Monday 12th November 2007

Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 186 084)

Wasdale Head - Kirk Fell - North Top of Kirk Fell - Beck Head - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Great Hell Gate - Napes Needle - Sphinx Rock - Moses Trod - Wasdale Head

Distance: 5 miles     Total Ascent: 1100 metres     Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes

Weather: Icy at first, sunny later. -2oC at first, 7oC max.

Route Map

I would have liked to have made it to Great Gable yesterday as it was the FRCC annual Armistice Day service up there, but not to worry as I had my own service in solitude today. It was really icy ad cold when I set off and that soon gave way to sunshine and clear blue skies. I descended Great Gable by way of the Westmorland Cairn and down to the rough and rocky Great Napes descending Great Hell Gate and traversing to Napes Needle and Sphinx Rock.

Early morning - a glimmer of light and very cold on this steep way up to Kirk Fell.

Looking back down the path to Wasdale - any excuse for a breather!

The rising sun catches the top of the fells encircling Mosedale - Red Pike, Scoat Fell and Pillar.

Which way Casper?

Seatallan over Dore Head. To the right is the distant Isle of Man.

A clear view from the summit of Kirk Fell.

Casper has Kirk Fell licked.

Grasmoor from Kirk Fell, Haystacks is the darker fell in the near centre.

Dale Head - it didn't look like this last week.

Great Gable.

Scafell and Scafell Pike in silhouette with the rising sun across Kirkfell Tarn.

Pillar.

Looking across to Kirk Fell's main summit over the tarn from the north top.

Ennerdale and beyond.

Kirk Fell across Beck Head from the climb to Great Gable.

The FRCC remembrance plaque on Great Gable. It was good to see that there were wreaths and poppies up there despite the edict that people shouldn't leave them as it causes a littering nuisance. I left our families poppies up there today, I told Connie I would so that she may remember in future. Remember her great-grandfather that survived a mustard gas attack at Arras in the First World War and who was never the same again; remember her great-grandfather who was nearly blown to kingdom come in a mortar attack at Arnhem, ending up with less legs and digits than he had previously and who was never the same again; remember her great-grandfather who went to Burma and didn't see his daughter for 5 long years, caught malaria and who was never the same again. Remember them all Connie and shed a tear. I did. I hope the poppies don't offend anyone; please remember the thoughts behind them.

Looking north from a deserted Great Gable summit.

The distant Helvellyn range from the summit of Great Gable.

Skiddaw.

Wast Water and Wasdale from the Westmorland Cairn.

Great Hell Gate - that's the way down for us today...

...gulp!

The Mosedale fells from the Westmorland Cairn.

Here's a photo taken last year from Lingmell showing the route of descent from the Westmorland Cairn, descending Great Hell Gate before rising up to Napes Needle and continuing along the south traverse.

Descending Great Hell Gate.

From this angle, The Sphinx Rock is The Cat Rock.

Napes Needle in silhouette.

Napes Needle from The Dress Circle.

Wast Water and The Sphinx Rock.

The Sphinx Rock.

Looking up Little Hell Gate.

On the south traverse of Great Gable heading for Moses Trod.

Looking back up the scree run on Gavel Neese to Moses Finger.

Casper has a rest during the descent from Great Napes.

Looking back to Great Gable.

Great Gable from Wasdale.

Red Pike and dry stone walls.

Great Gable from Wasdale Head.

Pillar dominating Wasdale Head.

The classic view of Wast Water, Great Gable at its head.

Great Gable. The Great Napes look almost impossible to traverse from here. The two scree chutes of Great Hell Gate and Little Hell Gate are conspicuous running either side of the Napes.

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