Scoat Fell and Illgill Head

Thursday 31st March 2016

After generally poor weather on my holiday in the Lake District it was a surprise and a joy to have a day of sensational weather with blue skies and gorgeous, clear views as I walked past some amazing scenery. I had not been able to do any of my planned walks on this holiday, but with this good weather I was finally able do the walk as I’d originally intended. Crossing to the far side of Ennerdale I left the forest track to climb steeply through a gap in the trees that is used to bring livestock off the fells in a similar way to the route that I had taken into Ennerdale the previous afternoon on the other side of the valley. The only time that I had previously taken this route, up the drove way, was back in 2005, on my way via Steeple to the top of Scoat Fell. I didn’t enjoy that ascent and have since preferred the climb out of Ennerdale that I did the following day further west. My ultimate goal on this walk was still the same as back then, but in order to take a new route up I headed towards the ridge of Tewit How.

With stunning views behind me of Ennerdale Water I had a tiring and relentless climb through pathless heather until finally I reached the cairn that sits at the top of Tewit How. The awesome crags of the Haskett Buttress below Scoat Fell urged me on with the improving weather giving me such a kick that I had a thrilling climb past the rapidly diminishing Tewit Tarn and up onto the snow-covered fell. At the wall that follows the top of the south Ennerdale ridge I turned left and followed it up to the cairn that looks out over Steeple, and continuing beside the wall I eventually reached the indeterminate point where the actual summit of Scoat Fell lies, on top of the wall. It was great being at the top of these amazing fells in this weather, especially once the lingering mist had cleared and provided me with stunning views across the craggy fells with their light covering of snow thanks to the late winter. I had stunning clear views of the all the neighbouring fells and I was in utter awe of my surroundings, reluctant to leave, but knowing that I couldn’t stay.

I needed to get down to Wasdale Head,but I wasn’t sure which way to take. The best way down would be over Red Pike, but hesitation about the descent from Dore Head prompted me to consider making my way to the Wind Gap and descending steeply from there into Mosedale. Eventually the good weather prompted me to head over to the gorgeous fell of Red Pike. The summit is not far from Scoat Fell, alongside perilous cliffs, but the attraction of this route is the long ridge that gradually descends all the way down to Dore Head. On the way I sat in The Chair, made of stones, which looks out over Wastwater, briefly taking in the tremendous weather before continuing the descent all the way to the bottom of the ridge at Dore Head. To my left was a steep, badly eroded, cascade of stones called the Dorehead Screes. Decades of walkers running down the screes have scoured a horrible scar down the hill prompting me to avoid it in the past and I’ll probably avoid it in the future as well.

Instead of descending on the grass to the left of the scree, which is the recommended practice, I came down inside the deepest scars to the right of the scree and paid the price in blood. After what seemed an age (I didn’t run down the scree as I didn’t want to damage it, or me) I eventually reached the bottom where I was finally able to tend to my injuries, and have my lunch. Once I had recovered I made my way through Mosedale and into Wasdale Head. The cloud that had been hanging overhead throughout the morning had now finally cleared and I was left with fabulous weather for my walk through Wasdale Head with the steep-sided, imposing giants of the surrounding fells looking down on me in the crystal clear air. My walk through this short valley was spent gazing up at these fells, most notably the striking Great Gable, and left me speechless at the spectacle. After crossing the tourist route up Scafell Pike I made my way beside the edge of Fence Wood towards Burnmoor Tarn.

As I climbed the old corpse road that goes past the tarn towards Eskdale, I wondered if I could take advantage of the good weather by visiting one of the neighbouring fells either side of the pass. While considering my options I realised that I had actually missed a turning and was now climbing Illgill Head that lies to the west of the tarn. It hadn’t taken me long to realise my mistake and I could have easily regained the correct route, but since I had been thinking of climbing Illgill Head, or Great How on the other side of the pass, I thought I might as well turn into the skid and keep going. Following a broken wall all the way up I found a tremendous route up the fell with awesome views behind me of the giants of Wasdale Head. At the highest point on the fell, I headed to a cairn that looks out east over Burnmoor Tarn and the spell-bounding terrain of the southern fells of the Lake District with the notable sight of the pointed peak of Harter Fell before me.

Dropping down the pathless, grassy slopes of Illgill Head to the boggy ground south of Burnmoor Tarn, I negotiated the bogs over the corpse road to Lambford Bridge where a delightful, though boggy, path traverses the rarely visited terrain above Eskdale. On paper this route could be considered a shortcut, but after the huge amounts of rain that has fallen on the Lake District during the winter, this route was very wet and required a lot of bog-hopping. The landscape in this area is delightful and with drier conditions underfoot I’m sure it would be a fascinating place to explore, but under the circumstances I was somewhat relieved to reach the tranquil surroundings of Eel Tarn. I hope I return to this wonderful place again in weather that is as good as this when I can do justice to such a delightful area. From there a short descent led me down to the Woolpack Inn, not far from the Eskdale Youth Hostel. This was an amazing day that had me walk past some astonishing fells with perfect weather and gorgeously clear views. I always feel honoured to be in the Lake District on a day like this as it doesn’t happen very often.