Descriptions and photos of my wanderings in the mountains of the English Lake District. Where possible the walks follow the less popular routes to the summits and aim to visit the less frequented parts of the region.
The recent fine weather saw me heading off to Wasdale for what had been planned as a few days cycling and camping with my cousin Brian, though plans were quickly changed when he suffered a training injury and had to bail at the last minute. Overdid it on the burpees apparently! I went to Wasdale anyway but minus the bike and headed for the hills instead. In a bid to avoid the bank holiday weekend crowds flocking to Scafell Pike and Great Gable, I opted to launch a second attempt on a hill that had defeated me on a previous occasion owing to weather and distance.
I had nicknamed Caw Fell The Farthest Away Mountain after a book I read many years ago, owing to its distance from my Wasdale camp, and its status as the remotest of all of the Wainwrights (Lakeland fells or mountains) from human habitation. The height is modest but it does lie in the empty quarter between Ennerdale Water and the uninhabited marshy tract of Blengdale - a valley that few visitors to Lakeland have even heard of let alone visited.
Looking back to Wasdale Head from the start of the route
So it was that I set out from the National Trust campsite to walk up the lane to Wasdale Head and crossed the stone bridge over Mosedale Beck immediately behind the inn. Here a good path led into Mosedale beneath the craggy ramparts of Yewbarrow, on the opposite side of the beck to the Black Sail track which leads to the pass and the youth hostel of the same name and into Ennerdale or on to Buttermere.
Looking towards Pillar at the head of Mosedale
Presently Red Pike, my first objective, could be seen ahead and well over 2000 feet above. The way to it led past a scree slope and then steeply up towards the col known as Dore Head that separates Yewbarrow from Red Pike. Going up here is hard work however you look at it and on a warm June morning it was challenging. In the upper stages the angle of the slope is a sustained 45 degrees and it's important when resting to keep hold of items such as cameras and rucksacks as retrieving them from a thousand feet down the slope is simply not an option. Thankfully the steep and unstable looking scree slope could be avoided on a path to its right and eventually Dore Head was reached where I could rest on level ground once more.
Wasdale Head and the Scafell Range from the steep section below Dore Head
From here one turns right towards Red Pike which rises in a series of grassy steps interspersed by short easy rocky sections. The main cairn on Red Pike lies at 2629 feet above the Irish Sea which was visible to the west, which is curious as the summit is just a little further on at 2707 feet. Here the much smaller cairn is perched in a splendid location atop the precipice that falls to Mosedale. Red Pike (Wasdale) by the way is not to be confused with the Buttermere Red Pike which rises just north of here across the Ennerdale valley.
The cairn on thr true summit of Red Pike is perched on the edge of nothing. Great Gable beyond
Wastwater, Black Combe (far distance) and the West Cumbria coast from Red Pike
Looking back to Red Pike from the route to Scoat Fell
From Red Pike my route lay down the broad ridge ahead and up to Scoat Fell, a direct approach is best from the depression as the path bears right towards Pillar. That is the route of the Mosedale Horseshoe which circuits via Pillar, Black Sail Pass and Kirk Fell; a fine route but not the one I was following today. The top of Scoat Fell was the day's highpoint at 2760 feet though I decided against visiting the peak of Steeple which lies ten minutes along a short narrow ridge on the Ennerdale side. If you haven't done it before it's a must - one of the finest summits in the Lake District - but I still had a long way to go and didn't want to be out in the sun for longer than needed.
Looking back along the ridge to Steeple and Scoat Fell from the summit of Haycock
From Scoat Fell I headed westwards down a wide grassy slope towards the rounded summit of Haycock. Passing the less obvious path to the left by a cairn at the lowest point, which would be my route back to Wasdale, I toiled up to the top of Haycock in a sun that was becoming more ferocious as the day went on. It was around 26-27 degrees (around 80 fahrenheit) in the valley which made a pleasant change from the norm but the uphill sections were harder going and I was glad to have done the main climb out of the valley in the cool of morning. From the stony top of Haycock the path led down the far side to grassy ground once again and skirted the craggy bluff of Little Gowder Crag well to the left. If you're a peak bagger doing the two thousanders then you have to go up there - for us doing the Wainwrights, bypassing it will do. Now it was just a case of following the wall - there is a path on both sides - all the way along to the small cairn marking the summit of Caw Fell.
Finally there - the lonely summit of Caw Fell
The descent route from the ridge towards Netherbeck, Wasdale is through this wonderful valley
This summit doesn't match Steeple or Red Pike for dramatic position but it is a place of wild beauty where the hills roll to the distance on all sides, and on a day like this it was unrivalled as a place to rest and have lunch. On a wet or misty day I would imagine it would not be so appealing. The isolation meant though that I still had a fair walk - including a second ascent of Haycock - to get back to the valley. I retraced my steps to the cairn on the col between Haycock and Scoat Fell and headed right - down into the side valley of Nether Beck where, after a pleasant downhill walk of nearly four miles I emerged at Nether Beck Bridge. This path is patchy in its upper sections though lower down it becomes much clearer while glimpses of Wastwater guide the weary walker back to civilisation.
