Height: 523 metres / 1716 feet Grid reference: NY 09729 14384 Category: The Western Fells
Early morning light on Crag Fell over Ennerdale Water
The north-western fells from the summit of Crag Fell
Grike and Crag Fell from Ennerdale Fell
Crag Fell
Lank Rigg
Cold Fell Road – Blakeley Raise – Grike – Crag Fell – Whoap – Lank Rigg – Cold Fell Road
Distance: 6.4 miles Total Ascent: 565 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 45 minutes Start Time: 09:50
Weather: Showers and a strong wind. 12C.
It was damp with a strong wind today making it feel decidedly chilly; I wore gloves throughout which shows how cold it was. There were quite a few showers but at least the strong wind made sure they blew away quickly.
Lank Rigg route map.
Whoap and Lank Rigg from the climb to Blakeley Raise.
Dent from Blakeley Raise.
Grike ahead (there is a descent at the midline of this photo, so not quite as easy as it looks here!).
Criffel across the Solway Firth.
Knock Murton and Blake Fell.
Whoap and Lank Rigg panorama - the return leg of the walk.
Grike.
The summit cairns on Grike.
Ennerdale Fell, to the right is Whoap.
The boggy path to Crag Fell.
Looking back to Grike.
The north western fells from Crag Fell.
The wild boys, windswept on Crag Fell.
Ennerdale Water below looking to Great Borne.
That sky is looking a bit ominous over the high fells at the head of Ennerdale.
Ennerdale Fell.
Grike and Crag Fell from Ennerdale Fell.
Whoap.
Lank Rigg ahead.
Whoap Beck valley.
Looking back to Whoap from the climb to Lank Rigg.
Lank Rigg.
A panoramic view from the summit.
Wainwrights treasure seems to have moved but there are still plenty of coins - I added by two bob's worth!
Lank Rigg Tarn looking to Caw Fell.
Looking out to the west Cumbrian coast, Sellafield in view.
The summit of Lank Rigg.
Blakeley Raise from the descent.
Grike and Crag Fell from the direct descent of Lank Rigg - I could see where the car was from the top so I went for it. I knew it would be a bit boggy going this way but the heavens opened too making it a bit of a damp affair. Then I had to cross the River Calder...good job it wasn't far to the car after that! On the way home, you guessed it...
Ennerdale Circuit
Start point: Bleach Green, Ennerdale (NY 085 153)
Bleach Green – Bowness – Great Borne – Starling Dodd – Little Dodd (Ennerdale) – Red Pike (Buttermere) – High Stile – High Crag – Memorial Bridge, Ennerdale – High Level Traverse – Shamrock Traverse – Pillar – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Haycock – Little Gowder Crag – Caw Fell – Ennerdale Fell – Crag Fell – Bleach Green
Distance: 18 miles Total Ascent: 2183 metres Time Taken: 10 hours Start Time: 06:00
Weather: Sunny and warm. 15°C
It’s a good while since I have done a full day walk and today seemed like a good opportunity to do a circuit of lovely Ennerdale. The weather was superb, a bit fresher than of late and the air was clearer for it. It was a great day out amongst my favourite fells and it was relatively quiet up there too, although it was good to chat to StridingEdge fans on Scoat Fell and then on Steeple.
Ennerdale circuit route map.
Early morning in Ennerdale.
Pillar silhouetted at the head of the Water.
Crag Fell.
Looking out from the shadows on the steep climb to Great Borne.
Suddenly, out of the shadows and into the sunlight and heading for the summit of Great Borne.
Gavel Fell from Great Borne.
Ennerdale. The outward leg of today's walk is to the left, the return is to the right.
The Loweswater fells - Gavel Fell, Hen Comb and Mellbreak.
Grasmoor across Crummock Water.
Any old iron? Starling Dodd summit.
Layers of fells.
Early morning shadow on Little Dodd.
Starling Dodd and Great Borne from the climb to Red Pike.
The summit of Red Pike.
A panoramic view from Red Pike, Loweswater and Crummock Water in view.
Casper and Dougal, hot already.
Bleaberry Tarn and beyond on the way to High Stile.
High Stile summit.
Ennerdale Water.
A great panoramic view from High Stile - Red Pike and Dodd to the left, Crummock Water and Grasmoor to the right.
A clear view across to the Scafells, Great Gable and Kirk Fell...and of course the mighty Pillar.
A panoramic across Ennerdale.
Robinson across Buttermere.
Pillar looks so tempting from here.
Grasmoor and the Coledale fells across Buttermere.
High Stile from the summit of High Crag.
A view through to Skiddaw and Blencathra from High Crag.
Instead of descending Gamlin End, I decided to go for a route 1 steeper than steep descent to Ennerdale direct (for masochists only this one, a real leg trembler!). I can see the Memorial Bridge from here (to the left of the tree line) where I want to cross and then the route of ascent is up and above the rocky knoll then to the right following the line of the beck before cutting diagonally left beneath Pillar Rock.
Dougal tries to stop himself sliding all the way down into Ennerdale.
