Yewbarrow

Walked on 21/11/2015

Start Point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow (South Top) – Yewbarrow (North Top) – Dore Head – Over Beck – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 3.9 miles Total Ascent: 580 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 08:30

Weather: Cold, windy on top, 2°C

There was a bit of a change in the weather today and it was completely different to the wet and windy weather of the last week – clear and bright with snow lying from around 300m. When I got to Wasdale, I stopped to take a couple of photos of the classic view but…there was no battery in my camera. Schoolboy error! Too late to go back so it was on with the walk anyhow, therefore I apologise if today’s photos are not up to the usual quality, they were taken with an iPhone (we still enjoyed the walk anyway!).

The Wasdale classic view.

Bell Rib, Yewbarrow.

Climbing towards the snow line.

Looking across to Middle Fell.

Wast Water from the steep climb.

Great Door.

Amen to this.

A lovely view across to Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell from the Yewbarrow ridge.

Fun and frolics in the snow.

Snowy Red Pike.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable from the summit of Yewbarrow.

Walking the ridge, Pillar to the left and distant Skiddaw ahead.

Good job Fletcher and Dougal are all fur and fluff, the wind was chilly today.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable.

Looking towards Seatallan.

Looking back towards the summit, the sun glinting on Burnmoor Tarn and the Irish Sea beyond.

The Scafells.

Kierk Fell from the edge of Stirrup Crag.

Pillar above Mosedale.

Dougal - The Lion King - contemplates the tricky descent to come.

Made it! Down at Dore Head Tarn.

Pillar from the same place.

Stirrup Crag.

A great view through to Sty Head.

A penny for them Fletcher, heading back to Wasdale.

Looking back to Dore Head, plenty of snow around today.

Yewbarrow

Walked on 24/10/2012

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow (South Top) – Yewbarrow (North Top) – Dore Head – Over Beck – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 3.9 miles Total Ascent: 580 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 09:40

Weather: Mild. 14C.

I was looking forward to getting to Wasdale once more, it seems like ages since I was over that way. The weather started off looking quite promising but by the end of the walk it had clouded over and ended up a little dull but the great scrambling sections at either end of the fell made up for that.

Yewbarrow route map.

Early morning mist in Eskdale.

Britain's favourite view.

Great Gable.

Bell Rib on the southern tip of Yewbarrow from Overbeck Bridge.

Middle Fell.

Red Pike.

Autumn colours.

The steep climb to imposing Bell Rib.

Red Pike from Dropping Crag...

...and the view from the edge to Seatallan across Over Beck.

Looking down the scree chute to Wasdale, Dropping Crag is lower right.

Scafell through Great Door.

The Scafell Pikes.

Looking across to Burnmoor Tarn from the second cleft on the south ridge.

Illgill Head and Whin Rigg - The Screes.

Caw Fell and Haycock in the sunshine as the clouds come over the rest of Wasdale from the cairn on Bull Crag.

Nice haircut boys (and no I haven't chopped Dougal's ear off!).

Low Tarn nestling below Red Pike, Haycock beyond.

Great Gable and lenticular cloud.

The summit of Yewbarrow.

Walking the ridge to the north top of Yewbarrow, Pillar in cloud beyond and Red Pike rising up from Dore Head to the left.

What's going on over there?

Kirk Fell to Scafell - a panoramic view from the north top.

Great End and Lingmell with cloud caps, Scafell Pike and Scafell without - all towering over Wasdale Head.

The mountain lion checks out the route of descent...

...the feared (by some) Stirrup Crag - Dougal is already path finding below.

From Dore Head, the upper band of rock looks unassailable.

Down at Dore Head tarn.

Yewbarrow from the back.

Casper and Dougal.

Looking to Middle Fell along Over Beck.

Autumn hue.

Yewbarrow

Walked on 01/03/2011

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow (South Top) – Yewbarrow (North Top) – Dore Head – Low Tarn – Overbeck – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 5 miles Total Ascent: 725 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 15 minutes Start Time: 09:45

Weather: Some bright spells, generally overcast. 9C

I obviously didn’t get enough of the rough stuff yesterday on Great Gable and I was irresistibly drawn back to Wasdale and had a walk across Yewbarrow. I couldn’t help thinking back to Friday’s walk to High Pike – on the trig. column there is an inscription which says ‘Caldbeck fells are worth all England else’. Whoever thought of that one surely can’t have been to Wasdale…

Yewbarrow route map.

