Kirk Fell

Walked on 18/03/2015

Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 186 084)

Wasdale Head – Gavel Neese -Beck Head – North Top of Kirk Fell – Kirk Fell – Wasdale Head

Distance: 4.4 miles Total Ascent: 747 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 15 minutes

Weather: Sunny but hazy, warming nicely but cold on tops. 10C in valleys.

Today I ended up on a fell I hadn’t set out to climb – I had in mind to climb Great Gable but when I climbed to Beck Head I remembered that Kirk Fell was one of the ones that Dougal hasn’t yet done (there aren’t many!) so as it was so near I decided to go for it. The sun was quite warm at times but the views were hazy – can’t grumble though, I think winter is over now and we will soon be in shorts. I walked part of the way to the foot of Gavel Neese with StridingEdge fan John – a Lord no less!

Kirk Fell from the track past St Olaf's Church.

Great Gable, like a smoking gun!

It looks like she will erupt, taken from Gavel Neese.

Kirk Fell across Beck Head and Beachhead Tarn - here I changed my mind and decided to climb Kirk Fell.

Great Gable from the climb.

There were some lingering patches of snow, here on the North Top of Kirk Fell.

Looking across Kirkfell Tarn to the main summit.

Hazy Pillar.

Kirkfell Tarn was still frozen.

Sunny but hazy looking across to the Scafells.

Looking back to the North Top and Great Gable.

Great and Green beyond North.

Mono Scafells.

Close up on Gable.

Dougal and Fletcher on Kirk Fell.

The Mosedale fells, from Red Pike to Pillar.

Yes Dougal, that is the way down.

Mosedale.

Yewbarrow.

It's that fell again - Great Gable from the steep descent.

Blah!

Looking down on Wasdale Head.

Looking back up the steep, steep path.

Kirk Fell from the bottom.

The packhorse bridge at Wasdale Head.

Kirk Fell

Height: 802 metres / 2631 feet Grid reference: NY 19498 10485 Category: The Western Fells

Kirk Fell has two separate tops, the main and highest one being the south top with the north top across the hollow containing Kirkfell Tarn.

Looking north-west from Kirk Fell summit

Scafell and Scafell Pike with the rising sun across Kirkfell Tarn

North Top of Kirk Fell

Height 787 metres/2582 feet Grid Reference NY 19916 10701

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

The steep climb up to Kirk Fell

Great Gable

Walked on 12/11/2007

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.

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.

Mosedale Horseshoe

Walked on 04/05/2006

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow – Dore Head – Red Pike – Scoat Fell – Steeple –Black Crag (Pillar) – Pillar – Looking Stead – Black Sails Pass – Kirk Fell – Wasdale Head – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 11.6 miles Total Ascent: 2454 metres Time Taken: 6 hours

Weather: Sultry, but very windy on the latter tops. 24oC.

It was a funny old day today, weather-wise. When I set off from Overbeck Bridge, it was raining and showers continued over Yewbarrow with the odd ominous rumble of thunder. When the rain stopped, it became very hazy and warm and by the time I got to Pillar it was sunny, but with gale force winds which were present until I got back to valley level where it became almost unbearably hot. Angus and Casper were resplendent with new summer haircuts – it takes years off Angus, I think. It was quite an arduous round this one – a new one for Casper as it was very rocky with a few scrambles, Angus of course, took it all in his stride.

Wet Wasdale and Wast Waster at the beginning of the ascent of Yewbarrow.

The climb up to Yewbarrow - who is that dog?

Heading for the screes up to Yewbarrow.

...and looking back down the scree path.

Looking down Great Door - everything else in lost in the sultry haze.

A couple of racing snakes on Yewbarrow. Are you a bit warm boys?

Red Pike across Dore Head.

Kirk Fell from Dore Head, Great Gable behind.

Angus tries out the famous cairn and viewpoint on Red Pike known as 'The Chair'. It looks like a big armchair made from stones - here the view is over Low Tarn to Middle Fell and Seatallan.

Haycock over Scoat Tarn.

Pillar from Red Pike.

Looking from Red Pike's summit to Scoat Fell.

Now here's a dog with taste - Casper has a look at Steeple from Scoat Fell.

Two cairns on Scoat Fell, the main one being the one on the wall.

Pillar and Black Crag from Steeple.

Steeple across Mirk Cove.

A bit of sunshine on Pillar, taken from Black Crag.

Pillar summit looking to Great Gable.

Pillar Rock. It was gale force winds from Pillar onwards - at least it was a warm wind!

High Crag and High Stile across Ennerdale.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable across one of the tarns on Looking Stead.

Pillar and Looking Stead across another un-named tarn.

Great Gable from Kirk Fell.

A hazy view of Yewbarrow from the steep, steep descent of Kirk Fell.

Wasdale Head.

The head of Wasdale from the descent of Kirk Fell.

The path used in descent from Kirk Fell.

Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell from Wast Water.

Great Gable

Walked on 23/09/2004

Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 187 088)

Wasdale Head – Kirk Fell (171) – North Top of Kirk Fell (172) – Great Gable (173) – Moses Trod – Wasdale Head

Weather: Mostly sunny, cold wind.

Today’s walk was a visit to two of the giants of Wasdale – Kirk Fell and Great Gable. I took the direct route up to Kirk Fell from Wasdale Head, a sickeningly steep climb, ‘the steepest in Lakeland’ as Wainwright described it.

Follow the path for the steep line of ascent, straight up the nose of Kirk Fell.

Illgill Head, Wast Water and Wasdale Head from the ascent of Kirk Fell.

Stirrup Crag on Yewbarrow with Red Pike rising to the right.

Scafell Pike, Scafell and Lingmell from Kirk Fell.

The North Top of Kirk Fell across Kirkfell Tarn. Green Gable is in the background.

Green Gable and Great Gable shrouded in the mist from The North Top of Kirk Fell. It didn't look like there would be any views from Great Gable today as the mist hung over the top for most of the time.

High Stile, High Crags and Haystacks along the Ennerdale valley with a glimpse of Crummock Water behind. To the right is Grasmoor (annotated version of this photo).

Looking across to Kirk Fell from the ascent of Great Gable. Haycock, Scoat Fell and Pillar silhouetted in the background. The small pimple in the centre is Steeple, whilst Pillar Rock can be seen a third of the way down the slope of Pillar.

Wast Water, Illgill Head and Yewbarrow from The Westmorland Cairn on Great Gable.

Great Borne, Starling Dodd, Red Pike, High Stile and High Seat from the descent of Great Gable.

Looking back up to Great Napes from Moses Trod, the path I used for the descent back to Wasdale Head.

A final view of Great Gable from Wasdale Head.

Great Gable

Walked on 05/09/2003

Wasdale Head – Black Sails Pass – Kirk Fell (93) – Great Gable (94) – Green Gable (95) – Windy Gap – Styhead Tarn – Wasdale Head