Thursday 21st October 2004

Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 187 088)

Wasdale Head - Black Sails Pass - Looking Stead (192) - High Level Traverse - Shamrock Traverse - Pillar (193) - Black Crag (Pillar) (194) - Scoat Fell (195) - Steeple (196) - Red Pike (197) - Wasdale Head

Route Map

Weather: Wind, sleet, snow, hail, rain - you name it!

The intention of today's walk was to ascend Pillar Rock, a climb I have done previously, however the weather conspired against me climbing it today - I made it half way up the 'notch' before the treacherous conditions made me see sense and retreat back to the slab. Phil, my walking partner,  managed to make it. No fear! The rest of the walk was beset with bad weather with the first snow of winter seen on Pillar and a howling gale with painful (!) hailstones on the high level walk.

Mosedale at the start of the walk; a sprinkling of snow on the tops.

Dore Head and the screes used in the final descent.

The High Stile Ridge from the summit of Looking Stead.

Pillar Rock from the high level traverse. See below for the annotated version of this photo.

Plaque on Robinson's Cairn.

Great Borne and Starling Dodd from Robinson's Cairn.

Climbing the 'slab and notch' route - I didn't make it past where Phil is on this photo.

Another view of Pillar Rock - the steeply angled - and treacherous - slab can be seen towards the bottom of the photo with the notch below the final pyramidal shape on the right.

Pillar Rock from the ascent to Pillar.

Pillar summit - the first snow of the winter.

A misty and murky couple of cairns, Black Crag and Scoat Fell respectively.

Sitting on The Chair on Red Pike.

Mosedale from Dore Head.

An RAF mountain rescue helicopter takes off from Wasdale Head.

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