Route outline for walk c343:
Wasdale Head - Mosedale Beck - Black Sail Pass - High Level Route - Robinson's Cairn - Pillar - Wind Gap - Black Crag (Pillar) - Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) - Red Pike (Wasdale) - Dore Head - Over 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:
![]() 4 English Mountains |
![]() 3 Wainwrights |
![]() 4 English Nuttalls |
![]() 0 English Deweys |
![]() 0 Wainwright Outlying Fells |
![]() 1 Marilyn |
![]() 0 Bridgets |
Peak Bagging Statistics for this walk:
The highest point of this walk is 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.
Completing this walk will also take you to the top 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).
You will also reach the summit of Black Crag (Pillar) at 828m (2717ft). Black Crag (Pillar) is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (31st highest in England, 60th highest in England & Wales)
Black Crag (Pillar) is also known as an English Nuttall (37th highest in England, 69th highest in England & Wales).
Along the way you will also bag:
- 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).
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 c343 Pillar and Red Pike from Wasdale Head, Wast Water
In no particular order . . .

Yewbarrow (left), Kirk Fell (partially hidden), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head (right) from across Wast Water

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

Britain's Favourite View - Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell, Great End, Sca Fell and the shoulder of Illgill Head (far right) from Wast Water

Black Crag (Pillar), Wind Gap, Pillar and Looking Stead (Pillar) above Mosedale from Wasdale Head

Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Sca Fell from Wast Water

Black Grag (Pillar), Wind Gap, Pillar and Looking Stead (Pillar) above Mosedale from Wasdale Head

*Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head across Wast Water

*Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head across Wast Water

Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (in cloud centre), Lingmell (centre right) and the Wast Water screes (right) reflected in Wast Water

Wast Water and Wasdale Head from the lower slopes of Great Gable and Kirk Fell

Yewbarrow (left) Great Gable (centre) and Lingmell (right) from across Wast Water in Wasdale

Kirk Fell and Mosedale from Dore Head having just climbed up from Wasdale and heading for Yewbarrow

The High Level Route from Looking Stead (Pillar) to Robinson's Cairn, Pillar

Yewbarrow (now conquered!) from the road to the National Trust Camp Site at Wasdale where we were staying

Wasdale Head featuring Yewbarrow (left), the shoulder of Kirk Fell, Great Gable (centre) and Lingmell (right) from across Wast Water

Hay Stacks (Haystacks) above Ennerdale (featuring Black Sail Hut Youth Hostel) from Black Sail Pass

Grasmoor (back), Whiteless Pike, Wandope and Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sail (mid distance) and Knott Rigg (foreground right) from Robinson

Wasdale Head featuring Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (centre) and Lingmell (right) from across Wast Water

Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell and the shoulder of Scafell Pike from Wast Water

Kirk Fell (left), Great Gable (centre) and Lingmell from across Wast Water

Wasdale Head featuring Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (centre), Lingmell (right) and the lower slopes of Scafell Pike (right) from across Wast Water

Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable and Lingmell (right) and Scafell Pike (far right) from Wast Water

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

Steeple and Long Crag with Crag Fell (sunlit in the distance), Ennerdale Water and Great Borne from Pillar

The summit shelter, Mellbreak, Rannerdale Knotts, Buttermere, Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike, Wandope, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sail and Knott Rigg from the summit of Robinson

Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (centre in cloud), Lingmell and the shoulder or Scafell Pike (right) from across Wast Water

Scarth Gap and Hay stacks (Haystacks) above Ennerdale from The High Level Route, Pillar

Wasdale Head (left), Burnmoor Tarn, Yewbarrow (front centre), Illgill Head (back) and Wast Water from Pillar

Robinson's Cairn with Pillar Rock beyond (left of the cairn and to right of the 'notch')

Yewbarrow (left), the shoulder of Kirk Fell, Great Gable (centre) and Lingmoor Fell (right) from Wast Water
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