Kirk Fell, Pillar and Steeple

The Lakes 2003, part 4
Thursday 17th July 2003

After enjoying wonderful, hot weather on this holiday I shouldn’t have been disappointed when it finally started to deteriorate with this day being rather changeable: a day for both waterproofs and sunglasses. After spending the night at the amazing Black Sail Youth Hostel I set off first thing in the morning up to Black Sail Pass and from the top I tried to go up onto Kirk Fell, which I’d walked around, but not climbed, the day before. I had some difficulty getting up to the top of the fell from the pass, which I thought must have been because I had taken a wrong turning, but was actually because the path is just really difficult as I ended up struggling up very steep, rocky cliffs until, with great relief, I finally reached the top of the crags. I have climbed Kirkfell Crags from Black Sail Pass several times since and they have never been easy. A line of old fence posts should provide a sure guide, but since even these rock-climb up the crags that is what I had to do. From the top of the crags, despite the low cloud, navigation was easy as I simply followed the boundary posts and cairns that led me across the broad top until I reached the top of Kirk Fell where I was rewarded with views of Wastwater and Burnmoor Tarn through breaks in the clouds.

Continuing over the fell took me down to Beck Head where I took the path that I had taken the day before round the side of Kirk Fell and back to the Black Sail Pass. By the time I returned to the pass it had started to rain so I had to put my waterproofs on before continuing the walk over Looking Stead and up Pillar. I avoided the high level traverse to Robinson’s Cairn and the Pillar Rock because of the bad weather (just as I did last September) and stayed at the top of the ridge all the way up to the top of Pillar. This was a pleasant walk on an interesting ridge, and the rain stopped as I progressed along the ridge so that by the time I had reached the expansive summit the sun had come out. In the changeable weather conditions on this walk I was able to have my lunch at the summit of Pillar in bright sunshine while I thought about what I would do next. In view of the good weather I decided to descend to the Wind Gap and up to Scoat Fell.

When I reached the top of Scoat Fell I noticed dark clouds were heading towards the fells which signalled more rain so I decided that it was time to leave. I descended Scoat Fell over the top of Steeple, a small pinnacle on the northern edge of Scoat Fell, and followed the ridge of Long Crag all the way down into Ennerdale reaching the tree line just as the rain started again and my waterproofs came back on. Despite the OS map showing a right of way alongside Low Beck there is no footpath marked and the original version of Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide moans the lacks of paths, but the new revised Wainwright does show a path beside Low Beck even if it’s not recommended. I must have found this path on the ground following the route of the mapped right of way until I reached a forest road that ends just short of Low Beck. The trees in Ennerdale have restricted the routes off the fells for many years including some of the established right of ways and the route that I took is one such route that, back in 2003, I was able to use simply due to the determination of those who had gone before me. May they always continue to be navigable.

Once I had descended to the forest road I headed up the valley, across the River Liza on the memorial footbridge, and all the way back to Black Sail Hut. The hostel was now busier than the night before because it was curry night! I don’t know if Black Sail Hut still does curry night, but it was a wonderful evening with all the curry you can eat. I had a tremendous time during my two nights stay at the Black Sail Hut not just because of the quaint hostel in its stunning location but because I was able to share it with some really friendly and hospitable people. I don’t excel in crowds, but even I felt uplifted by the sheer enjoyment of socialising with people I’d not met before. It was a great experience and a highlight of my holiday, and possibly my best ever experience in the Lake District when not walking.