Kirk Fell and Pillar
Date: 13-Mar-2012
Map: Landranger 89
Weather: Overcast, with a low cloud.
From the green triangle near the Wasdale Inn, steeply up to Kirk Fell, down to Black Sail Pass, and up to Looking Stead. Along the traverse to Robinsons Cairn and up to Pillar via a rocky scramble. Down to Wind Gap, and then down to Mosedale on the scree path to return to Wasdale : an 8 mile stomp as measured on memory map.
Prior to this walk I had only 5 ‘Wainwrights’ left to climb,
and as Great Gable was to be my last this walk combined two
mountains that would probably be better enjoyed separately.
I’d not been walking much lately and I thought to myself
that it’s about time that I got on and finished the
Wainwrights.
Recently I’ve changed cars and now have a long estate car,
and I got to thinking I could sleep in the back of this
thing so I bought a sleeping mat and a bag which would allow
me to drive up to Wasdale over Birker Fell the night before
and get an early start. It’s a good job it was clear night
as the sheep seemed to think that sleeping in the road is
OK, a bizarre experience stearing around the slumbering wee
beasties. I had a 20 minute diversion at Santon Bridge
because the road to Wasdale was closed, but eventually got
to the Wasdale Inn and had a couple of pints, and they
topped my flask up with hot water for the morning cup of
tea. I got back to the car on the green and set up my gear
to sleep the night away, but I'd forgotten that the
electricity is off along the length of Wasdale, so was
serenaded by a humming generator all night. The electric
companies can only work so much during the daytime on laying
a new line without causing major disruption to a very
popular tourist destination. Once I’d shut the boot
of the car I found out that my camping mat and
sleeping bag are incompatible - I kept slipping off, but did
sleep some, next time I’ll just take a couple of duvets to
kip on. I woke up early on and it's a good job too as the
walk up Kirk Fell is a long slog, had a cup of tea and two
MARMITE rolls for breakfast, sat in the car gazing up at the
low cloud. Looking up on high I knew I'd be walking in clag,
which was disappointing, and whilst the rest of the country
bathed in sunshine, I bathed in thin cloud. It was very
nearly an inversion, as the cloud was thin on top - but
nearly doesn't count. After a quick faff around it was on
with boots and out into the morning light, walking up the
road to the path at the back of the Wasdale Inn. I soon left
the humming generators behind, walking alongside the
Mosedale Beck, through a five bar gate and onto the steep
trod up to the summit of Kirk Fell.
The slope up to Kirk Fell is good for stopping often and
looking back down on Wasdale,
taking lots of photographs and a lungful of air.
In summertime the lower slopes would be covered in bracken,
but in early March the path ahead was a clear green line,
with many stepped parts developing, which does make the
going slightly easier, but it's a long slog up to the
summit. Whilst I was below the cloud the views back down
over Wasdale and the neighbouring Mosedale were /are
marvellous and it gave a good excuse to look around and
enjoy. As I approached the cloud base
I had one of those
Brocken Spectre things on the way up - my halo looked
good,
and it hadn't slipped since I last looked. It was
fascinating to watch the cloud pass by and the sun lighting
up my halo's - oh yes I have more than one. Up around the
700m mark the ground starts to level off and once I was over
the scree slopes I was soon up to the summit,,,,where I couldn't
see a thing up on top of Kirk Fell.
Above me was nearly blue sky and thin cloud, almost an
inversion and it wouldn't have taken much wind to clear
away. But unfortunately for me it didn't so I was faced with
a murky decent down to Kirkfell Crags, following an old
fenceline once I had established where I was and which
direction I should be heading - great things are compasses.
The slopes down to Sail Pass are really steep, rocky scree
and scrambles - I mean really steep,
and you have to take care with your footfall down here.
Eventually I dropped below the cloud just before I headed
down to the hause at Black Sail Pass between Ennerdale and
Mosedale. I had a little time now below the murk and had a
good look around below and ahead.
The walk up to Looking Stead is
a
nice and steady
ascent giving good views over the adjacent valleys and the
hills beyond. Obviously all the big boys had their heads in
the cloud, so I concentrated on the valleys below, picking
out landmarks where I could. A little past Looking Stead the
path for the traverse is fairly obvious and splits off to
the right descending slightly, before undulating up and down
along the slopes towards Robinsons Cairn. I lost a fair
amount of height in places but the
path along below the summit of Pillar and high above
Ennerdale is a delight
to walk along - there's
also a high and low path - the lower path undulates somewhat.