A classic view of Lingmell, Scafell Pike and Scafell seen across Wastwater near the end of the route
In all this is a trip of just over 12 miles with 3650 feet of ascent that visits four Wainwrights; Red Pike 2707ft, Scoat Fell 2760ft, Haycock 2618ft and Caw Fell 2288ft. There is the option to add Steeple (2687ft) if you haven't been there before by adding half an hour to the walk or Yewbarrow (2058ft) by adding rather more. The ascent of the latter involves a rocky scramble from Dore Head and is probably best done separately - especially if Caw Fell is an objective. And here's the whole walk on video...
There are not many walks in Lakeland that reach the summits of four Wainwrights with so little effort, but this route from Grasmere does just that. It's a particularly beautiful and varied walk too and the four hills it climbs are ones I had not previously visited; Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott and Helm Crag, so I was on new ground myself today.
South from the route to Steel Fell
Setting out from Grasmere and following the lane northwards past Ghyll Foot and Helm Side, a good path leads from the end of the road onto the south ridge of Steel Fell which rises interminably ahead. The way is without difficulty; being up grassy slopes but it is somewhat relentless... The views well compensate though, with the prospect back over Grasmere drawing the eye towards the distant Windermere which lies like a silver ribbon to the South. A much wilder prospect lies northward though, where Helvellyn dominates the scene and to the west stretch the windswept hills of Central Lakeland.
Grey shower clouds made their way out of the North West towards us and coats were donned on a couple of occasions though the bulk of their rain was dumped over the Langdales to the West and we
The rainbow on the way up Steel Fell - Helvellyn beyond
were spared getting soaked. Part way up the ridge though I was given cause to run up the hill to capture on camera a particularly vivid rainbow that appeared beyond the brow of the hill ahead though my effort was rewarded with a particularly nice photo.
The summit of Steel Fell is worth any effort involved in getting here with the view opening out along Thirlmere to the north complementing the softer southern prospect - check out the 360 degree panorama video at the end of this post.
The cold wind and the eastward progress of the rain showers that had been sweeping the Western Lakes made sitting around a less attractive prospect though so after a quick lunch we set off for the next Wainwright, Calf Crag.
It's not far to Calf Crag from Steel Fell but there was a certain amount of navigating a route around
Looking south from Steel Fell - Helm Crag central
the boggy areas that make up this empty region. The path is evident for most of the way but one must be creative for the rest! The short rise to the summit pretty much marks the end of the sogginess though and a new prospect opens up of the route onward over the small but interesting peaks of Gibson Knott and Helm Crag backed by the wooded valleys and glinting lakes of southern Lakeland.
A good path now led over to the cairn atop Gibson Knott and in time to our last Wainwright of the day Helm Crag. Despite a modest altitude, Helm Crag is one of the more celebrated fells of Lakeland, being better known as the Lion and the Lamb; a name which refers to the summit rocks when seen from Grasmere. Indeed I have looked up at this fell
North to Thirlmere and the Northern Fells from Steel Fell
countless times though today was my first ascent. The highest rocks are a little way north of the Lion and the Lamb and involve a tricky scramble to reach though to reach the Lion's head is a much easier undertaking. Even here care is needed as the other side of the rocks drop steeply so it's not advised for young children.
Having admired the view from here we set off on the short descent to Grasmere which is made by continuing along the path that soon heads steeply down into woodland and joins the valley track that heads from Easedale (and ultimately over Greenup Edge to Borrowdale in that direction) to Grasmere village through a mix of woods and fields. I summer this section is a popular destination and many head up to Helm
The route onward from Steel Fell
Crag without doing the full ridge.
Overall this was a good day out with great and varying views throughout the walk made better by the fact that it was my first visit to these hills. I especially liked the contrast between pastoral Grasmere and Steel Fell's wild uplands with the views to Thirlmere - oh and don't forget looking down from the Lion and the Lamb after so many times looking up at it!
This walk visits 4 Wainwrights; Steel Fell,Calf Crag, Gibson Knott and Helm Crag. The total distance is 12.5km or about 8 miles on good paths almost all of the way though the area between Steel Fell and Calf Crag is decidedly boggy in places. Views are varied and beautiful throughout and well compensate for any wetness!
The route on to Gibson Knott and Helm Crag from Calf Crag
The cairn on Gibson Knott with the Fairfield Range beyond
Walkers on the Lion's Head - the Lion and the Lamb on Helm Crag
Check out the 360 degree summit panorama below - impressive for a peak of such modest altitude!
