Gordale Scar waterfall scramble

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 Alex Pryor 02 Jan 2020

Gordale Scar

Looking for an adventurous walk from Malham for the weekend, and was thinking of Janet's Fosse and through Gordale onto the cove. I seem to recall that the route up Gordale goes through a hole with water coming through it. I can't remember how hard this is and don't know if it would be passable in this weather. Can any advise if it's suitable and or passable for non climbers or kids, with a short rope if necessary. 

Thanks

 Davidlees215 02 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

Been up in summer as a young kid and have brought none climbers up in recent years without a rope or any climbing gear. Never climbed it myself in winter but I've seen it done and doesn't look that hard, you just might get a bit wet from spray. Could be tricky if there was a lot of rainfall but it's not rained much over the last week or so.

 DaveHK 02 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

In climbing grades it's probably easy or moderate but the slipperyness can be disconcerting.

 wintertree 02 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

I went up in late December about 10 years ago with a mixed group including non climbers when it was cold; the tarn was frozen over but the scar was flowing - not in spate.  It was icy in places.  Everyone made it up unroped, including someone with a large dog on their shoulders.  It wasn’t for those of a nervous disposition mind you.  I wouldn’t have wanted to descent it...

My abiding memory is having lunch out on the ice over the tarn, and that there were frozen vertical columns of bubbles frozen through the thick ice following the edges of the rocks on the bottom.

 Raskye 03 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

I got my 3 year old, and a nervous wife up it with a 1 year old on my back about 35 years ago. It was trickier than I anticipated but still just a steady scramble and didn’t need a rope. We were flooded out of the Malham campsite that night, but I think it was drier when we did the walk. I remember it being grey and windy at the tarn  

Post edited at 07:29
 e.ms355 03 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

I'm not sure how it used to be but we went up last year and people at the bottom seemed to be saying a bit had broken off the main boulder, there was no hold to climb through but rather a boulder to climb over. We took my 60 year father in law up, with zero climbing experience and with a bit of egging on it was ok, it helped that we could go up first and scout out the best route up it but I would think kids with someone following or guiding them should be ok. However, given the amount of rain recently it may not be ideal at the moment..

 Simon Caldwell 03 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

It doesn't go through a hole, but has a good view of one.

When I did my ML training (about 30 years ago!) we descended it, in the dark, with iced up rocks. Even those with zero experience managed (who had no place on the course but worryingly were intending taking school kids out on the hills!) though with a little encouragement from a top rope.

In reply to Alex Pryor:

The only time I was there it had been *really* rainy the whole week.  I saw one guy do it, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near it.   I think the difficulty is totally dependent on how much water is coming down.   If you go and have a look there's other paths to the top if you don't fancy it.

 afx22 03 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

I seem to remember the hardest part is easy rock over move, to the left.  However, a few years ago, I took my brother and he bottled it.  He would not do that move, so he downclimbed and we went up and around one of the grassy slopes near the entrance to the gorge.

It's easy for most but not absolutely everyone. 

 trish1968 03 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

I've done it a couple of times it looks desperate as you walk up but is a very easy scramble if you go up it directly. Can't remember a hole with water coming through maybe your remembering the water fall above. I saw a lot of people trying to climb up it from the left that looked really difficult and dangerous.

Enjoy

 PaulJepson 03 Jan 2020
In reply to trish1968:

Yeah I think the hole he's referring to must be the waterfall above (which does indeed come out of the hole). The climb up the lower part is short-lived (maybe about 5 meters) and easy every time I've done it, though the river has never been raging. 

 lionel 03 Jan 2020
In reply to Alex Pryor:

It is an easy scramble up the tufa waterfall (it doesn't go through the hole at the top of Goredale) just requiring a little scrambling sense. You have to cross the beck to get to it and that can be tricky if it is in spate - for that reason it is best done going up, as you describe,  when you can make a call about whether all members of your group are up to it. A lovely, shortish (2-3 hour) walk with refreshment opportunities.

In reply to Alex Pryor:

It's easy as others above have said. Worth walking to the tarn and then back to the cove If you have time. Great views and very quiet. Perfect day out if the weather is good!


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