A profile of Bell Rib at the southern end of Yewbarrow. Earlier there were blue skies but once again a sheet of cloud had moved in to make the day largely grey over this side of the Lakes.

Wast Water reflections.

The Scafells from the climb and Wast Water is very calm this morning.

Scafell Pike and Scafell.

This photo is looking across to Bell Rib from later on in the walk - two paths can be seen; the one to the right in this photo leads directly to Great Door, the one to the left leads to the second cleft.

The view from Great Door.

To the right of Great Door is a short climb to Bell Rib (the top of the pointy bit in the first photo) which gives a great view of Wast Water and The Screes.

The way ahead to Yewbarrow from Bell Rib - first I have to climb down to Great Door which is where the central cleft of rock is in this photo.

The Scafells from the climb of the Yewbarrow ridge.

The second cleft on the Yewbarrow ridge, often mistaken for Great Door.

Looking back.

Strange light on Burnmoor Tarn and Eel Tarn, Harter Fell in the left distance.

Scafell.

Caspaaar!

The summit of Yewbarrow up to the left, Kirk Fell and Great Gable to the right.

Close up on Great Gable and Great Napes - where we were yesterday.

Robinson, Skiddaw and Hindscarth over the North Top of Yewbarrow from the summit - there are two little men in view!

Red Pike, Dore Head Tarn below right.

Pillar and Mosedale.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable.

Wasdale Head.

Little Dougal Doo contemplates the rough and steep descent of Stirrup Crag.

Red Pike and frozen Dore Head Tarn.

Good old Casper showed Dougal how a rocky scramble should be done.

Pillar.

Scrambling around Great Knott to climb to Low Tarn.

Frozen Low Tarn.

Red Pike reflected.

On the way back.

Over Beck. Back down in Wasdale...

Scafell reflections.

Great Gable.

Scafell.

Flat and calm Wast Water.

Signs of spring at Galesyke.

Yewbarrow

Walked on 30/11/2009

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow (South Top) – Yewbarrow (North Top) – Dore Head – Over Beck – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 3.9 miles Total Ascent: 580 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes

Weather: Clear with long sunny spells. 3oC

Firstly, an apology to regular viewers about the length of time taken for the site to load over the last week or so. This has been caused by the number of hits received from people looking at the flood photos. Hopefully things have calmed down a bit now and the site should be back to normal.

Things have turned decidedly colder over the weekend with many of the fells having a snow cap on them now. I headed to Wasdale for a walk over Yewbarrow but there wasn’t much snow around up there, just a sprinkling really. It was mighty cold though and temperatures are set to plummet further overnight so perhaps winter has finally arrived.

Yewbarrow route map.

A cold looking view over to the Scafells for Dougal on the start of the climb to Yewbarrow.

Wast Water.

To the west the sky seems to be clearing and it looks promising in the steep climb to Yewbarrow too.

Middle Fell over Bowderdale.

Red Pike is in the distance but we are heading up to the right towards Great Door of Yewbarrow.

The cleft of Great Door.

Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell.

Middle fell and Seatallan beyond Great Door.

Seatallan with Caw Fell and Haycock with a cap of cloud.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable from the first cairn on the ridge.

It was icy up here today and the strong wind was raw.

An icy view to Great Gable.

Pillar and Yewbarrow summit.

The summit of Yewbarrow.

The Scafells from the summit.

The head of Mosedale.

More iciness.

Kirk and Gable - sounds like a TV cop series.

Hair raising! Dougally doo braves the arctic blast and finds out why he has all that hair.

Casper on Yewbarrow, Red Pike beyond.

Red Pike.

Ominous, snow laden clouds over Pillar from the highest North Top of Yewbarrow looking to the cairned North Top.

Red Pike and Scoat Fell.

Casper and Dougal wonder where Dougal's other ear has gone.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable.

Wasdale Head.

The Lion King surveys his kingdom over Dore head to Red Pike.

