From: Wasdale Head (NY 187 088)
Wasdale Head – Black Sails Pass – Looking Stead –Pillar – Wind Gap – Black Crag (Pillar) – Scoat Fell – Steeple – Red Pike (Wasdale) – Black Crag – The Chair – Dore Head Screes – Wasdale Head
| Distance: | 15.9km/9.9 miles |
| Total Ascent: | 1034m |
| Time Taken: | 5 hours |
| Start Time: | 07:10 |
| Weather: | Clear and mostly sunny. 3ºC |
| Finlay’s Wainwright Count: | 88/214 (4 new this walk) |
First light heading into Mosedale; it looks like it’s going to be a decent day. Following the wall all the way, it is quite a long run in before the climb to Black Sail Pass. 
Stirrup Crag, Dore Head and The Screes. The Screes were the route of descent later on and I must admit I was not looking forward to that part of the walk as they are so steep. 
Stirrup Crag from the crossing of Gatherstone Beck. I think the large rock prominent on the lower right is the one Wainwright drew a self-portrait on looking at this very view (Yewbarrow 9, The Western Fells). 
The climb up the Black Sail Pass is a steep one and it seemed to take a long time to get to the top (although Finlay had a fair bit of zoomie action as we climbed – to see more of those shenanigans you can follow Finlay on the Fells Facebook page), but the remoteness is part of the charm for me. There is still a decent climb to get to Pillar from the pass. 
The remains of the gate on Black Sail Pass, the former fence was between Wasdale and Ennerdale. Finlay was looking for a drink along here but the puddles and tarns were frozen and the grass was frost covered. 
Looking Stead and Pillar ahead. 
The sun rises over Kirk Fell to finally bathe us in glorious sunshine, Great Gable and Green Gable in view. 
High Stile, High Crag and Haystacks across Ennerdale. 
Looking across to Grasmoor and Crag Fell, the scene of our last walk – The Coledale Horseshoe. 
Pilar from Looking Stead. 
Mosedale and beyond from the climb to Pillar. The original intention was to walk the high level route to Robinson’s Cairn and the climb up by Pillar Rock but I changed my mind as it would be in shadow and it was pretty cool up there now anyway. 
A beautiful view across Ennerdale. 
This almost looks like a painting looking across Mosedale to Yewbarrow, Illgill Head and Whin Rigg with a glimpse of Burnmoor Tarn and Wast Water. 
Heading for Pillar with Black Crag and Scoat Fell beyond. The sun was up now and oddly not a breath of wind – a perfect morning for a walk. 
Red Pike across Mosedale. 
All alone on my favourite fell – Pillar. 
Pillar Rock below from the northern edge of Pillar. 
Pillar Rock and the view across Ennerdale, Skiddaw in the distance. 
The way ahead – descend to Wind Gap then climb to Black Crag and on to Scoat Fell with Steeple to the right. Having said there was no wind, Wind Gap lived up to its name and the breeze did start to pick up a little making it a bit cooler and the eternal question of ‘when should I stop to layer up’. I decided to climb as I was and get a jacket on later if I could hold out to Steeple. 
The way ahead with a descent to Wind Gap then a climb to Black Crag and on to Scoat Fell with Steeple to the right. Having said there was no wind, Wind Gap lived up to its name and the breeze did start to pick up a little making it a bit cooler and the eternal question of ‘when should I stop to layer up’. I decided to climb as I was and get a jacket on later if I could hold out to Steeple. The high cloud was starting to close in a little now. 
Mosedale and the Scafells nicely silhouetted. 
Climbing to Black Crag. 
It was a rocky scramble to get to the cairn on Black Crag. 
The east face of Steeple from Black Crag. I’m looking forward to getting on this summit now. 
Looking back to Pillar from the climb to Scoat Fell. 
Scoat Fell summit with the summit cairn atop the wall. There was still no-one around and the fell was silent. Perfect. The Scafells are clear for now but in later photos that soon changes. Red Pike is in the centre ground. 
Steeple from Scoat Fell. 
It’s not too far to Steeple along this rough ridge. 
Finlay standing on the edge of Steeple – and what a view from here. I just love this area, it is so remote and rugged. 
Pillar from Steeple, Great Gable beyond. I still hadn’t seen a single person all day so here seemed like a good place to have a sit and a brew. It was a lot cooler now I had stopped so fleece plus gilet and hat were required. It was absolutely perfect though, being all alone in such a place is a great feeling. 
Ennerdale Water. 
Criffel, across the Solway Firth, was plainly in view today looking across Great Borne and the Loweswater fells. 
I spent half an hour or so on Steeple before heading back to Scoat Fell and across the wall to head directly for Red Pike. This is a lot easier walking than the bouldery climb to Scoat Fell earlier and what a great view of Red Pike ahead. The cloud has come in on the Scafells beyond now in the short time I was on Steeple and there was a lot more high cloud in general. I could see someone on the top of Red Pike and I passed a lady and her dog as I climbed it, the first person I had seen all day. I think that must be some sort of record with 4 hours on these fantastic fells in complete solitude. 
Scoat Tarn, Middle fell and seatallan from the climb to Red Pike. 
Red Pike summit cairn (Cairn at 2707′ Red Pike (W) 7) situated on the very edge of the crag overlooking Mosedale looking across to Pillar. 
Wainwright #88 for Finlay. 
Finlay on The Chair – a StridingEdge.net tradition for all our dogs. 
…and what a view there is from there looking down on Low Tarn and Wast Water. 
Kirk Fell from Dore Head…and now for the descent of Dorehead Screes. I must say there is not much scree in the upper part these days, it is more like a deep chute. Not a great way down in any event – have you tried it? I kept to the grass at the side then criss-crossed the screes as appropriate but took it very steadily. 
The head of Mosedake from Dorehead Screes. 
Heading back to Wasdale Head and the end of the walk. 
The old packhorse bridge. 
Great Gable from the Wasdale Head car park. When I got back there was my car and only one or two others; it was so quiet and how it must have been in days gone by. 
I couldn’t resist the classic view on the way out of the valley.
Beautiful pictures as usual. I was there a few weeks ago, (probably for the last time), but your route down the Dorehead screes reminds me of one of our trips 25 years ago – I’d never done a scree but the others made it sound simple and good fun. I was glad to get to the bottom!
Please keepup the good work, it keeps reminding us why we do our annual trip.