,120 They live up on the fells, here in Wasdale. 48 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,760 And they're as much a part of the landscape 49 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,080 and the scenery as all the mountains and all the lakes. 50 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,840 They are, you know, they are the epitome of what is 51 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:45,280 the Lake District National Park to me - 52 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:49,360 not everybody agrees. But they're slow maturing. 53 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,560 They don't breed till the third year. 54 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:52,960 The lambs, to get ready, 55 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:57,080 probably almost a year before they're ready for market, as it were. 56 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:00,120 Herdwicks generally lamb sort of dusk and dawn, 57 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,320 so we're not here in the middle of the night, 58 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,840 but I would say we're around till about midnight, 59 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:06,400 and then going again from 4am. 60 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,200 So, yeah, it's a... With a little baby as well, 61 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,200 it keeps me...keeps me awake most of the hours. 62 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,480 ROCKS CLATTERING 63 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:13,840 Unless that's holding it up. 64 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:15,920 Oh, there's some litter there, Rob, as well. 65 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:16,960 You like your... 66 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:19,360 wombling. 67 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,200 It's a bit ironic when you think about how people 68 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,760 are drawn to Scafell Pike to see the biggest hill in England. 69 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,280 When you think these are just the fragments of the landmass 70 00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:37,720 that originally was here. 71 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,160 The old red sandstone that sort of covered this area 72 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,640 would have been way above our heads. 73 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,560 That's all been worn away, and all the slate's worn away. 74 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,480 The activities that created the volcanic series were 75 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,000 relatively recent. And what we see now, 76 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,600 we're at the last stage of the formation of this landscape, 77 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,480 and so all these huge piles of debris 78 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:00,440 are really just bits of volcanic, er... 79 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,240 volcanic ash that have scattered around. 80 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,400 And then the glacier's came and pushed them around a bit more. 81 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,200 On our timescale we feel that we're doing something important, 82 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,640 trying to preserve what we can. 83 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,040 The balance between the natural erosion 84 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,280 and human intrusion accelerating it, 85 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,800 so this is probably the limit of where we go. 86 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,040 Beyond here, it is natural devastation 87 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,640 so, yeah, this is about as far as it gets. 88 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,200 The drain that I built many years ago. 89 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,440 Doesn't look very good. What's that saying? 90 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,000 But look at the stone. Look at that. 91 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,840 I put that here. I bet that was there originally. 92 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:39,760 Does remind me of that other drain on Yewbarrow, actually. 93 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:41,880 Last one on Mickledore. 94 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,160 And then over to Lingmell. 95 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,920 Oh, it's a fine drain this. A fine drain! Look at that. 96 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,320 What a face! Eh? 97 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:00,920 Nearly as good as this face. 98 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,520 I've lived here for the best part of 25 years. 99 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,960 Been coming to Cumbria since I was a small boy. 100 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,440 A friend, who used to be a governor at the school, 101 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,160 he was also a broadcaster. 102 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:22,840 He started making DVDs 103 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,320 about walks in the Lake District. 104 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,480 Videos in those days, they were. 105 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,360 And he asked me if I could come and help. 106 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:34,480 And that started me on my career as a researcher... 107 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,560 for walks. 108 00:08:37,560 --> 00:08:39,480 I mean, what could be better... 109 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,680 than being sent out to go and find a good walk 110 00:08:42,680 --> 00:08:46,760 and a few stories... and being paid for it? 111 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,840 I've just come up from Wasdale Head, 112 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,800 and off at the old pony track that goes 113 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,680 over from Wasdale Head into Seathwaite, in Borrowdale. 114 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:07,880 That's the original path that people would take, 115 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:09,760 especially if they were carrying goods. 116 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,280 A new route, of course, is the one that goes high up there, 117 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,680 traverses across the breast of Great Gable. 118 00:09:16,680 --> 00:09:20,640 It's a boring, tedious route, but this is far more exciting 119 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,120 because you come to things like this, the Emerald Pool. 120 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:28,760 A fabulous little pool, always has a green sheen to it. 121 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:30,320 No matter what the weather's like, 122 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:33,280 it always looks... Even looks inviting on a cold day. 123 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:36,920 Two streams running into it. 124 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,520 Natural little hollow. Perfect. 125 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:44,000 We're just going a little further on, across the stream and head off, 126 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,960 climbing steeply up towards Scafell Pike. 127 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,520 My favourite route up this mountain. 128 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,360 This is a second feature on this particular walk. 129 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,120 This is Piers Gill. 130 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,320 Now, whether Piers is a surname, 131 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:13,920 a Christian name, 132 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,440 whether he was male, female, we have no idea. 133 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,160 But this is Piers Gill, 134 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,920 and it gives its name to the route we are on. 135 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,440 Fantastic thing about this route is it hardly ever gets used. 136 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:30,400 It's not a scar going across the breast of the fell. 137 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,400 It's an indistinct path, one easy to follow. 138 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,280 Absolutely wonderful. 139 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,640 Piers Gill was the haunt of botanists. 140 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,280 They just love this place. Searching in the dark 141 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:47,080 and dank crevices for rare plants. 142 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:51,360 And one such botanist fell in there, 143 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,640 broke a leg, I believe, 144 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:56,480 and lay there for some considerable time. 145 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,800 I'm talking weeks, not days. 146 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,160 And lived on water until he was found and rescued. 