Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 187 088)
Wasdale Head – Kirk Fell (171) – North Top of Kirk Fell (172) – Great Gable (173) – Moses Trod – Wasdale Head
Weather: Mostly sunny, cold wind.
Today’s walk was a visit to two of the giants of Wasdale – Kirk Fell and Great Gable. I took the direct route up to Kirk Fell from Wasdale Head, a sickeningly steep climb, ‘the steepest in Lakeland’ as Wainwright described it.
Follow the path for the steep line of ascent, straight up the nose of Kirk Fell.
Illgill Head, Wast Water and Wasdale Head from the ascent of Kirk Fell.
Stirrup Crag on Yewbarrow with Red Pike rising to the right.
Scafell Pike, Scafell and Lingmell from Kirk Fell.
The North Top of Kirk Fell across Kirkfell Tarn. Green Gable is in the background.
Green Gable and Great Gable shrouded in the mist from The North Top of Kirk Fell. It didn't look like there would be any views from Great Gable today as the mist hung over the top for most of the time.
High Stile, High Crags and Haystacks along the Ennerdale valley with a glimpse of Crummock Water behind. To the right is Grasmoor (annotated version of this photo).
Looking across to Kirk Fell from the ascent of Great Gable. Haycock, Scoat Fell and Pillar silhouetted in the background. The small pimple in the centre is Steeple, whilst Pillar Rock can be seen a third of the way down the slope of Pillar.
Wast Water, Illgill Head and Yewbarrow from The Westmorland Cairn on Great Gable.
Great Borne, Starling Dodd, Red Pike, High Stile and High Seat from the descent of Great Gable.
Looking back up to Great Napes from Moses Trod, the path I used for the descent back to Wasdale Head.
A final view of Great Gable from Wasdale Head.