Number in series 70; Year of publication 1986 - Fell and Rock ...

SCAFELL CENTRAL BUTTRESSG.S.SansomReprinted from the FRCC Journal, No. 8, 1914Some two years ago, Herford and I, in an inquisitive spirit, climbed up agrassy scoop leading out of Moss Ghyll on to the Central Buttress. We did notseriously believe that we should find a new climb on this rock face, for it appearsto be singularly unbroken and almost vertical for over two hundred feet. It was,however, an unknown region, and as such appealed to us.The scoop was not very difficult and we were soon looking around a corner atthe top along a narrow grassy ledge which apparently extended right across theface to Botterill's Slab. The rocks fell away very steeply below and a sheersmooth wall rose up to a great height above: its regularity was interrupted at onepoint, it is true, by an enormous rock flake which tapered out to nothing 70 feethigher. For some obscure reason this ledge suggested vague possibilities, whichwe did not fully appreciate at the time. The Great Flake looked quite hopeless asa means of ascent and we dismissed the idea at once and concentrated ourattention on the Moss Ghyll side of the buttress, which was broken up by rightangledcorners running upwards from west to east at a uniform angle of 65°.The nearest of these corners stopped us in less than 30 feet, but we determinedto try the next. It appeared difficult of access from this ledge: accordingly adescent to the Ghyll, and an awkward traverse from the top of the next pitchwas effected. I climbed up this groove with some difficulty until the slab on theleft almost gave out and upward progress seemed scarcely feasible; the grooveimmediately on my right continued upwards for a considerable distance, but thetraverse into it appeared too difficult and I returned to Herford. We thereupondecided to give up the attempt and climb Pisgah Buttress instead. We did so,with searching eyes on the rock face which had so successfully repulsed us, andI for one returned to Wastdale with the opinion that Central Buttress would notgo-That day's work was not, however, wasted, for it led indirectly to thediscovery of the Girdle Traverse, inasmuch as it apparently demonstrated thepossibility of reaching Botterill's Slab from Moss Ghyll and thus over-comingthe most serious obstacle to the expedition. Some three months later Herfordmade the second ascent of Botterill's Slab, and a few days afterwards the GirdleTraverse was completed. My belief, that the ledge on the Central Buttressactually joined the Slab, was founded on insufficient data, and the credit for thediscovery of a feasible connection between the two is due to H.B.Gibson.Consideration of other climbs, which led up apparently impossible butactually feasible rocks, impressed on us the necessity of not judging byappearances, but of trying all places, however impossible or impracticable theylooked. The proverb "Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the113