Height: 627 metres / 2057 feet Grid reference: NY 18637 11793
Pillar from Looking Stead
Pillar and Looking Stead
Looking Stead
Mosedale Round
Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 187 088)
Wasdale Head – Looking Stead – Pillar – Wind Gap – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Black Comb – Y Boulder – Wasdale Head
Distance: 7.5 miles Total Ascent: 1050 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 45 minutes Start Time: 07:20
Weather: Cold and clear. 6C
If anyone wondered whether it was winter yet, even after yesterday’s walk, I can confirm it is well and truly here. It felt more like a February day today with views to match – absolute clarity and stunning views is the only way to describe it – a magical day on the fells.
Mosedale Round route map.
First light at the head of Mosedale.
The fell tops are on fire.
Sunrise panoramic.
Red Pike looking...red.
New day rising over Kirk Fell. I followed the short cut path up towards Looking Stead to get here and missed out Black Sail Pass.
Pillar from Looking Stead.
Yewbarrow and beyond from the climb to Pillar.
Scoat Fell, Black Crag and Pillar.
The route to Pillar.
What a view looking back - Great Gable and the Scafells.
Looking across Ennerdale to distant Skiddaw and Blencathra.
It was an Arctic wind up here today and everything was frozen, including me! I stopped here to layer up.
Beautiful landscape on the way to Pillar.
Clear as anything looking across to the Helvellyn ridge.
Icing sugar coating on the summit of Pillar.
Clear as far as the eye can see.
Frozen trig. column.
Pillar Rock below and the High Stile ridge across Ennerdale.
A panoramic view from Pillar.
The desolate summit of Pillar. I never saw another soul nor even another footprint for the whole walk.
Looking north across the Solway Firth to Scotland.
Just beautiful on Pillar.
Casper and Dougal on Pillar - now where did we put that hair?
The descent to Wind Gap.
Mosedale - this was the route of descent later.
Steeple across Mirk Cove.
Looking back to Pillar from Scoat Fell.
Big snowdrift on the summit of Scoat Fell.
Haycock and Caw Fell, the Isle of Man visible on the horizon.
At the top of the ridge to Steeple - so near yet so far. The path looked treacherous and I didn't fancy putting crampons on for such a short section so gave it a miss today.
Red Pike from Scoat Fell.
The Scafells from Scoat Fell.
The boys are wondering where I am rather than lagging behind me - the route of descent is the scree run to the right.
It was an amazingly quick route of descent down this scree run.
Kirk Fell.
The Y Boulder in Mosedale...
...and the Abrahams photo of some early bouldering on the Y Boulder.
Looking back into Mosedale.
Mosedale Beck.
The Scafells across Wast Water.
The classic view.
Mosedale Horseshoe
Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 187 088)
Wasdale Head – Black Sails Pass – Looking Stead – Pillar – Wind Gap – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Red Pike – Dore Head Screes – Wasdale Head
Distance: 8 miles Total Ascent: 1130 metres Time Taken: 5 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Cold and clear. 2°C.
Everywhere else in the country has lots of snow according to the news but locally there is not a great deal at valley level. The high ground is well covered and today defied the expected conditions and was lovely and clear over Mosedale almost throughout the walk. I have had this one on the list of ‘to do’s’ for a while as I really wanted to get to Pillar, my favourite of all fells, in superb winter conditions such as today.
Sunset in Wasdale.
Pillar Rock
Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 187 088)
Wasdale Head – Black Sails Pass – Looking Stead – High Level Traverse – Shamrock Traverse – Pillar Rock (541) – Pillar – Wind Gap – Mosedale – Wasdale Head
Distance: 6.6 miles Total Ascent: 960 metres Time Taken: 7 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Hazy with sunny spells. 16ºC.
It’s been a long journey, much longer than I expected when I started out on a quest to complete the Birketts on 4th May 2004 but today I finally achieved that particular goal. I must admit to losing the will to carry on with them half way through, hence the time taken, but it was all worth it in the end and it certainly got me to places I never would have gone otherwise. Today’s route took in Pillar Rock; no walk this one, it is a climb and not one for the faint hearted. Make sure you take the proper precautions if you want to tackle it. Me? I had the perfect guide today…
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
Kirk Fell from Wasdale Head.
Heading into Mosedale with Bill Birkett and his dog, Jet.
Kirk Fell from Mosedale.
Pillar at the head of Mosedale.
Red Pike.
