I've stood at the bottom and thought not for me.
If there was someone experienced with me I probably would have done it
Judgment call from me and found an alternative route to top.
My deepest sympathy goes out to the lady's family

Condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family and friends. Very sad.

Route for the experienced in good weather only.
Deepest condolences to the family.

I have been up and down in rain and snow and its a fine route for a scrambler with proper shoes. I wouldn't want to do it in mist though. The greatest exposure is when people try and avoid some of the steeper bits by diverting towards the edge, but the top is also a bit run out as us climbers would say.

It would be interesting to know more detail about where the poor woman fell and in what circumstances. We can all learn.

Sad for the ladies family though and deepest condolences

Another pointless death of a walker on Jack's Rake, in all likelihood sent to their death by outdoor writers with climbing skills on the promise of a grade 1 'beginner's scramble'.

Trail magazine September 2019, front page: 'The Rock issue, classic summer scrambles', The Lake District: tackle england's longest scramble'.

This must stop.

Paul, grade 1 is a Beginners Scramble. Doesn't mean you cant slip and hurt yourself or shouldn't take care.

Jacks Rake is very contained provided you actually stick to the route, and a long Grade 1 does not change to Grade 2.

Sadly the more people do a mildly risky move (scrambling is by definition more dangerous than flatland walking) the more people will suffered discomfort or hurt.

Do people want warning sign on every steep slope not to trip and fall down them?

Should Trail say that if you stray off the NT footpath you need to take care?

Should Trail say that before you tackle a long grade 1 you should try short one? Its fairly obvious isn't it.

WOW, OldManOfTheHills really went off on one in that reply.

Touchy or what, I don't think Paul said anything that deserved that.

The Trail article is not about JR. The Sept issue contains plenty of safety advice.

I climbed it for the first time on Saturday. I am a Wainwright completer so I have seen a bit of action. It’s very challenging in places but that’s really down to fitness and strength. There is a lot of pulling yourself up and big steps. But if you take it steady and concentrate its doable for ordinary walkers on a fine day without wind and proper footwear. I found it exhausting terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure. It’s very sad and a great shame but to be fair it’s pretty obvious what you are in for at the bottom and that a fall would be catastrophic. Condolences to the family

Did Jacks rake back in the day when i was young and nimble.. it was bad then! But now am older & wiser i stand at the bottom, look up, shake my head n then find an easier wsy up to the summit n am normally up for a good scramble!

My thoughts are with her family

Although at grade 1 Jack's Rake is an easy scramble scrambles are graded on technical challenge not danger. Many 'easy' grade 1 scrambles like Jack's Rake have some serious exposure, plus the other general dangers of mountains like weather conditions and loose rocks.
Like an 'easy' climb, it may be easy to an experienced climber but extremely dangerous to a novice.
People wanting to start scrambling, start on safe routes, get the right equipment and training, go with experienced people or hire a guide

Never done jacks Rake, but have done many scrambles that with mistakes could be catastrophic. Remember doing Tryfan lost the route and had to scramble a really dangerous section with inexperienced walkers, it still sticks with me now 25yrs on how dangerous it was and because of poor planning I put people very close to me in danger. The mountains and fells are a great place to get out and about, but you must always be aware how dangerous conditions can be.
Stay safe and enjoy

The mountains always bring risk. I recently took my 9yr old son to Snowdon via the Miners and Pyg tracks. Despite always seeming to be an extremely safe route for me (in decent weather), when I went with my kid I spent the entire time seeing exposure and sharp rocks everywhere - and had a brand new appreciation of dangers I had never seen before. At the end of the day if you fall hard and hit your head on jagged rock it's a serious problem. Yesterday I climbed Helvellyn via Striding Edge and my friends said they would be happy for their kids to do it (5,7 and 9 year old) - I thought this was mad as my 9 yr old was tripping on his own feet walking down the Llanberis path on Snowdon. I also watched a video of a chap doing Sharp Edge (and he proclaimed he'd been doing it since he was an infant!!!!!!!). I'm not quite sure on the point I'm trying to make, apart from that people have different views on what is dangerous to them and what is acceptable. Personally I treat every step as though it could be my last and that keeps me safe. I also make sure I have the best gear that gives me the best grip and chance of not having an accident. I also read and watch a lot of accounts of the trails and scrambles so I know where the dangers are (like the bad step on Sharp Edge or stepping down onto Swirral Edge from the summit of Helvellyn in bad weather). I am not adventurous enough to look up at something challenging and give it a crack without researching it properly, and I'd never do an exposed ridge in slippery, wet and windy conditions. The Aonach Eagach is definitely out!

I feel very sad and sorry for people that slip and fall from these scrambling routes. I have the utmost sympathy. People will always slip and fall. I've done it stepping off the pavement. Sometimes these things just happen and it's deeply tragic when it does. I enjoy scrambling and like a bit of exposure because it makes me feel alive, maybe because I know just how dangerous it is. A final note from me is that I did climb Snowdon once with hardly any visibility in driving rain and it was the stupidest thing I had ever done. It was horrendously dangerous and I lost my way and ended up in a very precarious position - and this was on a mountain I know very well - the weather can change everything and then some!

For most of this you're relatively 'safe' hoisting yourself up 'inside' the crag. It's pretty narrow, so harder for wider people with even a small backpack. There are a couple of flatter ledges you have to walk along - these are not so narrow that you should feel you are going to go over the edge, but obviously make sure your laces are good and take it slowly and carefully. In my view the 'hardest' section is the last quarter where it's not even as steep. It's harder because the route becomes somewhat ambiguous - and it's easy to take a harder & riskier route than is necessary. For example, several of the you tube videos I have seen feature people definitely taking the 'wrong' riskier route and they visibly and audibly panic, questioning whether it's the right way. Finally even on a 25C sunny day there's a trickle of water coming down the rake. It would be placing yourself in a lot of risk, if you attempt this on a windy or wet or icy day UNLESS you are experienced in such things. My advice here is aimed at the experienced hiker but the relatively novice scrambler.

I did Jakes Rake about 25 years ago, with my dad and a wainright to hand, probably, and rain began part way through. near the top we took a wrong right turn going steeper than we needed to, (as mentioned in comments, looks like a common occurrence) we reached a little platform, you can prob see in picture there) but i think i may have bottled it on the wet rocks and we had to double back looking right down the slope and trusting our feet - i was pretty scared at that point (dad wasn't) but once we were back on track we were ok. Very sad about the accidents here.

yes hillwalker i agree on different perception. But also i did striding edge when i was 7 years old easily. So it depends who you are really.