   |
Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11¼mls (18km) |
| Ascent: | 5,819ft (1,773m) |
| Time: | 10hrs |
| Grade: |  |
Route outline for walk c141:
Wasdale Head - Moses' Trod - Lingmell Beck - Gable Beck Bridge - Sty Head - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Beck Head - Beckhead Tarn - Kirk Fell (East Top) - Kirk Fell - Black Sail Pass - Looking Stead (Pillar) - High Level Route - Robinson's Cairn - Pillar - Wind Gap - Black Crag (Pillar) - Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) - Steeple - Red Pike (Wasdale) - Dore Head - Mosedale Beck - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
Points of Interest/Notes on this walk:
Wasdale Head is a tiny hamlet of agricultural fields and dwellings that claims to be home of the highest mountain in England (Scafell Pike), the deepest lake (Wast Water), the smallest church (Church of St Olaf) and the biggest liar (Will Ritson). There is an excellent National Trust Campsite and a fine pub - the Wasdale Inn - which claims to be the birthplace of British rock climbing. There is also a large free parking area for visitors.
Peaks, Summits and Tops reached on this walk:
 7 English Mountains |
 6 Wainwrights |
 9 English Nuttalls |
 0 English Deweys |
 0 Wainwright Outlying Fells |
 3 Marilyns |
 0 Bridgets |
Peak Bagging Statistics for this walk:
The highest point of this walk is Great Gable at 899m (2951ft). Great Gable is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (9th highest in England, 25th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 7).
Great Gable is also known as an English Nuttall (11th highest in England, 28th highest in England & Wales) and an English Marilyn (4th highest in England, 238th highest in the UK).
Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Pillar at 892m (2928ft). Pillar is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (11th highest in England, 29th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 8).
Pillar is also known as an English Nuttall (13th highest in England, 33rd highest in England & Wales) and an English Marilyn (6th highest in England, 249th highest in the UK).
The summit of Pillar is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point.
You will also reach the summit of Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) at 841m (2759ft). Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (28th highest in England, 54th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 23).
Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) is also known as an English Nuttall (34th highest in England, 62nd highest in England & Wales).
Along the way you will also bag:
- Black Crag (Pillar) at 828m (2717ft). Black Crag (Pillar) is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (31st England, 60th Eng & Wal) and an English Nuttall (37th highest in England, 69th highest in England & Wales).
- Red Pike (Wasdale) at 826m (2711ft). Red Pike (Wasdale) is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (33rd highest in England, 63rd highest in England & Wales), a Wainwright (No. 26) and an English Nuttall (39th highest in England, 73rd highest in England & Wales).
- Steeple at 819m (2688ft). Steeple is classified as a Wainwright (No. 28) and an English Nuttall (41st highest in England, 77th highest in England & Wales)
- Kirk Fell at 802m (2631ft). Kirk Fell is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (42nd England, 77th highest in England & Wales), a Wainwright (No. 33), an English Nuttall (49th highest in England, 92nd highest in England & Wales) and an English Marilyn (15th England, 391st highest in the UK).
- Kirk Fell (East Top) at 787m (2583ft). Kirk Fell (East Top) is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (50th England, 89th Eng & Wal) and an English Nuttall (59th highest in England, 108th highest in England & Wales).
- Looking Stead (Pillar) at 627m (2058ft). Looking Stead (Pillar) is known as an English Nuttall (220th highest in England, 383rd highest in England & Wales).
You can find more walks near this one on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Maps (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
Some Photos and Pictures from Walk c141 Great Gable and Pillar from Wasdale Head, Wast Water
In no particular order . . .
Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (in cloud centre), Lingmell (centre right) and the Wast Water screes (right) reflected in Wast Water
Illgill Head and Whin Rigg (left) Wast Water and Yewbarrow and Middle Fell (right) from Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable
Wasdale Head featuring Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (centre), Lingmell (right) and the lower slopes of Scafell Pike (right) from across Wast Water
Black Crag (Pillar), Wind Gap, Pillar and Looking Stead (Pillar) above Mosedale from Wasdale Head
Northern Souls Walking Club at the Remembrance Day service on top of Great Gable
Steeple and Long Crag with Crag Fell (sunlit in the distance), Ennerdale Water and Great Borne from Pillar
Kirk Fell and Mosedale from Dore Head having just climbed up from Wasdale and heading for Yewbarrow
Wast Water, Wasdale and Yewbarrow with Middle Fell (left) Seatallan (background centre), Red Pike (Wasdale) (right) and the shoulder of Kirk Fell (centre foreground) from Westmorland Cairn on Great Gable
Looking down Styhead Gill from Sty Head to a sunlit Borrowdale with Bleaberry Fell the high point in the distance
The Wasdale Valley featuring Lingmell (left), Illgill Head and Whin Rigg (left of centre in the distance), Wast Water (centre) and Yewbarrow (right) from near Westmorland Cairn on the summit of Great Gable
Dismantled Tramway that forms part of The Coast to Coast walk leading to Honister Hause from below the Drum House on Moses' Trod
The view north from Looking Stead (Pillar) featuring Ennerdale with Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, High Crag, Seat, Scarth Gap, Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and Brandreth (far right)
High Crag, Seat, Scarth Gap and Hay Stacks (Haystacks) from Looking Stead (Pillar)
Beck Head and Beckhead Tarn with Kirk Fell beyond from below Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable
Kirk Fell (foreground), Pillar, Ennerdale, Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, High Crag and Crummock Water (far right) from Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable
Hay Stacks (Haystacks) above Ennerdale (featuring Black Sail Hut Youth Hostel) from Black Sail Pass
Wasdale Head featuring Yewbarrow (left), the shoulder of Kirk Fell, Great Gable (centre) and Lingmell (right) from across Wast Water
Kirk Fell with Red Pike (Wasdale), Little Scoat Fell and Pillar behind from Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable
Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Sca Fell from Wast Water
Looking back to Ennerdale (left), Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and Crummock Water (right) from Moses' Trod near the top of Loft Beck
Yewbarrow (left) Great Gable (centre) and Lingmell (right) from across Wast Water in Wasdale
Wasdale Head with Pillar beyond from the lower slopes of Lingmell & Scafell Pike
Yewbarrow (left), the shoulder of Kirk Fell, Great Gable (centre) and Lingmoor Fell (right) from Wast Water
Robinson's Cairn with Pillar Rock beyond (left of the cairn and to right of the 'notch')
The High Level Route from Looking Stead (Pillar) to Robinson's Cairn, Pillar
Looking down Mosedale to Wasdale Head from Little Scoat Fell with Red Pike (Wasdale) on the right in shadow and the Scafell Massif (featuring Great End, Broad Crag, Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Symonds Knott and Sca Fell) across the valley
Hay Stacks (Haystacks) and Three Lakes (Ennerdale (left), Buttermere (right bottom) & Crummock Water (right top) from Moses' Trod
Wasdale Head (left), Burnmoor Tarn, Yewbarrow (front centre), Illgill Head (back) and Wast Water from Pillar
Snow on Scafell Pike (left), Sca Fell (right top) and Lingmell (right centre) from Westmorland Cairn on Great Gable
Wasdale featuring Lingmell (left), Illgill Head and Whin Rigg (left of centre in the distance), Wast Water (centre) and Yewbarrow (right) from Westmorland Cairn near the summit of Great Gable
Illgill Head (left) Wasdale, Wast Water and Yewbarrow from Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable
Wasdale Head featuring Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (centre) and Lingmell (right) from across Wast Water
*Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head across Wast Water
Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) and Lingmell from across Wast Water
Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable and Lingmell (right) and Scafell Pike (far right) from Wast Water
The shoulder of Lingmell and snow on Illgill Head (far left), Wasdale and Wast Water (left) and Yewbarrow (right) from Gable Beck Bridge
Black Grag (Pillar), Wind Gap, Pillar and Looking Stead (Pillar) above Mosedale from Wasdale Head
Kirk Fell and the shoulder of Great Gable (right) with the lower slopes of Great End (left) and Red Pike (Wasdale) in the distance from Sty Head
Wast Water and Wasdale Head from the lower slopes of Great Gable and Kirk Fell
The summit shelter, Mellbreak, Rannerdale Knotts, Buttermere, Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike, Wandope, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sail and Knott Rigg from the summit of Robinson
Haystacks from Looking Stead (Pillar) with a Herdwick Sheep for company
A dusting of snow on the shoulder of Lingmell (left), Middle Fell (centre left in the distance) and Yewbarrow above Wasdale from Sty Head
Grasmoor (back), Whiteless Pike, Wandope and Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sail (mid distance) and Knott Rigg (foreground right) from Robinson
Westmorland Cairn, Great Gable panorama featuring Kirk Fell (foreground centre), Wast Water, Wasdale and Yewbarrow with Middle Fell and Seatallan beyond (left), Red Pike (Wasdale), Little Scoat Fell and Pillar behind Kirk Fell (centre) and Ennerdale with Red Pike (Buttermere), High Stile, High Crag and Crummock Water (right)
Scarth Gap and Hay stacks (Haystacks) above Ennerdale from The High Level Route, Pillar
*Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head across Wast Water
Wasdale Head and Wast Water from Gavel Neese on the lower slopes of Great Gable
Snow on Yewbarrow (North Top) left, Red Pike (centre right) and the shoulder or Kirk Fell (right) tower above Wasdale from near Sty Head
Kirk Fell with Pillar and Little Scoat Fell beyond from Great Gable summit
Yewbarrow (left), Kirk Fell (partially hidden), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head (right) from across Wast Water
Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (centre in cloud), Lingmell and the shoulder or Scafell Pike (right) from across Wast Water
Wast Water with Illgill Head (left) and Yewbarrow (right) from Great Gable summit
Yewbarrow (now conquered!) from the road to the National Trust Camp Site at Wasdale where we were staying
Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell and the shoulder of Scafell Pike from Wast Water
Britain's Favourite View - Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell, Great End, Sca Fell and the shoulder of Illgill Head (far right) from Wast Water
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