Author: Brian Evans

Publisher: Cicerone

ISBN: 978-1-85284-443-1

Brian Evans has enjoyed a lifetime love of the outdoors and now he is retired after a career in printing and publishing.

He has climbed, skied and camped in many parts of Europe and also North America but despite this, he always returns to the wonderful Lake District which still has a special place in his heart.

Brian prefers to explore and climb out-of-the-way places, especially when his main passion since childhood, rock, can be found and scrambled. He has always had a love of adventure sports which include pot-holing and wild-water canoeing.

Just recently and with much encouragement from his grandson, Brian has now taken up mountain biking.

He now lives at home in Lancashire with wife, Aileen, and collie, Meg. When Brian is not drawing or painting, he is planning his next adventure.

Scrambles in the Lake District is a good guide for anyone who wishes to take up this activity. It is packed full of useful information on how best to scale rocks found in the Southern Lakes.

At the beginning of this guide, Brian has taken the time to write a Scrambler’s Code which should be very important to scramblers as it gives clear pointers as to what not to do and what to do when you’re clambering rock. For instance if you are an unroped scrambler you must at all times make sure you don’t slip - check your hand-hold is safe. A safety rope MUST be carried in the party.

Also it is important that you read the introductory notes, says Brian, for they are the product of experience.

Reading the introductory notes, I was made aware of just how dangerous this sport is. If you were to slip from a rock face, it can be very serious. If you went climbing in wintry conditions, instantly the rock becomes slippery and more hazardous then before and risks are high. One slip could be fatal. Always try to wear a helmet.

If when you’ve read through that first part of the book and you feel a little insecure and your once enthusiastic spirit is fast disappearing, don’t worry! Brian promises this kind of rock climbing can be safe and fun if you follow his instructions.

I liked the fact the author made sure it was clear to the reader/scrambler how to get to the chosen rock, giving us instructions on how to get the best car parks and so on. It is really useful because as so often is the case, car parking can be a difficulty due to the high numbers of people arriving at the area/s.

One of the first scrambles, and most popular, is Raven Crag which is situated above the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. It is a climb that is graded Grade 2 - this sort of grade is for more difficult stretches of scrambling and a rope may be extremely useful for insuring safety. Also some skill in route finding is necessary in order to follow the described line of route. Don’t panic if you’re not quite up to this sort of scrambling yet, there are peaks that are a Grade 1 - described as a straight forward scramble with little or no route-finding difficulty.

There are so many more peaks and rocks that Brian has sought out and written step-by-step guidelines for scramblers.

We have The Groove, Tarn Crag a Grade 3 which is second to the hardest scrambling. There are some Grade 4 climbs inside this book but try and stick with the easiest grade first and work your way up.

There are plenty of rocks that have these gradings, so don’t worry about not finding a climb that is suitable for you, there is plenty for everyone of any ability.

(But do be aware, while climbing there is always a risk of disturbing nesting birds so make sure you are not passing directly onto their nest and risk upsetting them.)

Photographs usually accompany the written routes, giving you a good idea of the area.

I think there is some lovely photography in this volume which makes you want to pack your rucksack and set off without delay but do make sure that you have all the necessary equipment in it as the author advises. This is beautiful scenery to be enjoyed by everyone.

All in all, an excellent guide packed with useful information, area maps, instructions on how to reach the chosen area and of course, advice in abundance. Ensure you pack this guide with you on your next climb in the Southern Lakes and you won’t go wrong. Highly recommended.

The above review was contributed by:  Jessica Roberts: Jessica has been a book reviewer for a newspaper and a national women's magazine and is working on a novel. To read more of Jessica's reviews CLICK HERE 

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