147 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:04,600 And he survived. 148 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:07,000 Fabulous mountain. 149 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:13,960 Scafell's... Well, number one, they are the biggest. It's the biggest. 150 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:15,840 3,210 feet high. 151 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,480 It's the highest in England, and therefore that's got an appeal. 152 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,040 It brings people here because of that. 153 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:26,280 And I suppose that, for me, going up there is the highest. 154 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,680 Once you get to know the area, you can approach it from this side. 155 00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:31,480 You can't see it from Wasdale Head. 156 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,160 You have to come down the valley before you can actually see 157 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,240 up through Brown Tongue and see to the top. 158 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,720 And I think that's part of its charm, it's so big, it's remote. 159 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:45,040 When I was taking my young son up there, I used to say to him, he used 160 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,600 to say, "What happens if I get lost?" "You'll never get lost. 161 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,320 "Just walk downhill. 162 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:52,000 "You'll soon find somewhere." 163 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:54,960 But, um, he walked down into Upper Eskdale. 164 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,480 It's still a long way down to the nearest farm or the nearest 165 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,640 telephone box. But, er, 166 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:03,920 people seem to get frightened of these places, 167 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,600 but there really isn't anything to be really worried about. 168 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,720 That's not to say you shouldn't take care. 169 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,480 I'd have mountain rescue at me if I didn't actually say that. 170 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,720 But prepared, properly prepared, 171 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,840 and being able to turn round if the weather does come in bad. 172 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:21,840 You know, if it starts getting really cold 173 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:23,480 and you haven't got the right kit. 174 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,120 A lot of people just don't turn around and come back and say, 175 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,200 "We'll do it another day." 176 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:30,320 People don't make these good, 177 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,200 sound, mountaineering decisions that they should, um, 178 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:37,880 and that's quite often why people get into difficulties. 179 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,920 ROAR OF RUSHING WATER 180 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,240 That's the end of the Piers Gill route. 181 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:07,080 It joins up onto the superhighway, which is the corridor route. 182 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,320 And we're now going to break off 183 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:13,120 and head up to Broad Crag Col. 184 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,560 There's a little bit of snow still lingering in there, 185 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:18,720 even though it's a beautiful spring day. 186 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:20,080 It'll be good fun. 187 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:03,720 Well, made it to the top. And once again, I'm not alone. 188 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,480 I've never been up here when I've been on my own. 189 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,120 There's always somebody else up here. 190 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:11,160 They say some... 191 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,800 In the region of 250,000 people get up here every year. 192 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:16,960 It's, er... 193 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,600 We don't need many more to make that number now. 194 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:23,120 But the view from here is absolutely splendid. 195 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,120 Scafell across the way there. 196 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,120 Just this huge barrier of rock. Just... 197 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,800 almost says, "Go away. 198 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:33,760 "You can't get up here." 199 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:37,240 And then there's a great panorama right round. 200 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,080 All my favourite, local Wasdale fells. 201 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,840 Seatallan, Buckbarrow, Middle Fell, Yewbarrow. 202 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,760 The summit cairn, which is massive and has got steps 203 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,480 so you can get onto the top of it, 204 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,360 can hold many, many people. 205 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,680 It's probably the biggest in the Lake District. 206 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:58,360 Also here's a memorial to all the men of the Lake District 207 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,080 who fell during the First World War. 208 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:05,080 It was given to the nation by Lord Leconfield. 209 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,960 I've enjoyed the Lake District 210 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:01,880 and Scafell before 211 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:04,760 and decided to bring my daughter to come and sample it. 212 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:09,520 How have you found it so far? Erm, it's been all right. 213 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:14,600 Haven't really liked the wind but it's good anyway. 214 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,840 It's beautiful. You can see for absolutely miles today! 215 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,880 We were told we could see Scotland, Wales, Ireland from up here. 216 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,000 We can see about 30 yards! 217 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,920 I've managed to get to the top of Scafell Pike. 218 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:32,600 It's my first big mountain walk and I'm quite chuffed with myself. 219 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,200 I'm just looking forward to the nice stroll down now. 220 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,000 I'm Jeremy at the top of Scafell Pike. 221 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,320 Just climbed it for leisure today. 222 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,360 Enjoyed the challenge of it, 223 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:46,360 trying to get to the top of another mountain. So, thanks. 224 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,760 WALKERS CHAT IN BACKGROUND 225 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,560 RUSHING WATER 226 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,600 Well, the Lake District's always been very special to me. 227 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,480 It's not got the biggest mountains in the world but, you know... 228 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:07,520 By world standards 229 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:09,480 they are pimples, you know? 230 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,880 Scafell Pike here is 900 odd metres high. 231 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,600 It's not particularly big. 232 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,080 The Three Peaks Challenge is an interesting one 233 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,120 from the BMC's point of view. 234 00:17:21,120 --> 00:17:24,640 One of the most famous challenges that involve walking in the UK - 235 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:29,520 doing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours. 236 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,640 It's obviously a very popular challenge to do. 237 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:37,720 But it does have a dark side, with litter. Litter can be an issue. 238 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:39,880 You know, people just sort of dropping 239 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,560 what they've eaten on the side of the mountain. 