Kirk Fell and Pillar

Thursday 24th August 2023

Whenever I am at the Wasdale Hall Youth Hostel I find it hard to resist the temptation to cross the Wastwater Screes, however as I set off I realised that the last time I crossed the Screes was in 2010, so it was definitely time for another traverse. Eagerly, I passed through the grounds of Wasdale Hall, along the edge of Wastwater and around Low Wood until I finally reached Lund Bridge where I was able to cross the River Irt and follow it back out to Wastwater, heading off onto the path that crosses the boulders above the lake and below the steep rocky ground of the Screes. Initially it was relatively easy, but soon much larger boulders blocked my path and the going got tough and very slow as I clambered around the large rocks that lay in my path. Crossing a scree slope is usually quite easy as the stones are small enough to have been beaten into a flat path but the rocks on parts of these screes were enormous and refused to yield to anything. There was no path so I had to slowly find my way around the large boulders and hope that the going would soon ease, but when it did more boulder fields soon blocked my path and had to be negotiated. Meanwhile the views across Wastwater and towards the mountains at the head of the valley were sensational with Yewbarrow particularly drawing my attention while clouds topped the mountains beyond. Heather decorated the ground between the scree runs and, once I was safely through, bracken began to dominate while my attention continued to be distracted by the awesome mountains that surround Wasdale Head.

With the weather slowly improving I made my way along the rest of Wastwater and twenty-four hours after I was last there I crossed the valley with the huge bulk of Kirk Fell dominating the landscape. The word “masochist” came to mind as I surveyed the path that climbs straight up the southern flank of the mountain with hardly any easing in the gradient until the summit is reached, but for some reason I had a desire to take that path. Not long after passing the Wasdale Head Inn I turned off the path that I had taken the day before and began the relentless climb up the path through low bracken. The ascent was not as unbroken as it had looked from further away with a brief, slight easing of the gradient occurring soon after I started, but the first proper rest was at the top of a small outcrop where I was able to sit down and survey the scene across Wasdale Head and towards Wastwater including the Screes that I had crossed earlier. Reluctantly I got back up and struggled step by step up the grassy path and eventually after a long time I reached the next resting place, on Highnose Head, which I felt after all that effort must be almost at the summit but a look at the surrounding mountains revealed the cruel truth that I still had a long way to go. Beyond a grassy slope the ascent now climbed a scree slope where the path zigzagged back and forth across the screes, however soon the path deteriorated and I had to find my own way up the loose rocks until eventually I reached a cairn and the third resting place.

It was a relief to see that beyond this point the gradient was much easier while small cairns marked the route all the way up to the summit of Kirk Fell after a long relentless climb that I have wanted to do for a long time, though I’m not sure I’m going to want to do it again. The weather was fantastic and afforded me with stunning views, including towards the Scafell Pikes, which made the climb thoroughly worthwhile so I was ecstatic to finally reach the top of Kirk Fell, a mountain where I have often encountered poor weather. The only other time that I have enjoyed good weather on Kirk Fell was in 2006, however, despite the bright sunshine, on this occasion a cold wind was blowing which I noticed particularly while stopped to have my lunch, but soon I warmed up again as I set off across the fell. There is not much of a path but a line of old boundary posts provide a sure route in any weather and these led me to the top of Kirkfell Crags where the posts plunged straight down the rocks. An easy, but steep scramble took me down the crags to Black Sail Pass where I frustratingly turned right down the hill to the Sail Beck as I had ran out of water so I needed to replenish my water bottle and after doing that I tiringly climbed back up to the top of the pass. Now I followed the path, bypassing Looking Stead, heading towards Pillar, but as the ground steepened, beside a cairn, I turned off the main path and onto the High Level Route across the steep, northern slopes of Pillar.

I have attempted to do this path many times starting in 2005 when I lost the path part way along and emerged at the top of the ridge. In 2006 I successfully traversed the path in the other direction but ever since whenever I have attempted to do the High Level Route from Black Sail Pass I have always encountered poor weather and decided that it would be prudent to keep to the top of the ridge. Now that I have done the route I am glad that I had avoided it in poor weather as it is a terrible path, virtually non-existent at first and with some tricky descents because of damp conditions. Eventually a path emerged, but a line of cairns would help as it was very difficult for me to know where the path went and I may not have been going the right way. I expected a terrace path that maintains a constant contour, but it has never been described as a terrace even though I often thought of it as such, so I was really frustrated by what I found of the route. Later the path became clearer and took me to Robinson’s Cairn where I was finally able to relax and enjoy the views down into Ennerdale. After crossing the top of Pillar Cove the path improved as it climbed a scree slope to the start of the Shamrock Traverse, which was not too difficult apart from one point where I had to cross a sheet of wet, potentially slippery, rock that was quite scary. Beyond there the path continued around the hillside towards the Pillar Rock, which I turned my back on to attempt the climb up Pillar on generally good paths, though with a lot of loose rock.

By this point in the day I was very tired and this strenuous climb up from the Pillar Rock was very exhausting, but eventually I reached the edge of a plateau and crossed it to the trig point and rock shelter that marks the summit of Pillar. Since the time was getting on and I was tired I decided to take the quickest route down into the valley, past White Pike and into Ennerdale Forest. The descent continued beside Low Beck until I reached a forestry track which I followed for a while. A walk through a conifer plantation doesn’t sound exciting but the views across the River Liza were inspiring as the river has been allowed to meander and find its own route creating a scene of gorgeous wild beauty that I wish was echoed in the woodland that clothes the banks of the valley. Sadly that sort of transformation from a conifer plantation will take many more years, but this was a still a relaxing stroll and after reaching the Woundell Beck I crossed the valley and walked back up to the youth Hostel. This was an exhausting and challenging walk that reminded me that I’m not in my thirties anymore! The good weather over the last two days had encouraged me to do some very strenuous walking including some that I have wanted to do for a very long time. It was gratifying to finally do the High Level Route across Pillar, but it was also a relief to see that the weather was not going to be so good the next day, which would encourage me to take it easy.