“The north face of the fell has a formidable aspect. Crags and shadowed hollows, scree and tumbled boulders, form a wild, chaotic scene, a setting worthy of a fine mountain”
A Wainwright
A classic Lake District ridge walk, also known as the Mosedale Horseshoe, the high cirque of mountains above the Wasdale Head Inn.
The High Level Route takes in the wonderful path climbing above Pillar Rock high on the Ennerdale face of Pillar before climbing directly to the summit.
A great ridge walk with wonderful views over the Western Fells.
Let our professionally qualified mountain leaders take the strain and give you a great day out in the fells.
“You see yon precipice-it almost looks
Like some vast building made of many crags,
And in the midst is one particular rock
That rises like a column from the vale,
Whence by our Shepherds it is call'd, the Pillar”
Wordsworth, The Brothers
One of the Lake Districts best ridge walks, we begin from The Wasdale Head Inn at the head of the Wasdale Valley climbing to the top of Black Sail Pass, the main pass between Wasdale and Ennerdale.
A short distance along the ridge from Black Sail Pass we will find the start of the High Level Route, one of the best routes in the Lake District. The small path contours around the side of the fell in and out of several combes until it reaches the Robinson Cairn, here we will have our first views of Pillar Rock.
The High Level Route continues, climbing up to the left to climb the Shamrock Traverse above Pillar Rock where a short scramble will lead to the summit of Pillar.
The views from Pillar are magnificent, be it over Wasdale to Scafell Pike, down Ennerdale to the Irish Sea or across the Solway coast to Scotland!
From Pillar we will continue on the ridge to the summit of Scoat Fell where a short detour will bring us onto the sharp rocky summit of Steeple a high spire above the Ennerdale Valley.
After returning over Scoat Fell we will then descend along the Red Pike ridge to Stirrup Crag where a short scramble will bring us out onto the summit ridge of Yewbarrow, although the lowest of our summits today the views on a good day over Wastwater from the summit ridge are as good as anything we will see all day!
A short steep descent will bring us down from the end of the Yewbarrow ridge as we descend back to the Wasdale Valley and back to Wasdale Head.
Each participant will be required to bring suitable equipment for their chosen event, please see Kit List tab above.
Where to meet: Outside the Wasdale Head Inn
Postcode: CA20 1EX
Grid Reference: NY 186 087
Directions
Gosforth can easily be found on the A595 road south of Egremont (An easy drive south from Cockermouth and Workington). Follow the road through the village, turning left as the road forks on the High Street.
Follow this road taking the left hand fork (avoiding Nether Wasdale) and follow the road signs for Wasdale Head and Wastwater.
When a junction is reached near the lake (Wastwater) turn left and follow this lane past the end of the lake until after two sharp bends a car park is seen on the right of the road, a short distance away from the Wasdale Head Inn. Park here and we will meet outside the Wasdale Head Inn.
Bus Services
There are no bus services to Wasdale Head.
Stagecoach bus timetables can be viewed here
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