240 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:47,240 Last year, a volunteer found an octopus on top of Scafell Pike. 241 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:52,640 You know, either you've got a very determined octopus 242 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,680 or somebody brought it up and for some reason decided 243 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,320 they'd discard it on the top of Scafell Pike. 244 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,080 But it can also have a massive impact on local residents 245 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,400 in hundreds of people who sort of turn up, 246 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:09,320 disturb local residents, go up, come back down and then go away again 247 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:13,000 and don't actually contribute anything to the local area. 248 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,480 One of the projects we've been involved with recently 249 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,200 is the Fix the Fells work on top of Calf Cove, 250 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,960 on the path leading up to the top of Scafell Pike. 251 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,840 Now, it's one of the most popular routes up Scafell Pike. 252 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:28,960 It's the one a lot of people doing the Three Peaks Challenge 253 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:30,080 take to the top. 254 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:33,880 As such, it sees thousands of visitors walking along that path 255 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:36,560 and a huge amount of visitor pressure. 256 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,840 The second part is what's called a cairn rationalisation, 257 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:43,200 but what that means is taking out cairns 258 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,520 which are unnecessary or misleading. 259 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:50,040 So, cairns are a part of mountain culture so, you know, 260 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,080 in an area with lots of rocks 261 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,720 and there's not particularly a clear path through it, 262 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:59,320 people will construct little piles of rocks that guide the way. 263 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:03,360 But over time, you can end up with sort of cairn anarchy 264 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:06,360 and you can end up with cairns in places where they shouldn't be 265 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:09,400 and which are actually quite misleading and can be dangerous. 266 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:14,080 So part of what the volunteers, the National Trust volunteers, 267 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:15,520 who did that work did 268 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:19,040 was to basically take out the unnecessary cairns. 269 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,200 OK, what we're doing here on this section of path is just 270 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,440 redefining the path surface. 271 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,880 There's lots of different routes that make their way 272 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,640 through this boulder field and we're just trying to make one 273 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,840 easily distinguishable, easy-to-walk-on route. 274 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:41,000 So what we're doing is taking out quite a few of the large boulders 275 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,440 that are blocking the main line of the path. 276 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:49,440 We're using those boulders to then block off alternative paths 277 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,080 that we don't want people to walk on any more. 278 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,680 So we've just been in the clag most of the day. 279 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,000 It's been, you know, fairly unremarkable. 280 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,400 We've just basically come out of all the murk and mist and emerged 281 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:11,920 to this completely different world where we're above the cloud now. 282 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,000 You know, it's the kind of thing you see when you come into the mountains 283 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:20,360 and it's very hard to describe how amazing it feels to be up here. 284 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:24,240 You know, it probably doesn't do it justice in pictures, really. 285 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:29,400 When you see moments like this, you realise that it was worth it 286 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,920 and that's what the BMC's work is all about. 287 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,240 It's about making sure we always have the right 288 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,240 to be in places like this and that we preserve the qualities 289 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,240 of the mountain environment that make it so special to us. 290 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:54,520 I can't believe we're here, can you? 291 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,480 This is my first ever time on Scafell Pike. Is it yours? 292 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,160 No, no, no. It's my second time. 293 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,680 Oh... I did it about three years ago. 294 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:04,960 The weather was a lot different then but it's absolutely gorgeous here. 295 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,160 The views are absolutely spectacular. 296 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,440 I've lived in Cumbria for nearly 20 years. 297 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,480 I can actually see Scafell Pike from my bedroom 298 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,080 but I've never actually climbed it. 299 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:14,920 So we decided that before I was 40 I'd do it. 300 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,920 And unfortunately, tomorrow is my 40th and I'm running out of time. 301 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,480 The children have actually beaten me. 302 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,080 We've got two children with us today 303 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,120 and it's the third of the Three Peaks for them 304 00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:26,280 so I'm quite proud of them for getting to the top. 305 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,320 I've been up here a few times now. 306 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,600 Mostly working with Duke of Edinburgh Award participants 307 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,160 and just making sure they're safe and enjoying the fells 308 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,960 and the beautiful, beautiful area around here. 309 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,000 What a great day to come up. 310 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,160 As you can see behind me, fantastic weather. 311 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:44,600 Not very often you get to the top of Scafell Pike 312 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,080 and get glorious sunshine. 313 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:48,400 And look at the views. They're to die for. 314 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,000 Why would you ever need to go abroad when you've got views like this? 315 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:32,600 SHEPHERD WHISTLES 316 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,000 HE WHISTLES 317 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,320 Steady now. 318 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,280 Come on, sheep. Come by there. 319 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,320 HE WHISTLES Come on. 320 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:47,160 They like it here. I don't know why. 321 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,400 Come on, Spider. Come on. 322 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,240 There couldn't be grass where they were but, er... 323 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,360 HE WHISTLES Hey! 324 00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:59,760 I'm Joss Naylor. I've lived in this valley now for 325 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:01,320 nearly 78 years. 326 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:05,760 I was born at Wasdale Head, a place called Middle Row. 327 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:08,840 I took up fell running 328 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:10,680 round about 1960. 329 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,520 There was a mountain trial at Wasdale Head. 330 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,920 At that time I'd never really done any mountain running. 331 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,960 I'd been injured. I had no running shoes or anything. 332 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:23,480 I just got my knife and cut the legs off my trousers 333 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:25,600 and went in my big work boots. 334 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,200 And I tell you what, it was absolute magic. 