Mosedale with a great pyramidal shadow of Yewbarrow.

Mosedale and Kirk Fell.

Snow capped Great Gable.

Red Pike from the descent of Over Beck.

Over Beck cascades. Last time I was here I swam in this pool, no chance of that today.

Red Pike along Over Beck.

Wasdale view.

Yewbarrow.

Yeewbarrow

Walked on 23/06/2009

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow (South Top) – Yewbarrow (North Top) – Dore Head – Low Tarn – Overbeck – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 5 miles Total Ascent: 725 metres Time Taken: 3 hours

Weather: Glorious sunshine. 24C.

What a gorgeous summer day today, the best this year that I have been out in for sure. I headed over to Wasdale and had a walk up to Yewbarrow which is always a great walk. I managed to find not one but two places to have a welcome dip today and there is no better feeling than having a bathe in cool, fresh water on a day such as today.

Regular viewers will know that I have been writing a feature for Lake District Life magazine for the last couple of years. That magazine is now defunct and has amalgamated with the much bigger Lancashire Life. I am pleased to announce that I have now signed up to write a column in there starting from the August issue – stick with me Casper lad, I’ll make you a star!

Yewbarrow route map.

I can never resist the early morning Wasdale view, so here's a plethora of them...

A close up on Great Gable and Lingmell.

Yewbarrow, where I am walking today, is the fell to the left in this photo.

Beautiful reflections on a calm Wast Water today.

The view to the southern end of the lake.

Last one , on with the walk!

It is a glorious day at the start of the climb to Bell Rib, the southern crag of Yewbarrow.

All is bright and green for this steep climb.

Looking at the climb or the sheep Casper?

Middle Fell.

The view to Wasdale from the steep scree climb skirting Bell Rib.

Suddenly you pop out of the scree chute at Great Door.

Thirsty work for Casper, there's not been a lot to drink so far.

A grand view of The Scafells

An immaculate looking Wast Water with Illgill Head and Whin Rigg beyond.

A close up on Burnmoor Tarn with Harter Fell and Green Crag beyond and Caw lying central.

Red Pike, Scoat Fell and Pillar from the summit of Yewbarrow.

Yewbarrow's claim to fame is that all the Lake District 3000 footers can be seen from its summit. This view is to the most distant, Skiddaw, straight along the ridge.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable and the fourth 3000 footer, Helvellyn, between Great Gable and the small lump of Glaramara.

Haycock and Red Pike with Low Tarn visible on the upper left.

Middle Fell and Seatallan.

At last! A drink and a swim for Casper.

Looking back to the main top of Yewbarrow from the highest point to the north. The cairned north top is further along the ridge.

Pillar from the North Top of Yewbarrow.

Great Gable and Great End at the head of Lingmell Beck.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable.

Pillar and Mosedale.

Casper leads the way on the steep descent of Stirrup Crag.

Red Pike across Dore Head.

Pillar from Dore Head Tarn.

I decided to walk to Low Tarn nestling below Red Pike and it was baking hot now, here looking to the Scafells from the tarn plateau across a cotton grass field.

Low Tarn. It was so hot that I could not resist a dip in here although it is not exactly the deepest tarn for a swim. A quiet mountain tarn like this is simply an idyllic place to bathe.

Red Pike across Low Tarn.

Looking across to Yewbarrow from High Fell and unless my eyes deceive me that's a cow! In fact there was a whole herd of them, not something you really expect to see so high up. I'm sorry Casper but you are on your own!

This is a good view of Dropping Crag on Yewbarrow. The route of ascent directly to Great Door is the scree slope that curves to the right. The alternative path to the left misses it completely.

Red Pike and Over Beck.

Well, I couldn't resist this fantastic deep pool on Over Beck, so it was in for the second dip of the day.

The Scafells taken from the foot of Yewbarrow.

Scafell.

Yewbarrow

Walked on 11/02/2008

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow (South Top) – Yewbarrow (North Top) – Dore Head – Low Tarn – Overbeck – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 5 miles Total Ascent: 725 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 45 minutes

Weather: Sunny and warm. 12°C.