You see yon precipice--it almost looks Like some vast building made of many crags, And in the midst is one particular rock That rises like a column from the vale, Whence by our Shepherds it is call'd, the Pillar. Extract from 'The Brothers', William Wordsworth 1800
Down at the Memorial Bridge.
Crossing the River Liza - Casper is easy to spot but can you see Dougal?
Time for lunch (even though it is only 10.30!) and a seat with a fantastic view of Pillar Rock towering above. Now all I have to do is climb up there. To be continued...after my lunch...
Looking back across to High Crag from the climb to Pillar. The route I used in descent is the diagonal scree run to the right.
Ennerdale and the fells just walked.
Into the lost valley. Pillar Rock naturally dominates the scene on this section of the walk.
Magnificent Pillar Rock.
Haystacks with Robinson's Cairn bottom right.
Rounding the base of it to join the High Level Traverse.
High Stile panoramic.
Phew, made it! Dougal gets an eye opener when he spots the Shamrock Traverse.
Pisgah and the east face of High Man. No Slab and Notch route for me today!
It all looks so reachable from the Shamrock Traverse but there is a climb needed from any angle.
Climbing higher with a view over Pillar Rock to High Stile and High Crag and the fells beyond.
The summit of Pillar.
Ennerdale from Pillar.
Time for a second lunch stop on Pillar with a view to Great Gable, the Scafells and Wasdale Head.
Looking back to Pillar from Black Crag.
The east face of Steeple from Black Crag.
Red Pike - the Wasdale one.
Scoat Fell summit and a couple of StridingEdge fans ahead.
Pillar from Scoat Fell.
The route to airy Steeple and Dougal and Casper have spotted yet another StridingEdge fan to greet us.
Pillar and Great Gable from Steeple.
Ennerdale Water.
Looking back on the descent of Scoat Fell - it looks like there is a party on Steeple to the left now.
Heading for Haycock.
Steeple and Scoat Fell from the summit of Haycock.
Dougal checks out the route over Little Gowder Crag to Caw Fell.
Caw Fell.
Haycock from Caw Fell where we met some Beardie fans!
The descent of Caw Fell following the wall to Iron Crag on Ennerdale Fell.
The summit of Ennerdale Fell - Pillar, Steeple, Scoat Fell and Haycock in view.
The long walk in following the Ennerdale Fence.
Crag Fell.
An Ennerdale panoramic from Crag Fell.
The field back to the car park was full of cows so I didn't fancy crossing that with the two cow magnets in tow, so was forced to take a detour back down to the lake and passed this summer meadow on the way.
Lank Rigg
Start point: Cold Fell Road (NY 066 130)
Cold Fell Road – Blakeley Raise – Grike – Crag Fell – Whoap – Lank Rigg – Cold Fell Road
Distance: 6.4 miles Total Ascent: 565 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Sunny with slight haze but cool on the tops. 8°C.
This was another area I have left too long to visit since the last time I was here in 2004. The weather was much better than on any previous visit but the breeze had a cold edge to it and gloves were required throughout. Nice to see the hidden treasure had made a reappearance on Lank Rigg once more.
Lank Rigg route map.
Dent from the start of the climb to Blakely Raise from the Cold Fell road.
Grike from the top of Blakely Raise.
The fells that are to be the return leg later, Whoap and Lank Rigg.
Frog spawn under ice on the descent from Blakely Raise.
The Calder Valley and Cold Fell with the towers of Sellafield in view over the top.
Flat Fell and Cleator Moor from the climb to Grike.
Blake Fell and Gavel Fell from Grike.
Casper on Grike.
A silhouette of Pillar, Scoat Fell and Steeple beyond Iron Crag on Ennerdale Fell. My route after Crag Fell was to descend through the trees and climb with the wall to the kink, then head of to Whoap on the right.
Heading for Crag Fell.
The north-western fells from the summit of Crag Fell.
Looking back to Grike.
Bowness Knott, Herdus and Great Borne across Ennerdale Water.
The view to the north across the end of Ennerdale Water.
Ennerdale - the High Stile ridge to the left and Pillar to the right.
Ennerdale Fell with Pillar beyond.
Crag Fell and the Ennerdale Fence.
The solitary boulder that marks the top of Whoap, here looking across Great Borne to Grasmoor.
Lank Rigg.
Looking along Whoap Beck valley.
Caw Fell with Haycock beyond and Seatallan to the right.
A view through to Grasmoor from the climb to Lank Rigg.
Caw Fell from the summit Lank Rigg.
Wainwrights buried treasure on Lank Rigg!
The view across Lank Rigg summit tarn.
Descending the north western slope of Lank Rigg.
Whoap from the crossing of the River Calder. On the way home, Daffodils on the banks of the River Duddon...
...millions of them!
Ennerdale Circuit
Start point: Bleach Green, Ennerdale (NY 085 153)
Bleach Green – Bowness – Brown How (Ennerdale) – Herdus – Great Borne – Gale Fell – Starling Dodd – Little Dodd (Ennerdale) – Red Pike (Buttermere) (357) – High Stile (358) – High Crag (359) – Haystacks (360) – Looking Stead – High Level Traverse – Shamrock Traverse – Pillar – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Haycock – Little Gowder Crag – Caw Fell – Ennerdale Fell – Crag Fell – Bleach Green
Distance: 23.6 miles Total Ascent: 2864 metres Time Taken: 10 hour 20 minutes
Weather: Mainly sunny with lots of snow (!) showers. 7-11°C, valley level – much colder on the tops.