335 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,640 It was one of the greatest things I think I've ever done. 336 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,920 You know, when you're running well and this sort of thing 337 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,720 it's absolutely great, because I know when I did 338 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:38,840 the 72 peaks over 2,000ft, 339 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,800 it was one of those days when you just went out 340 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,240 and enjoyed the whole experience. 341 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,760 It just seemed like a dream, as though I would never, 342 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,240 ever do it in 24 hours. 343 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,760 And going on to Scafell in 47 minutes. 344 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:58,000 It was something... It wasn't set up or anything like that. 345 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,720 And I had my friend with us, John Sutherland. 346 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,280 I said, "Just time us and I'll have a run up Pike." 347 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,240 I said, "I've come. I might as well do it." 348 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:08,080 And I went up the river. 349 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,720 I didn't go up Brown Tongue, I went up Little Brown Tongue. 350 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:15,000 And I seemed to change up about three gears and just legged it right out. 351 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,000 And I took a direct line to the end of Pikes Crag 352 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,480 and I sprinted across to the... 353 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,960 I touched the cairn and I set off back down. 354 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:29,160 I was legging it down there pretty fast and the helicopter come 355 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:34,920 and the old commanding officer said to the film man, 356 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:38,360 who was taking a film of the Three Peaks for them, 357 00:24:38,360 --> 00:24:42,200 he said, "Hells bells! I've never seen anything like that in my life!" 358 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,160 He said, "It's like a bloody mountain goat going!" 359 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,160 He said, "Just film that bloke down to the bottom." 360 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,240 Anyway, I got down to the bottom and I said to John, 361 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:54,080 "How long's that took?" And he said, "47 minutes." 362 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:58,480 And I never thought another thing about it until years after. 363 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,480 It was something special. 364 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:39,760 I don't come from mountain lakeland. I'm a Cotswold farmer originally. 365 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,320 But I always aspired to come to the Lake District 366 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,640 and I've always loved wild places. 367 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:52,040 In my early 20s I got to know Alfred Wainwright 368 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,080 and that was a huge transition in my life. 369 00:25:55,080 --> 00:26:00,560 Primarily because I was dyslexic - I didn't read - but I loved drawing, 370 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:04,000 and I shared a passion for line drawing with AW. 371 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,040 So I had a unique entry into the great outdoors 372 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,120 through the prism of Alfred Wainwright. 373 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:13,840 And it gave me the confidence to start writing my own guidebooks. 374 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:17,120 I did the Cotswold Way to start with and I did other routes. 375 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:21,160 But ultimately, I felt my destiny was here in the Lake District. 376 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,880 And I'm here today, studying the paths as I go along it 377 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,440 and remembering what it was like - how long ago was it? - 378 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,120 about eight years ago when I did the midwestern fells. 379 00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:33,800 That's what this category of fells around here are for me. 380 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,240 The National Trust have done a tremendous job in this area. 381 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:41,320 Many people criticise the hard paths but I can assure you, 382 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,600 the fells are better for all they work they've done. 383 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:47,720 And ultimately, walkers are better off. 384 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:49,800 But you can still explore. 385 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,200 And getting away from those hard, pitch paths is the most obvious 386 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:57,880 thing for many walkers to do, to really get to know these fells. 387 00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:22,800 I'm standing on the westernmost point of Esk Rigs Crag on Esk Pike. 388 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:27,880 Now, this drawing was taken a little further down at Pike de Bield Moss. 389 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,400 But because of the temperature inversion 390 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,720 I'm unable to get to that position. 391 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:39,960 But nonetheless, you can still see Esk Buttress and Scafell Pike 392 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,960 and Little Narrowcove and Ill Crag, 393 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:45,960 which are majestically seen from this spot. 394 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:50,640 So, wherever you stand on this southerly ridge of Esk Pike, 395 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:55,120 you are sure to be wowed by Scafell Pike. 396 00:27:55,120 --> 00:27:58,800 And the joy of turning it into something as enduring 397 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,400 as a pen and ink drawing is something that thrills me. 398 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,960 And there are numerous angles here that I could capture 399 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:11,120 that would instil this magic of the wild Scafell massif. 400 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:25,440 These mountains have a special emotional attachment to me. 401 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:28,280 I love the little summit of Slight Side, for example. 402 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:34,200 And I got great pleasure in scrambling up Cam Spout Crag. 403 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,960 Seldom climbed, it's seemed, by the average walker, 404 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:40,000 but it gets you up onto Long Green 405 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:44,040 and you look across the combe towards Ill Crag. 406 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:48,520 My very special place is Pen, above Esk Buttress. 407 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:51,640 Where you're really intimate with Little Narrowcove, 408 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,160 which spills great crags and scree 409 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:58,280 in a way that you can't comprehend from any other aspect. 410 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,880 And I really love being on Ill Crag itself. 411 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,720 Cos, again, you're looking down on Pen and down into 412 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,880 Little Narrowcove and up and across to Scafell Pike itself. 413 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:12,920 And this is always very special. 414 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,280 When you can find these special places, 415 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:17,960 you can find the little combes like Foxes Tarn, 416 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:22,040 and the greater combe that runs around towards Cam Spout Crag 417 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,640 and then Little Narrowcove itself, 418 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,960 which is an amazing valley that rises raw and craggy 419 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,000 right up to Broad Crag Col. 420 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,240 Seldom climbed. 421 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:36,080 And you get to that point and there's a procession of happy souls, 422 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:39,480 all thinking they're on the only path that's worthy of being on. 423 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,440 And yet you know different when you're there. 424 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,440 What we're experiencing here at Wasdale Show is something that... 425 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:33,560 is an unbroken link that goes back 426 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:34,880 over hundreds of years, 427 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,960 through the farming life of these valley heads. 