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.