Striding Edge

A photo diary of Lake District fell walks

The Mosedale Horseshoe

Walked on

Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 187 088)

Wasdale Head – Black Sails Pass –Pillar – Wind Gap – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Red Pike – Dore Head Screes – Wasdale Head

Distance: 9.4 miles     Total Ascent: 1009 metres     Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes

Clear               
Temperature      4 ℃ 
Felt like        2 ℃
Wind Speed       4.1 mi/h
Wind Direction   NE

What a fantastic day for being out on the fells. February was pretty much a wash out/blow out after a number of named storms and a day of settled and fine weather came as a blessed relief! It’s a good while since I have done this route (12 years!) but I picked the perfect day to visit my favourite fell and area. There was perfect clarity and hardly a breath of wind throughout and I even caught the sun a little too.

Red Pike (Wasdale)

Height: 826 metres / 2710 feet Grid reference: NY 16530 10610 Category: The Western Fells

Red Pike and Scoat Tarn from Haycock

Red Pike and Scoat Tarn from Haycock

Scoat Fell from the summit of Red Pike

Scoat Fell from the summit of Red Pike

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

Angus tries out the famous cairn and viewpoint on Red Pike known as ‘The Chair’ which lies at its southern end. It looks like a big armchair made from stones – here the view is over Low Tarn to Middle Fell and Seatallan.

Me sitting on The Chair on Red Pike.

Me sitting on The Chair on Red Pike.

The Chair on Red Pike, Middle Fell and Seatallan in view

The Chair on Red Pike, Middle Fell and Seatallan in view

Casper on The Chair

Casper on The Chair

Steeple

Walked on

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Over Beck – Dore Head – Red Pike – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Scoat Tarn – Nether Beck – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 8.2 miles     Total Ascent: 930 metres     Time Taken: 4 hours 45 minutes

Weather: Absolute clarity, 7C

Wow, what a day it was – the clarity was superb with views for miles and miles today. There was a fresh covering of snow on the fells overnight but even so it was really warm in the sunshine – I ended up with a decent tan!

Mosedale Horseshoe

Walked on

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.

 

Mosedale Horseshoe

Walked on

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.

Mosedale Horseshoe

Walked on

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.

Pillar

Walked on

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.

Haycock

Walked on

Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 186 088)

Wasdale Head – Black Sail Pass – Looking Stead – Pillar – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Haycock (214) – Red Pike (Wasdale) – Dorehead Screes – Wasdale Head

Weather: Sunny and warm. Generally hazy.

Today’s the day I completed my first round of the Wainwright’s !

Pillar

Walked on

Wasdale Head – Black Sails Pass – Looking Stead – Pillar (18) – Scoat Fell (19) – Steeple (20) – Scoat Fell – Red Pike (Wasdale) (21) – Yewbarrow (22) – Wasdale Head