428 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:39,960 And this is the most spectacular 429 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,200 valley head in the whole of Britain. 430 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,920 But it's not... They call it a show but it isn't really a show. 431 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:46,760 It's a shepherd's meet. 432 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:50,880 It's a shepherd's meet because the shepherds used to come into here 433 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:54,320 with all the stray sheep, that have come 434 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:56,560 from all the hefted flocks around the place, 435 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,680 and they would exchange sheep. 436 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,320 You'd have a few whiskys and go home after two or three days 437 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,880 with raging hangovers and the wrong sheep. 438 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,480 Walking back over the passes. Indeed, yeah. 439 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:10,560 Well... In any weather. Well, stumbling, maybe. Yeah. 440 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:14,600 And then, when the shepherds got together, they not only drank, 441 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,200 they also had competitions among themselves - 442 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,240 who had the best boots? Who had the best crook? 443 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,720 Who could run fastest up a hill? 444 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:26,560 Who could wrestle? Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, you know. 445 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:28,760 The only place where you'll see a man 446 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,280 wearing his knickers on the outside with some embroidery on. 447 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,560 BACKGROUND CHATTER 448 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:43,200 INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT 449 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:49,240 BOY: Erm, well, we're mostly here to, like, 450 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:55,000 bring sheep to boost business when we're selling and, like, 451 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:59,200 last Saturday there was a Cockermouth tup sale that we sold tups at. 452 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:03,920 And one made 3,000 and that's beat us here today with our own sheep. 453 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:06,840 So one of our own beat us! 454 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,360 You get a kind of mixture of tups. 455 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:13,080 You get the hard coated, which have been at fell all year 456 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:17,760 and you get a bit smoother which haven't been to the fell as often. 457 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:22,680 Around here, you'll get the rough coated. And down the lowlands, 458 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:26,680 you'll get all smooth and soft coated that's not really that good. 459 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,200 This show is always very well patronised by 460 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,000 the Herdwick sheep breeders. 461 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,840 This morning you'll see the best sheep 462 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,760 probably anywhere in the Lake District. 463 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:41,560 It's been a good summer, a good back end, 464 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:44,920 and you'll never see them any fitter than they are today. 465 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:48,440 It's a credit to the flockmasters who've brought them. 466 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:51,200 They've got a good length sheep and a good coloured sheep. 467 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:55,880 A lot of these sheep are no longer fell sheep. They've become spoiled. 468 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:16,520 Yeah, we're here at the Wasdale Show today for a number of reasons. 469 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:19,840 One of the reasons being we're the rescue team that looks after 470 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,560 the Wasdale and Eskdale valleys 471 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:25,880 and we're here to support the local farmers, 472 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:28,640 and the local shops and businesses, 473 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,920 and basically to show people that we're actually here. 474 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:35,440 We're quite a busy team. 475 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:43,400 And sometimes we rely quite a lot on the local people for their charity. 476 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:45,680 We're also here to raise money 477 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:49,480 so there'll be people visiting the valley from far and wide 478 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,840 just so they can learn a bit more about the team and hopefully, 479 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,840 at the same time, drop a little donation in 480 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:58,840 to keep our charity running. 481 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,840 That's fine. Thank you. Is that OK? That's all right. 482 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:05,600 DISTORTED ANNOUNCEMENT 483 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,920 OVER PA: 'Anybody want to win a prize who's got a beard? 484 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:14,600 'Come into the tent, please.' 485 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:19,000 You have to judge them on colour as well, you see. Texture. 486 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:24,360 Can I just say very quietly, at this year's Wasdale Head Show, 487 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:25,880 and last year's, 488 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:30,080 David Powell-Thompson won the Best Beard competition. 489 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:34,120 THEY CHEER 490 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:35,880 It's just maintaining a long tradition. 491 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:37,720 Even though I'm not a shepherd, 492 00:34:37,720 --> 00:34:40,760 I've still been coming here for 23 years and I'll be coming here 493 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:43,800 until the day I can't come here any more. Absolutely. 494 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:48,480 It's a great honour, actually. 495 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:52,520 A lot of effort goes into keeping this just the way it is, you know. 496 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:53,960 And yeah, 497 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,960 It'll go next to the last year's first prize as well. 498 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:00,160 In the strands, that is. 499 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,400 EDITOR: What does the money go on that you win? 500 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,920 The money? I will spend the money on beer. 501 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,400 It's the one day of the year that I ring-fence in my diary. 502 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:10,440 And I don't care. 503 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:13,080 Somebody could come along and offer me double, treble, 504 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,480 quadruple the rate for the job, I'll say no. 505 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:19,680 The Wasdale Head Show is sacrosanct. 506 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:50,120 I first came to the Lake District about 31 or 32 years ago 507 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:52,360 and it's always meant 508 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:54,760 so much to my wife and I. 509 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,240 We'd gone to the other side to Brotherswater 510 00:35:57,240 --> 00:36:01,440 and two or three days in we were going down Wordsworth's Cottage 511 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:03,760 and my wife didn't feel too well. 512 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:06,480 And we went to the guide and said, 513 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:09,240 "Really sorry, but don't want to interrupt everything 514 00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:11,080 "but my wife doesn't feel too good." 515 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,080 So she said, "Dear, dear. 516 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,480 "Go into the garden but whatever you do, 517 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:17,520 "please don't be sick on the daffodils." 518 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:20,880 And it's something that's always resonated with us 519 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,160 for the simple reason that we realised then 520 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:27,000 that Irene was pregnant with our first son, David. 