Above me were some impressive rocky crags and buttresses,
and even in the mist they were quite intimidating. Alf
describes the route on from Robinsons Cairn as having no
difficulties or dangers provided the path is kept
underfoot. I don't actually know if I kept to the Shamrock
Traverse as I couldn't see much due to the thick clag, and
might well have wandered slightly off piste.
Pillar Rock was covered in clag
and I
couldn't see any of it,
but the route up
into
Pillar Cove was an adventure - I'm sure I
shouldn't have been climbing so much,
but after a scramble or two I successfully gained the
summit.
Pillar summit was absolutely silent - no wind, no people, no
views, but oddly warm
and I guess that the temperature inversion was close above
my head as although I couldn't see much it felt quite light
and airy, but when I stood up to descend to Wind Gap, the temperature
dropped as
I lost height.
The slopes down to Wind Gap are really steep, rocky scree
- I mean really steep,
and although I had walking poles it was awkward in one or
two spots mainly due to the state of my knees - for a mere
mortal the paths are ok as long as you take care.It was all
downhill now from where I was standing at Wind Gap, a great
stony scree run if you've got the legs and the 'cojones'.
The slopes down to Mosedale are really steep, rocky scree,
sliding down on a wave of stones - I mean really steep
and it was tough on the knees but eventually what went up
had to get down and I reached the Mosedale valley to walk
down on the east side of Mosedale Beck. I had some views
from here and whilst I was plotting a route ahead I had time
to stand and stare at the impressive Dore Head screes - not
a path for me I might add. Once I'd crossed over a few
streams I was on a good path and the summits cleared a little by the time I was down in the
valley and soon back at Wasdale Head.
A cracking walk of 7.9 miles, and about 4500ft of up and
down - did I say it was steep?
the path behind the Wasdale Inn towards Kirk Fell
and up we go - steep pretty much all of the way to the summit
but with great views down over the patchwork of fields in Wasdale. The car park is at the letter d
looking down over Mosedale Beck with Yewbarrow and Red Pike in cloud
getting higher and I wish the sunshine would. Lingmell Beck on the left, Wast water in the distance.
a burst of sunlight to the left of Lingmell
not long now to the rocky scree path - it nearly cleared
up onto the stony part of the path
and the cloud started to roll over
combined with the sunshine it gave me a Broken Spectre - my halo still hasn't slipped
up at the summit cairn and nearly a view but not quite
this fenceline led me down to Kirkfell Crags
which are very rocky, with a few scrambles down, and very steep
a misty view back up the crags
I think this is the path I should have been on
the ground levels off at Black Sail Pass
looking back to Kirkfell Crags
the low cloud base didn't look promising - the view over to Yewbarrow and Dore Head screes
on my way up to Looking Stead where the path veers off to the right
the path ahead to Pillar contours around the hillside, high above Ennerdale
and it wanders up and down from Looking Stead
a tad annoying to keep losing height
but great views down over Ennerdale and Haystacks to Black Sail Hut - famous spot for all coast to coasters
the High Stile ridge across the valley - Seat and High Crag
some impressive rock buttresses above in the gloom
Robinsons Cairn a very useful marker for the route up
Pillar is ahead somewhere but is a bit shy today
the path veers up to the left here before Pillar Rock and the massive Pisgah
a vague path led me higher, but I had to make it up a little aware that there are some big rocky bluffs to steer clear of
there is a loose scree path for a lot of the way adjacent to the crags, which I couldn't see
after a little rocky scramble I emerged up on top of Pillar towards the trig point
this was looking back down - I sensed the big space below but couldn't see it
the summit of Pillar
the steep rocky path down to Wind Gap
looking back up to the descent off Pillar
at Wind Gap I was finally below the cloud base and could see my way down the awful scree path into Mosedale below
coming down this way was a bit tortuous
down towards Mosedale Beck with Kirk Fell to the left, Lingmell in the distance and the white dot of Wasdale Inn
eventually down in the valley I walked on the north side of the beck and found a good path
Yewbarrow and the Dore Head scree up to the right
looking back up to Looking Stead
how steep does that route down look
looking back up the valley and the cloud base is still down, set for the day
returning to Wasdale at the end of Mosedale
the Wasdale Inn with Illgill Head in the background