The sun and blue sky made a welcome appearance this morning for a lovely warm walk for the time of year. I made an unusual route of return via the quiet but delightful Low Tarn. It was lovely up there today, a really idyllic place – I think I’ll have to return in summer for a swim.

Golden sunshine on Bell Rib at the southern end of Yewbarrow.

It's a steep climb but lovely in the early morning sunshine.

Contrails over Yewbarrow.

Middle Fell and Bowderdale Farm.

Middle Fell and Seatallan from higher up. The eventual route of descent was alongside the far wall down to Overbeck.

The Scafells are still in shade from Great Door.

Looking back to Wast Water and The Screes - Illgill Head and Whin Rigg.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable from the south top and summit of Yewbarrow.

Casper struggles to keep his tongue in.

Red Pike, Pillar and Scoat Fell.

The view along the Yewbarrow summit ridge. Pillar on the left, Kirk Fell on the right with a distant Skiddaw visible in the centre.

Great Gable.

The Skiddaw massif.

Haycock with Low Tarn below. It looked so inviting over there I though I would make my return by it in the sunshine today.

Great Gable with the shadow of the Scafells looming on its lower slopes.

Heading for the north top of Yewbarrow with the bulk of Pillar beyond.

Kirk Fell and Great Gable from the north top of Yewbarrow.

Casper in the sunshine.

Red Pike across Dore head.

Pillar and Mosedale.

The western face of Kirk Fell across Mosedale from the scramble down to Dore Head.

Wasdale Head.

Red Pike reflected in Low Tarn. Low Tarn is one of those seldom visited ones, walked around at a higher level but not usually close to so I thought I would pay it a visit today. It turned out to be a lovely place, very peaceful.

Low Tarn reflections.

Red Pike and Low Tarn.

Red Pike and Low Tarn from Blackbeck Knotts.

A distant Great Gable across a pool on the descent.

Seatallan.

Red Pike and Brimfull Beck, the outflow of Low Tarn.

Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell are out of the shadows at last.

Scafell Pike and Scafell.

The head of Wasdale.

Yewbarrow.

Yewbarrow

Walked on 25/08/2005

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow (South Top) – Yewbarrow (North Top) – Dore Head – Overbeck – Overbeck Bridge

Distance: 4.5 miles Total Ascent: 1077 metres Time Taken: 1 hour 50 minutes

Weather: Sunny spells with a cool wind. 15°C.

Today’s walk in cooler weather than recently was up to Yewbarrow from Wasdale. This walk starts with a steep ascent from Overbeck Bridge followed by a scree climb and a walk along the full length of the ridge before another scramble down Stirrup Crag before contouring back along Yewbarrow’s western slopes. A lovely, shorter walk which gives good views to the head of Wasdale, the Scafells and Great Gable.

Yewbarrow route map.

Yewbarrow from Wasdale, Great Gable to the right.

The steep path to Bell Rib (complete with a hurry up call!).

Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell (in cloud) across Wast Water on the ascent.

Mountain dog on the climb to Bell Rib.

Illgill Head and Whin Rigg across Wast Water from Bell Rib.

The westerly view from Yewbarrow.

Great Gable catches the sunrays.

Wasdale Head from Stirrup Crag. Notice the field boundary, stone wall arrangement. Wordsworth said of this '...meadow and corn-ground intersected with stone walls apparently innumerable, like a large piece of lawless patchwork, or an array of mathematical figures, such as in the ancient schools of geometry might have been sportively and fantastically traced out upon sand.'

Another view of the Scafells.

Pillar and Mosedale.

Looking back to Dore Head.

Over Beck.

Yewbarrow

Walked on 20/01/2005

Start point: Overbeck Bridge (NY 168 068)

Overbeck Bridge – Bell Rib – Great Door – Yewbarrow (South Top) (259) – Yewbarrow (North Top) (260) – Dore Head – Overbeck – Overbeck Bridge

Weather: Wind, rain and snow.

Today’s walk is a walk over shapely Yewbarrow, a fell that often missed when walking from Wasdale as it doesn’t fit neatly with other rounds. Whilst the weather wasn’t great today it was still worth the walk up – the moment when Great Door appeared after a hard scramble was certainly the highlight.