Need to use up some holiday, so planning to take a week off in the middle of March and head up to the Lakes on my own.

Anybody like to hazard a guess what the ground conditions will be like? I’d like to do Striding Edge, Great Gable, that kinda thing, but I don’t have equipment for steep ground in the snow (no crampons or axe). I do have microspikes and am quite familiar with navigation, steep ground/scrambling and general foul weather, just not so used to the “winter mountaineering” end of things. (although I want to do a course in Scotland next winter)

Likely to be OK? Or is it going to be under several feet of snow all the way?

Cheers!

Doubt it will be deep snow, but thin and icy probably worse. There’s very little just now. You just need to be prepared to change plans if conditiond dictate. There’s plenty around besides Striding and Gable.

Not much snow/ice left at all now, depends if we get another cold snap but chances are you’ll be fine. You know about the Met Office Lake District report which has a ground conditions section presumably.

If you like easy scrambles can I recommend Blencathra via Sharp Edge? Probably my favourite in the Lakes.

I’ll take an educated guess and say there will be no significant snow at all. Just from years of winter climbing experience in the Lakes, what was there has all but gone and the odds are stacked against any further significant snow build up. snowfall is possible into April, but it’s almost certainly not now going to build up or consolidate.

Weatherline will give you a ‘conditions on the fells’ with reports of Helvellyn conditions. Not sure if it’s still the case, but a ranger used to go up onto Helvellyn summit every day and report the conditions under foot.