Sunshine walking through Mosedale.
Stirrup Crag on Yewbarrow and Dorehead Screes.
The climb of Black Sail Pass.
Yewbarrow from Gatherstone Beck.
Gatherstone Beck falls.
Pillar and Looking Stead.
The same view from the un-named top, 587m.
Green Gable, Great Gable and Kirk Fell form Looking Stead.
Pillar from Looking Stead.
The High Level Route to Pillar Rock.
Looking across Ennerdale from the plaque on Robinson's Cairn.
Pillar Rock.
The Pillar from the Shamrock Traverse. Bill's friend Tom waits for us at the foot of the climb.
The first part of the climb - descend this great slab descending to the left in this photo.
Bill climbs the slab.
Bill and Tom at the top of the slab.
Bill belays whilst Tom climbs the notch.
The view to High Stile and High Crag across Ennerdale from the top of Pillar Rock.
Pillar from Pillar Rock.
Ennerdale.
Tom and Bill on High Man, the summit of Pillar Rock.
Bill Birkett summits Pillar Rock.
541 up! Completing the Birketts on Pillar Rock.
On top of Pillar Rock, or is that the world?
All we have to do now is get down! Abseiling into Jordan Gap.
Watching Tom abseiling Jordan Gap from below.
Someone else has climbed it after we left.
...and now the sun is shining once more.
Spot the climber to see the route of ascent.
Great Gable and the Scafells from Pillar.
Red Pike and Yewbarrow from the descent to Wind Gap.
The steep descent into Mosedale from Wind Gap.
Yewbarrow, sunlit through the haze.
The Y Boulder, Mosedale.
Heading back to Wasdale Head.
Mosedale Horseshoe
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 – Wasdale Head – Overbeck Bridge
Distance: 10.6 miles Total Ascent: 1313 metres Time Taken: 5 hours 15 minutes
Weather: Clear and sunny. 8oC.
It was fantastically clear today with views for miles and miles. Certainly this is one of my favourite walks, it being quite arduous and rough at all times. Coupled with a visit to Pillar, my absolute favourite fell it made for a great day out on the high fells.
Over Beck.
Yewbarrow from Overbeck Bridge.
Casper waits further up the steep climb - come on!
Red Pike from the climb to Yewbarrow.
Middle Fell.
Always a wow moment popping up at Great Door.
Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell at the head of Wasdale.
Wast Water and The Screes, Burnmoor Tarn to the left.
Kirk Fell and Great Gable from the South Top of Yewbarrow.
The Screes from higher up.
The Scafells from Yewbarrow.
Casperoonals on the North Top of Yewbarrow.
Sty Head above Wasdale.
Red Pike across Dore Head.
Kirk Fell and Great Gable, Mosedale below from the rough descent from Yewbarrow to Dore Head.
Wasdale Head.
Pillar above Mosedale. Even I make it onto this photo!
Red Pike across Dore Head Tarn.
Looking the other way to Kirk Fell and Great Gable.
The Chair is a prominent cairn at the southern end of Red Pike.
The Prince of the Fells on his throne! Below is Low Tarn with Middle Fell and Seatallan beyond.
Haycock across Scoat Tarn.
The view from The Chair is magnificent.
Scoat Fell and Red Pike up to the right.
Close-up on The Scafells.
Casper enjoys the view from Red Pike into Mosedale.
The Isle of Man across the Irish Sea.
Scoat Fell from the summit of Red Pike
The rocky climb to Scoat Fell
Steeple
Looking to Pillar and Black Crag from the traverse to Steeple
Steeple summit
Ennerdale water and the Scottish hills beyond from Steeple
Blencathra
Scoat Fell summit cairn is on top of the wall ahead.
Looking back to Steeple from Black Crag
Ennerdale
Wind Gap and the ascent to Pillar
Pillar summit
Victory roll for Casper on top of Pillar
Deserted Pillar
Skiddaw and the North Western Fells from Pillar
The mighty Pillar Rock
Mono Scafells, Great Gable and Kirk Fell
Looking back to Pillar from the decent to Looking Stead
Looking Stead cairn and the High Stile ridge
Tarn at Looking Stead
Reflected Pillar from Looking Stead
Descending Black Sails pass beside Gatherstone Beck
Mosedale
Row Bridge, Wasdale
The steep face of Kirk Fell
The Scafells
Mosedale Horseshoe
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.
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.
Pillar
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
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.
