The High Level Traverse and Illgill Head

Monday 24th August 2026

This was my second day on the Coast to Coast Path during which I should have walked along Ennerdale, up Sail Beck to Honister Hause and then down into Borrowdale, however, I was in the Lake District and I didn’t want to waste the opportunity to deviate from the prescribed route and enjoy myself for a while since I don’t come to the Lake District as much as I would like. Rather than heading east I headed south to Eskdale and then the following day north to reach Borrowdale in two days rather than what would have taken me only half a day on the Coast to Coast. Initially I did keep to the trail along the track that runs through the spectacular valley of Ennerdale until I reached a junction where a turning to the right took me across the river. Maps indicate a path climbing the southern bank through the trees starting near the bridge, but there was hardly any sign on the ground and when I did find a path it was waterlogged and very difficult to follow. It may have been easier to follow twenty years ago when I ascended this way, but now the trees have closed in on the path. Wainwright and his subsequent editors have never recommended this path, but instead one that starts from the Memorial Bridge or beside Pillarcove Beck. Perhaps they would have been easier. Eventually the path became drier underfoot and I reached the fence that led me out of the plantation and onto the steep hillside with the iconic pillar rock towering above me and a clear path climbing beside the stream.

As I slowly climbed the steep side of Pillar below awesome rocks the path faded away and I wandered away from the stream, so I had to correct my ascent, back to the side of the stream and eventually I reached an outcrop where I found the clear path that comes down the top of Pillar via the Shamrock Traverse. I had planned to cross the traverse and reach Pillar, but in the end I decided it wasn’t worth it and I would much rather turn left towards Robinson’s Cairn and the High Level Traverse, and soon I reached the prominent column of stones. There is a dedication plaque beside the cairn to John Wilson Robinson, a pioneer fellwalker and rock climber, though I couldn’t remember seeing it before so this time I had a good look around and eventually I found it affixed to an outcrop facing the pillar rock. After taking loads of pictures I set off along the high level route that traverses the side of Pillar, which had frustrated me for many years until I finally completed it in good weather in 2023 and now I was going in the opposite direction. The path began well, running across the foot of the crags below the eastern ridge of Pillar, but it later became very sketchy with some scrambling required that makes it quite a tricky path, so good weather is a must for it. It was very satisfying for me to do the High Level Traverse again, because it is clearly not overly subscribed, so I tried to linger and remind myself that I was amongst the awesome surroundings of one of the great paths of the Lake District, though the views up and down Ennerdale were rather murky. 

All too soon I reached the tricky exit that brought me onto the main path coming down from Pillar. After taking in the viewpoint at the top of Looking Stead I tried to find a path that is not marked on Ordnance Survey maps and descends steeply from Looking Stead to the Black Sail Pass path without having to go through the pass itself. There are many paths in the Lake District that have been created in recent decades by fellrunners cutting corners and most are of poor quality, so I was wary of this new path for me, but after an initial steepness it was good, and in fact it was marked on the earliest editions of Wainwright’s guidebooks. Eventually it brought me onto the clear path from Black Sail Pass, which led me into Mosedale and ultimately to Wasdale Head. It was very relaxing for me to disengage my brain and allow my footsteps to take me across the valley, while ignoring all the distracting human activity around me with only the bright red berries of rowan attracting my notice. Eventually I started to climb towards Burnmoor Tarn, but with still most of the afternoon free I was reminded of a walk I did in 2016, also from Ennerdale to Eskdale, when faced with this situation I had ignored, or not noticed, the turning to the left, which leads to the lake, and instead climbed towards the grassy hill rising ahead of me. Since it was ten years since I was last on Illgill Head I thought I would do so again, though I soon began to tire as I climbed with the views back into Wasdale Head failing to revive me. 

After the gradient eased on reaching the 590 metre top I found the walking beyond much easier and took me to the central, highest top, but the spot height marked on Ordnance Survey maps was not at the stone shelter by the path or even at the small cairn some distance away, though the O.S.’s spot height is close by unmarked. The “true summit” as regarded by Wainwright is further away across a shallow dip and has a splendid cairn sitting above the dramatic slopes that plunge all the way down to Wast Water. Ten years ago I had made my way down to Burnmoor Tarn from this point, but Illgill Head’s neighbouring fell had not been climbed since 2013, so I decided to bag Whin Rigg this time, though I had to reverse my steps afterwards back to the southern slopes of Illgill Head and then try to find a route down the steep slopes. With hindsight, bagging Whin Rigg was a waste of effort. It is best descended or ascended from the southern foot of Wast Water, as I did in 2013. After much effort I eventually reached Burnmoor Tarn where I crossed several paths to reach the boggy ground that defends Lambford Bridge. This was the way I had come in 2016 and I was keen to do it again, though it was not easy to follow with many bogs to traverse on a sketchy path that I lost on several occasions, so I was relieved when I finally descended into Eskdale at the Woolpack Inn, not far from the youth hostel. It was fantastic to be in the Lake District with fabulous weather and stunning scenery, though the views were hazy and it was very tiring. Diverting to Illgill Head and Whin Rigg was possibly a waste of effort, which just shows you that bagging summits is a mug’s game.