After a quick photo opportunity at Auchintee we were dropped round at the North Face for a brisk walk in. Tower Ridge was a busy as i've ever seen it but folk were cheery and polite. We directed a few folk onto the right route and 14 folk let us overtake (I was working hard to stay ahead of my pair).
The temperature was perfect, cool and dry with hit lifting away at all the right points.
We arrived on the summit to mingle with the 100s of charity walkers, many of whom had seen us crossing the Gap and came over to congratulate us and question our sanity. The quid pro quo for the day's guiding was a litter pick focussed on the summit (i'd already picked up used tissues, banana skins and orange peel on the ridge- sort it out folk, tropical fruit skins take years to break down up here). In only 10 minutes the guys had topped up their rucksacks with litter and we were on the way down via chats with the event marshals and a few more bottles, cans, receipts etc. picked up :-(
Nice to chat with Ali who was with an SNH colleague picking litter at the remains of the wall and clearing drainage lines too.
The path needs maintaining, the litter needs picking. I'm all for charity walks and folks experiencing the hills. I give back by clearing drains and picking litter (like last year on the Real 3 Peaks Challenge), be nice to see the walkers or even charities themselves donate even £1 per walker or labour in kind too.
Top day on the hill and the ride down from the top car park was great fun too!
On the Ridge and ready to climb
Kindly allowed to overtake by the Bristol team- cheers!
Good lord that's a cheesy grin!
Happy scramblers
Going up
Tower Ridge stretching below
On the Great Tower
Hanging out
Magnus clearing up after ignorant mountaineers
Lunch
The Gap 'sketchy but fun' was the verdict
Topping out
We climbed that
Quid pro quo
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