Today’s walk is a long, high level circuit of the beautiful Ennerdale Valley with virtually the whole route being completed at an elevation in excess of 500m. I have had this one on my list of ‘to do’ walks for a while so it was satisfying to complete the walk on a mainly clear day. The photo’s here actually belie the conditions somewhat as the clouds came in when I was crossing from Haystacks to Pillar and there was an icy blizzard. The snow showers continued to come and go throughout the rest of the walk and conditions remained very cold.
Ennerdale Circuit route map.
An early morning silhouette of Ennerdale.
The sunlight on Crag Fell.
A good view from Red Pike of the round completed last Thursday.
Crummock Water from Red Pike.
High Snockrigg and Robinson over Buttermere with Bleaberry Tarn in the foreground.
Looking from High Stile across Bleaberry Tarn and Red Pike to Mellbreak and Crummock Water. Loweswater is visible in the distance.
The sun lights up Pillar Rock across Ennerdale on the north face of Pillar - from High Crag.
Fleetwith Pike and Dale Head from High Crag.
High Crag from Haystacks with Ennerdale to the left and the Buttermere Valley to the right.
Green Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell at the head of Ennerdale from Haystacks. The clouds were ominously creeping up behind me now and minutes later this view was obliterated by a blizzard.
Thankfully it had cleared up again by the time I reached the High Level Traverse of Pillar. This is a view of Pillar Rock from Pillar.
The east face of Steeple from Black Crag.
Steeple again, from Scoat Fell across Mirk Cove.
Pillar from Steeple. Steeple is a lofty, airy pinnacle and it's shape makes it feel as though you are in mid-air - one of my favourites.
Steeple, Pillar and Scoat Fell from Haycock.
The barren Caw Fell from Little Gowder Crag.
Pillar, Scoat Fell, Little Gowder Crag and Haycock from Caw Fell.
Ennerdale from Crag Fell.
Lank Rigg
Start point: Cold Fell road (NY 060 138)
Cold Fell Road – Blakeley Raise (127) – Grike (128) – Crag Fell (129) – Whoap (130) – Lank Rigg (131) – Kinniside (132) – Latter Barrow (133) – Swarth Fell (Kinniside) (134) – Burn Edge (135) – Cold Fell Road
Weather: Rain.
Another muggy, overcast day today and a walk where solitude is virtually guaranteed on the western fringe of the Lake District – a round of the Lank Rigg group of fells.
The walk starts from The Cold Fell road where there are plenty of verge parking places available. I made a direct ascent from the road up the grassy slope of Blakely Raise.
Grike from Blakely Raise summit. From the summit, I followed the fence down to a sheep intake and a gate which had to be climbed as it would not open and onto the main forest road. Following the road to a gate on the left, it was then up more grassy slopes to the summit of Grike, stepping over a wire fence en-route.
Crag Fell and Great Borne from the summit of Grike. An easy descent past a weather station and then a simple climb took me to the summit of Crag Fell with Ennerdale Water below and silhouettes of Pillar, Scoat Fell and Haycock visible through the murk.
Herdus and Great Borne with Starling Dodd to the right across Ennerdale Water from Crag Fell.
Looking to the head of Ennerdale Water from Crag Fell, the High Stile ridge to the left and Pillar just visible on the right. I followed the track down another easy descent to a forest fire break, through the break and over a stile to the stone wall of the Ennerdale Fence. This wall continues for many miles over many summits.
The Ennerdale Fence. I followed the fence until the first gate and then swung right to ascend another grassy slope, Whoap.
Lank Rigg from the stone marking the summit of Whoap. From Whoap, another descent to a dip and then steeply up to the summit Lank Rigg, the high point of this round.
Whoap from the summit of Lank Rigg. From here, I passed an un-named summit tarn and then descended past an ancient cairn on a grassy track between the rocks. Across the very wet Poukes Moss to an un-named grassy mound on O.S maps - Birkett has christened it Kinniside.
Latter Barrow from the summit cairn on Kinniside. From here it's an easy traverse to Latter Barrow, clearly visible ahead.
Kinniside and Lank Rigg from Latter Barrow. From Latter Barrow, I had a steep descent to the River Calder, decisions-decisions on the best place to cross and then steeply up the bracken slopes to Swarth Fell. For this part of the journey I was accompanied by a buzzard soaring overhead - I'm not sure if he thought I was on my last legs...
Crossing the River Calder
and a buzzard circles overhead
Lank Rigg, Kinniside and Latter Barrow from the summit cairn of Swarth Fell. From Swarth Fell it is an easy descent to Burn Edge, the summit is marked with scattered stones. From here, all the fells of the completed round can be seen - a great viewpoint.
Crag Fell and Whoap from Burn Edge. From Burn Edge, the grassy shoulder leads directly down to the road and the start point of the walk.