521 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,560 And the Lake District, since that particular point, 522 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,600 has become incredibly poignant to us. 523 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,000 I particularly love Wastwater. 524 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:39,840 There is something about this specific location 525 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:41,880 that just hits you here. 526 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:45,640 And when you look at Scafell and Scafell Pike, 527 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,840 it isn't this huge, dominant turret 528 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:52,240 that stands out amongst everything else. 529 00:36:52,240 --> 00:36:54,520 But it has a majesty to it. 530 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:57,360 You see the two sides of the Pike and Scafell 531 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:01,920 and it's almost like a king and queen, looking down upon everything. 532 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,560 And it fits in beautifully. 533 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:08,120 It's dominant without being over dominant. 534 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:12,040 But the beauty of that particular fell is there's so much to it. 535 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:15,720 So many facets. And I think that gets missed sometimes. 536 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:18,160 You see some of the sunrises 537 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:21,560 and sunsets here that are just absolutely staggering. 538 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:26,440 You get this incredible pink and orange light which is just surreal. 539 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:29,520 I thought I'd try something out, something I've never done before, 540 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:33,040 and went completely against the grain. 541 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:35,760 Brought the iPod with me, 542 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:40,120 settled myself here about half five one morning 543 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:47,720 and just as the sun was beginning to rise over the back of Gable... 544 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:53,120 ..I put on this piece of music that meant so much to me. 545 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,520 The feeling that was engendered... 546 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:57,800 Wow! 547 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:02,560 It's just something that you can't replicate cos you only have 548 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:06,440 this sort of 10 or 15 minute window for sunrise or sunsets. 549 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:11,000 I took out the earbuds and just listened. And I was... 550 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:15,080 I think I was probably the only person on this water. 551 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:19,400 And the feeling of specialty was just unbelievable. 552 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:25,600 Ravens were going overhead then. You could hear the Herdwicks. Staggering. 553 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:27,640 Just staggering. 554 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:02,400 Yeah, it's quite unique, Wasdale. 555 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:05,240 I mean, everywhere has the four seasons 556 00:39:05,240 --> 00:39:09,080 but each season here in Wasdale is very different to another. 557 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:12,600 And there's different jobs throughout the year we have to do. 558 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:15,680 We're currently in autumn and, yeah, it's a little bit frosty 559 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,720 this morning, a bit chilly, 560 00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:20,720 hence we decided to have a bit of a warm up after work. 561 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:26,160 But, yeah, the process at the moment is basically breeding for next year 562 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:29,600 so whether that's the goats or the Herdwicks that we have, 563 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:32,400 we've got to plan for next year. 564 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:34,400 And a lot of work goes into getting 565 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:36,640 the tups ready and the billies ready. 566 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,360 We need to make sure they're fighting fit and strong 567 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,240 so that beforehand they all get extra feed 568 00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:46,240 and build up their strength. So that when they go out to the girls, 569 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:48,400 because of the amount of work they have to do, 570 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:52,800 they lose a lot of weight, a lot of... 571 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:55,600 They put a lot of energy into the work they do. 572 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:59,440 So they lose a lot of condition throughout the breeding time. 573 00:40:16,440 --> 00:40:17,520 Steady. 574 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:22,520 Good girl. Good girl. Steady on. 575 00:40:24,240 --> 00:40:26,360 Steady on. That's it, good girl. 576 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:27,680 Good girl. 577 00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:32,600 And down. Good girl! 578 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:34,360 Good girl. 579 00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:40,640 She's a top dog, top dog! Good girl. 580 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:44,360 But, yeah, the Herdwicks come down from the fells. 581 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:48,000 All the breeding is done on the in-bye land. 582 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,760 And the goats as well. They come down from the high ground 583 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:54,160 and they do all the breeding as well on the lower in-bye land. 584 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:55,560 It's... 585 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:58,560 It obviously adds to the... 586 00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:04,320 ..the diversity of the work from being either up on the higher ground 587 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,400 and then the animals being on the lower pasture ground. 588 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:09,720 For the Herdwicks themselves, 589 00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:13,960 they're not overly keen on being on low, flat, square fields. 590 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:18,040 By the time their breeding season's out of the way, 591 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:20,000 they're telling you they want to go. 592 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,720 They're knocking walls down, they're clambering over fences. 593 00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:26,560 You can tell when it's time for the Herdwicks to go back to the fells. 594 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:33,600 Steady on. 595 00:41:40,240 --> 00:41:44,160 Herdwick sheep's an important breed of sheep for this part 596 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:48,880 of the Lake District. It is the figurehead of the Lake District. 597 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:52,680 It's what makes the Lake District looks like it does. 598 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:58,280 So, when you're out walking the fells, climbing the mountains, 599 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:02,400 just take a moment of your time and look around and see why it looks 600 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:06,040 the way it does. And that's because of the Herdwick sheep 601 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:09,000 and the generations of farmers that have farmed these valleys, 602 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:13,760 and these fells, that make it look the way it does for you to enjoy. 603 00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:56,520 SIREN COMES ON AND GOES OFF 604 00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:08,120 THEY CHAT INDISTINCTLY 605 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:16,600 The Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team are based in Gosforth, 606 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:19,240 which covers the valleys of Eskdale and Wasdale. 607 00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:21,240 We are quite a busy team. 608 00:43:21,240 --> 00:43:23,960 We deal with lots of things, from the sad fatalities, 609 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:25,680 to just dealing with people who need 610 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:27,560 a bit of a helping hand on the Fell. 611 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:29,960 They just need a bit of a telephone call to tell them, 612 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,040 "Yeah, you're on the right path, keep going." 