Me and a few friends are thinking of a trip sometime in the next couple of months to do a spot of fell-running. We’d be wanting to hit a few peaks, I was thinking the Old Man, Scafell Pike and Helvellyn, but it’s just occurred to me that the conditions might be a tad uncomfortable at that time of year.

Now I’ve no problem with snow and ice, but if it’s likely to be properly grim we might as well stay further south, or pack in the running part and make it a heavier weight hiking trip instead.

So, how likely it it that there’ll be significant snow and ice on the fell tops in late Feb/March?

Very likely lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk they go up every day and do a conditions report which is ace..

Oh that is an excellent site, thankyou.

I’ve got crampons and an ice axe, but I don’t think the other guys have boots even, so probably best to leave it til the warmer months.

in truth, no one has a bloody clue, until the day in question.

in truth, no one has a bloody clue, until the day hour in question.

Nobeer has it.
I have been waist deep in snow or sunburnt in shorts on the same day in March, one year apart…

When I lived in the Lakes my main sport was climbing. Late March I’ve climbed on the mountain crags in shorts and t-shirt one year and been ice climbing the next. As above no-one will have a clue until the day.

I climbed Dow Crag in early March in shorts and T shirt. Dow Crag is largely in shade.
2 weeks later we were on Helvellyn in full winter kit, it was -10 before the wind chill.
Short answer is no-one can tell you in advance.
Long answer is no-one can tell you in advance.

30 minute lunch run there, first 20 minutes was bloody horrible, hail/sleet/brain freeze, then the sun and blue sky appears from nowhere and it’s a beautiful spring like day!. SW Scotland, weather is similarly changeable to Lakes IME.

ryanair to spain would seem the obvious choice here, they’ve got bigger mountains and better weather.

Anywhere between..

[url=https://flic.kr/p/bsxhJR]Path up to Old Man of Coniston[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

and

[url=https://flic.kr/p/MTWZj1]IMG_2745[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

Pack for the worst and hope for the best, Yeah that weather line site is great. Lowland fell walks/mtbing you can do in any weather so just go.

Saying that Spain sounds better.