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.
Great Gable from Wasdale Head.
The long and winding road into Mosedale.
Crossing Gatherstone Beck looking down to Mosedale and across to Dore Head, the route of descent later (gulp!).
The view towards Looking Stead and Pillar from Black Sail pass.
Climbing high above Mosedale now.
High Stile and High Crag across Ennerdale.
Wasdale Head from the climb to Pillar.
The ridge walk to the top.
The eastern crags of Red Pike.
The approach to Pillar.
Pillar summit (my personal favourite) looking to the Scafells.
...and to the north.
I can see for miles and miles...across Ennerdale...across Buttermere...across the Vale of Keswick to Skiddaw and Blencathra.
Looking down on Pillar Rock.
Ennerdale Water.
Patches of snow remain on the highest areas.
Pillar.
The route descends to Wind Gap and then up to Black Crag before the climb to Scoat Fell.
On Black Crag.
Steeple and shadows.
The summit of Scoat Fell, the cairn is atop the wall.
A new haircut for Fletcher. We sat on Steeple for a while, a great place for lunch in the relatively warm conditions.
Looking across to Pillar and Black Crag from Steeple.
Today's lunch spot view.
We crossed the wall on Scoat Fell and headed directly for Red Pike.
Great Gable above Kirk Fell.
Middle Fell and Seatallan across Scoat Tarn.
Approaching the summit of Red Pike.
On the edge - the summit cairn of Red Pike.
Wasdale Head.
Fletcher on his throne - The Chair on Red Pike.
Wast Water and Low Tarn from The Chair.
Stirrup Crag and Dore Head from the descent of Red Pike.
Pillar from Dore Head.
The way down! This is steep to say the least - handy hint: there is a path to the left go the actual scree run which makes the going slightly easier.
Back down to earth in Mosedale.
The head of Wasdale resplendent in sunshine.
The classic view on the road out of Wasdale.
Margaret Ainley says
What a delight to see your pics of the Pillar walk. We did it in 1982 (!) with a crowd of friends on a similar day, but in summer. There was mist boiling up out of Mosedale but it never got over the Pillar ridge and just vanished. We did the High Level Route to Robinson’s cairn and then up Shamrock traverse to the summit. What a view! Far away, over the Pennines, there was a bank of cloud with a single towering summit – we called it K2.
Afterwards I wrote about it in ‘Cumbria’ magazine and it was published later that year.
Great days!
Sean says
Thank you Margaret, it may have been 40 years ago when you did it but the views never change!I considered the Shamrock Traverse etc this time but as the northern side was in shadow I think it would have been icy and c-c-ccold. Great that you had it published – as you say great days indeed!
Steve Bailey says
What a beautiful day on the fells – and some cracking pictures!
Sean says
Thanks Steve, it was indeed a beautiful day and hard not to take a decent photo!
Jean and Richard Henning says
Came down Dore Head Screes in the dark some 30 years ago, if I had seen this picture beforehand , would never have done it! Thank you so much for all your wonderful pictures, bringing back so many special memories for us.
site_admin says
Thanks Jean and Richard, glad the photos have rekindled some great memories, I am not sure I would fancy Dore Head screes in the dark either! Sean
Carl Ashton says
Fantastic pictures. I did the same walk some 10 years ago in similar conditions. Great to see your pictures and re-live it.
Here’s a question, I’m planning to do Yewbarrow this year and descend off it to the north on Stirrup Crag.
I’m good at scrambling but it looks very steep on photo’s. Is it okay and can a dog do it?
Sean says
Thanks Carl, glad you enjoyed the photos. Stirrup Crag is very steep and rough and I have done it with the dogs but it is not easy. A better way maybe is to miss out Stirrup Crag and descend the easier slope skirting around it – see Wainwright Yewbarrow 6 and 7 for details. Sean
Carl Ashton says
Hi Sean, just as an update, I did Yewbarrow yesterday and did pick the easier slope that skirted around Stirrup Crag. I felt must safer for doing so especially as I was walking solo. Thanks for the tip. I probably would have missed the path had you not recommended it. Regards, Carl
Andy says
Hi Sean. What a day for it hey! I wasn’t far from where you walked. I was up on Illgill Head and Whin Rigg after walking along Miterdale. I wanted to visit the 2 Wainwrights I’d not been to, otherwise I would’ve liked to have done a similar route to you. I can see why Pillar is your personal favourite. Its the expanse of the flat summit which is so appealing for me. Thanks for the updates on your walks. I always get some great ideas for inspiration to future routes.
Sean says
Thanks Andy, great to hear you managed to make the most of the great weather. Glad you are enjoying the site 🙂 Sean
Neil Dyson says
Looks tremendous, great pics
Sean says
Thanks Neil, it was a great day!
Chris Bede says
Great to see your walking diary updated again – it’s fair to say I’ve missed it, though you have clearly been busy on the bike!
I’m pleased to see your photography skills are as good as ever and some of the Scafell shots of the inversion are simply beautiful. We did the Mosedale round at the end of lockdown last summer – bit of a killer when we hadn’t been out for a while!!!
All the best – hope to catch you on the fells soon!
Dave Harrison says
What a fabulous walk with superb pictures. Certainly makes the old legs twitch and the ailing heart yearn for the fells again