Boy, that was tough! I managed to climb it yesterday, taking 9 hours in total. (set off at 6:50am on a Saturday to get there)
I definitely had the stamina but lacked a little 'direction'! I went the wrong way going up so it took me 4 hours to get to the top. When I got to a certain point, the weather lifted so I could see where I was going. Tired but determined, I could see the Pike in the distance, it took about another hour to get to the top.
Coming down was a nightmare, I got lost because the weather came in, and I couldn't see a thing. At one point, I didn't know which way to go, so I sledged down the snow to a point where the weather was clear, and then I could see the way back.
Well, I can now start to build a list of peaks I've climbed in order to train for the Himalayas: Scafel Pike, Great Whernside and good old Winter Hill.