613 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:35,120 But also, every now and then, we get called out to help the local farmers, 614 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:36,600 the communities, and we'll go out 615 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:38,560 if the farmer's got a sheep that's cragfast. 616 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:41,680 We have been called out once to a cow that was missing up on Scafell, 617 00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:43,960 and some of the team turned out to that. 618 00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:46,960 Nowadays, we do ask ourselves some certain questions before we go out, 619 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:49,680 especially in the summer season when the Three Peaks Challenge 620 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:51,200 is going on, we need to be thinking, 621 00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:52,760 "Well, do we want to turn the team out 622 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:55,200 "at one o'clock in the morning to get some lost people?" 623 00:43:55,200 --> 00:43:56,400 And then the team are tired, 624 00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:58,520 so we start looking at, "Well, is a life that risk? 625 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:00,880 "Is there any medical problems? Is anybody injured?" 626 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:03,280 If there's no severe weather forecast, the chances are, 627 00:44:03,280 --> 00:44:05,600 if people have got the right equipment, we are going to 628 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:07,960 leave them and expect them to come out in the morning, 629 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:10,840 that is general mountaineering. People should start to recognise 630 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:12,760 that they should be doing that in some cases. 631 00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:24,680 And I think it's important for people to remember that we are 632 00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:27,960 a voluntary organisation when they make that call. 633 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:30,840 We are coming from work. We may be coming from dinner, 634 00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:33,600 or we may be taking our wives out for a nice meal. 635 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:35,280 It never goes down very well. 636 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:37,240 So people need to remember that sometimes, 637 00:44:37,240 --> 00:44:40,920 that we are volunteers, we come out of our own good will to do this job. 638 00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:46,920 So, just sit yourself there. 639 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:49,720 Do you recall losing consciousness at all? 640 00:44:49,720 --> 00:44:52,440 I went a bit delirious at the start, yeah. 641 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:55,480 So, Scafell Pike usually attracts most of our attention. 642 00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:59,000 England's highest mountain and all. We get all sorts of rescues up there. 643 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:03,040 So, you know, we get the odd turned ankle. 644 00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:05,280 There was one recently where we had a turned ankle. 645 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:08,160 The husband thought it was just a simple twist and we got up there, 646 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:10,320 and it was quite a nasty fractured dislocation. 647 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:12,160 We get really serious ones. 648 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:15,000 The serious ones on Scafell Pike tend to be around 649 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:16,520 Broadstand's sort of area. 650 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:20,640 People venture onto Broadstand, slip on the rock and, unfortunately, 651 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:22,440 usually fatality. 652 00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:26,840 But winter approaches, people tend to be going out without crampons 653 00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:30,640 and ice axe, and you just tend to attract a few more incidents, 654 00:45:30,640 --> 00:45:34,520 twisted ankles, but we do get the odd serious one where, you know, 655 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:38,240 people have taken considerable falls from the top 656 00:45:38,240 --> 00:45:40,240 of Lord's Rake path, for example. 657 00:45:40,240 --> 00:45:46,240 We had a devastating fatality just on the Lord's Rake path last year. 658 00:45:46,240 --> 00:45:48,840 I think it was December sort of time. 659 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:52,840 He took a fall and he come down the front of Red Gill area. 660 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:56,560 It was quite a sad time for the family. Yeah, he was in a bad way. 661 00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:04,880 Well, today 662 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:08,080 I'm exploring slightly lower down this area. 663 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:09,920 This side of Scafell 664 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:13,280 on the Lakes I think is the wildest side. 665 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:15,760 Here, it's quite complex terrain. 666 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:18,680 There's all sorts of interesting little knolls. 667 00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:20,880 There's little bowls, there's streams, 668 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:22,960 there's waterfalls, there's pools, 669 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:24,720 so it's changing all the time. 670 00:46:24,720 --> 00:46:27,560 You're in this fantastic bowl of hills, 671 00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:31,480 stretching right round from Crinkle Crag, right the way round 672 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:35,520 to Bowfell and Esk Pike to Scafell, which is behind me. 673 00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:43,720 Well, I've been exploring round these crags, 674 00:46:43,720 --> 00:46:48,160 and it's really quite interesting what you find and what you see. 675 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:54,440 On the crags behind me here, you can see a line of dark juniper bushes 676 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:57,600 growing on soil on the cliffs themselves. 677 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:00,000 But there's none above and below there 678 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:02,000 and that's because of the sheep. 679 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:04,680 And that's one of the things with this landscape. 680 00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:09,880 Whilst it feels really wild, it's not an untouched wilderness. 681 00:47:09,880 --> 00:47:13,440 If there were no sheep, there would be juniper bushes 682 00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:16,600 and probably other trees scattered all over this area. 683 00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:20,480 As it is, they can only grow where the sheep, good though the sheep are 684 00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:23,400 at some mountaineering, but there's a limit to what they can do, 685 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:26,200 and if the sheep can't get there, the bushes can grow. 686 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:32,440 One of the great things about wild camping somewhere like this 687 00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:35,440 is that because I'm staying in one place for a while, 688 00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:40,240 while I'm in camp, I can look at the hills and see the details, 689 00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:44,600 see the changes as the hours go by in a way that, if you're walking, 690 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:49,040 you miss because you're moving on. And it's always a different view - 691 00:47:49,040 --> 00:47:53,360 I'm seeing new details, new bits and pieces, little valleys, and so on. 692 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:34,840 One of the great things about being here at night is that you can see 693 00:48:34,840 --> 00:48:38,320 the whole sky. There's no light pollution at all. 694 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:43,280 There's no glow on the horizon from even a house, let alone a town. 695 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:47,440 So, when the stars are out, everything is absolutely 696 00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:49,400 clear and sharp. 697 00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:52,120 At the moment, there's the moon, there's some stars, 698 00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:54,000 there's drifting clouds. 699 00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:57,040 But it's all natural, it's all what's up in the sky, 700 00:48:57,040 --> 00:48:59,920 that's not affected by town lights. 701 00:50:25,720 --> 00:50:29,040 I'm Alan Hinkes, mountaineer and mountain guide. 702 00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:32,280 I've climbed all over the world but I love climbing in Britain. 703 00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:40,120 It's an absolutely brilliant place to rock climb and winter climb. 704 00:50:40,120 --> 00:50:44,040 You can see the black streaks where icicles form and then, 705 00:50:44,040 --> 00:50:46,840 behind me, is the main cliff with all the famous climbs on, 706 00:50:46,840 --> 00:50:50,920 like Botterills Slab, Central Buttress, Moss Gill, Steep Gill, 707 00:50:50,920 --> 00:50:53,840 Deep Gill, you can see the full nine yards. 708 00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:57,200 Fantastic. One of the best cliffs in the British Isles. 709 00:50:57,200 --> 00:50:59,800 In fact, one of the best cliffs in the world. 710 00:50:59,800 --> 00:51:02,320 It's just sheer quality, from bottom to top. 711 00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:04,800 And you can have a fantastic experience. 712 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:07,720 You can have a whole day out on the Scafells. 713 00:51:07,720 --> 00:51:11,800 Usually, you need a whole day to get something done, a long day in winter. 714 00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:15,200 You'll set off predawn and come back in the dark with a head torch. 715 00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:19,840 This is Mickledore, which is between Scafell and Scafell Pike. 716 00:51:19,840 --> 00:51:23,680 It's a rocky col that separates Wasdale from Eskdale. 717 00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:26,000 And I came up here as a teenager, 718 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:29,320 one of my first big fell walks I ever did. 719 00:51:29,320 --> 00:51:32,320 And I stayed in Black Sail Youth Hostel, 720 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:35,720 and then I came over here to Mickledore, intending to get 721 00:51:35,720 --> 00:51:40,160 to Scafell Pike, and I got sucked in in the mist, the clag, the cloud. 722 00:51:40,160 --> 00:51:45,160 So I managed to get up here and I bivouacked here in the cloud, 723 00:51:45,160 --> 00:51:48,800 bivouacked in the thick mist next to this rescue box. 724 00:51:48,800 --> 00:51:51,160 I actually thought it was going to be a hut, 725 00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:55,160 so I spent a night here alone in the mist. 726 00:51:55,160 --> 00:51:58,920 And then, afterwards, I carried on up to the top of Scafell Pike. 727 00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:03,960 But this place is absolutely rich in climbing and walking heritage. 728 00:52:03,960 --> 00:52:07,920 You've got Broadstand here, which leads up to the top of Scafell, 729 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:11,240 but that's not to be attempted by hillwalkers. 730 00:52:11,240 --> 00:52:13,920 In fact, a lot of climbers can't even do Broadstand. 731 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:15,800 It's never been done by Wainwright. 732 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:19,520 I think it was possibly the first climb ever done or ever recorded 733 00:52:19,520 --> 00:52:21,800 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. 734 00:52:21,800 --> 00:52:26,480 The Scafells definitely feed my passion for the hills 735 00:52:26,480 --> 00:52:30,320 AND the mountains, whether it be rock climbing in summer, 736 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:32,720 on the fantastic cliffs, 737 00:52:32,720 --> 00:52:35,800 or winter mountaineering, snow, and ice climbing 738 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:37,880 they've just got everything you need. 739 00:52:37,880 --> 00:52:41,000 Sometimes it's frustrating cos the weather can be very, 740 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:44,160 very inclement, very bad, and then you can't get out and do anything. 741 00:52:44,160 --> 00:52:46,400 So it's pleasure. 742 00:52:46,400 --> 00:52:49,800 You could almost say it's pleasure and pain on the Scafells, 743 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:53,480 and certainly a test of your stamina and resilience and determination. 744 00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:56,840 They're as testing as any mountain. 745 00:52:56,840 --> 00:52:59,680 You only need to go out for a day, really, on the Scafells, 746 00:52:59,680 --> 00:53:04,400 and get back for a decent pint and a meal unless you get benighted, 747 00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:06,800 or unless you decide to go and camp. 748 00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:08,840 Fat Man's Agony, here we go. 749 00:53:18,080 --> 00:53:19,680 Squeeze through this. 750 00:53:26,680 --> 00:53:30,560 Open up, get me arm stuck, so I've got to bite it off to escape. 751 00:53:41,840 --> 00:53:46,520 So many accidents happen here. People try to descend it in the summer. 752 00:53:47,840 --> 00:53:51,000 Some people have mooted putting a ladder. I think that would only 753 00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:54,400 increase accidents cos it would encourage more people to come here. 754 00:53:54,400 --> 00:53:56,280 Let's hope it doesn't get any wetter. 755 00:54:00,160 --> 00:54:01,600 That's wet. 756 00:54:03,280 --> 00:54:06,440 Some wet hand holes here. Other than that, the rock's not too bad. 757 00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:11,320 People often ask me to compare the 8,000 metre peaks, 758 00:54:11,320 --> 00:54:16,840 like Everest and K2, to the Scafells. It's not really... 759 00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:19,880 There's not really a comparison as such, other than 760 00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:24,120 they're all mountains, and Scafell is, obviously, a lot smaller. 761 00:54:24,120 --> 00:54:27,200 In many ways, I'd rather be on Scafell than Everest or K2 762 00:54:27,200 --> 00:54:30,640 because you can have a fantastic experience and it's just a day trip, 763 00:54:30,640 --> 00:54:33,440 or you can go and camp and have a couple of days there. 764 00:54:33,440 --> 00:54:39,680 To commit to Everest or K2 is accepting that you may get killed. 765 00:54:39,680 --> 00:54:42,600 Well, I don't think I'm going to get up this slimy rock today. 766 00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:47,440 It's still draining from the winter and there's a lot of lichen 767 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:50,440 and moss on it, so it's very greasy and slippery. 768 00:54:50,440 --> 00:54:54,880 And the holes are slabby, slipping out, not any good... 769 00:54:54,880 --> 00:54:58,560 particularly good hand holes, and even a bit of overhanging rock here. 770 00:54:58,560 --> 00:55:01,560 So I think retreat is the better part of valour. 771 00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:05,160 No point in dying on this. 772 00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:09,720 So, this is Broadstand, a very tricky, rocky step, 773 00:55:09,720 --> 00:55:12,960 not to be recommended to hillwalkers or fellwalkers. 774 00:55:12,960 --> 00:55:14,840 It's not the way up Scafell. 775 00:55:19,600 --> 00:55:22,200 Or it's not an easy way up Scafell anyway. 776 00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:25,160 In summer, if you're a rock climber, it may be possible. 777 00:55:26,520 --> 00:55:28,440 But it's very tricky. 778 00:55:28,440 --> 00:55:32,960 And a slip has generally very serious or fatal consequences here. 779 00:55:32,960 --> 00:55:34,720 So I'd better get down. 780 00:55:38,600 --> 00:55:41,240 Not laughing. I'd better get down! 781 00:55:43,880 --> 00:55:47,240 Tell you what, don't you know the rescue team? 782 00:55:47,240 --> 00:55:50,720 Could they get to the top and lower me a rope, do you think? 783 00:55:50,720 --> 00:55:53,480 The Wasdale Rescue Team. "Wasdale Rescue Team!" 784 00:55:53,480 --> 00:55:55,560 Yeah, that'd be embarrassing. 785 00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:58,840 Just nip round to the top and lower me a rope. 786 00:55:58,840 --> 00:56:00,880 I'll get down. 787 00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:02,200 I hope. 788 00:56:03,480 --> 00:56:05,760 In winter, the whole area can change. 789 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:08,840 It sort of has, in a way, menacing friendliness. 790 00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:12,640 I mean, the whole area seems friendly to me. It's like an old mate. 791 00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:15,040 I love going back to Scafell. 792 00:56:15,040 --> 00:56:17,440 You could be going up in a blizzard, 793 00:56:17,440 --> 00:56:19,880 fighting against the teeth of a gale, or, if you're lucky, 794 00:56:19,880 --> 00:56:24,480 it can be fantastic blue skies and crisp, perfect snow and ice. 795 00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:27,880 Like any mountains, though, the Scafells shouldn't be underestimated. 796 00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:32,400 In fact, I often point out to people I've been avalanched on Great End. 797 00:56:32,400 --> 00:56:33,880 People can't believe it. 798 00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:36,600 They say, "What, you've been avalanched in the Lake District?" 799 00:56:36,600 --> 00:56:40,200 And, yeah, I escaped by the skin of my teeth. 800 00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:44,640 It was me who set the avalanche off at the top of a climb on Great End. 801 00:56:44,640 --> 00:56:48,720 I'd soloed without ropes up a Grade IV route, 802 00:56:48,720 --> 00:56:50,760 through Grade III, IV. 803 00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:53,720 Somehow, I managed to crab crawl and swim out of the avalanche, 804 00:56:53,720 --> 00:56:55,200 and got away. 805 00:56:55,200 --> 00:56:59,000 Whenever I'm mountaineering, rock climbing, or ice climbing, 806 00:56:59,000 --> 00:57:02,240 or even just fellwalking, I feel in my element. 807 00:57:02,240 --> 00:57:05,520 That's when I feel alive, in the Scafells. 808 00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:07,520 I'm as alive as anywhere. 809 00:57:07,520 --> 00:57:11,640 It just feels like you're on one of the best mountains 810 00:57:11,640 --> 00:57:14,200 in the world really, and it's fantastic. 811 00:57:14,200 --> 00:57:17,480 Other peaks in the Lakes and all over Britain, but, for me, 812 00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:20,600 I've just got to be out in the fells and then that's it.