First of all I would like to apologise for taking an unintentional sabbatical over the last few weeks. As usual the summer has breezed by in a blur and the blog has been somewhat neglected as I’ve been working on a few different projects. Rest assured I will be posting more over the coming months, especially as the darker evenings draw in and slippers tend to get put on more than walking shoes!
Wast Water - England's deepest lake.
To see out the summer Kat and I decided to take a last minute trip to the Lake District. We booked ferry tickets from Belfast to Stranraer, planning to drive to a National Trust campsiteat Wasdale Head, north east of England’s deepest lake – Wast Water. This was my first visit to the Lake District, although Kat had been a few years previous for her Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition. This wasn’t intended to be a walking trip so we spent much of our week seeing the sights, “enjoying” a thrilling drive over Hardknott Pass, visiting a pencil museum, overdosing on outdoor shops in Keswick and soaking up the breath taking scenery. Still, it would have been a shame not to have a day in the fells so we turned to our Harvey’s map and started to plan a route…
Kirk Fell is an 802m (2631ft) Wainwright that jostles for superiority with its neighbouring peaks surrounding Wasdale Head. Truth told Kirk Fell is much less inspiring in appearance than the mountains on its flanks, with the more impressive looking (and taller) Great Gable and Pillar on either side. Add to the fact England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike, lies in close proximity, Kirk Fell is oft neglected.
The Wasdale Head Inn.
Our plan was to ascend Kirk Fell by a trail that flanks its western face before gradually climbing Black Sail Pass. Before setting off we popped into The Barn Door, a well stocked outdoor shop at Wasdale Head. We managed to keep our wallets in our pockets before picking up the trail by the banks of Mosedale Beck. After a short distance we arrived at the foot of Kirk Fell and stared up an alternate ascent route climbing steeply up the south face. Despite the steep slope the route is the most direct way to the summit and so, after a brief negotiation with Kat, we decided to take it instead.
The grassy trail travels arrow straight through a sea of ferns before getting gradually steeper, and steeper, and steeper. Repeated footfall has eroded steps into much of the trail which takes the edge of the gradient, making the experience more akin to climbing a giant staircase! The first spot for a breather presented itself beside a large boulder, and turning around revealed the real beauty of Wasdale and Wast Water. To the left flows Lingmell Beck, to the right Mosedale Beck, both converging at Wasdale Head. Below is a spread of green fields punctuated sporadically by beautiful stone walls. The view is mesmerising, with the stone walls forming an intriguing jigsaw puzzle that spreads out towards Wast Water and the dramatic scree slopes of Illgill Head and Whin Rigg. Indeed, in the October issue of TGO magazine, editor-at-large Cameron McNeish nominated this very view as his favourite in the Lake District.
Kat takes a break on the southern slope of Kirk Fell.
We continued upwards towards the first visible lull in the slope that looked like an ideal stopping place for lunch. The gradient seemed to kick up a notch and it wasn’t long until I was clutching at clumps of grass with my back bent to keep forward momentum. This same incline inspired AW to include in his guide book an amusing sketch of a man on all fours clambering up the very same mountain. However, the wind was knocked out of my sails when I looked up and saw Kat happily walking with her back straight, hands by her side, displaying the poise of a gymnast. Eventually we reached the lull in the hill and after stretching out my stiff calf muscles sat down for a rest and a bite to eat.
AW's amusing take on climbing Kirk Fell in his guide to the Western Fells.
As we set off on the next leg of our journey I noticed a walker had been sitting for some time amidst the scree slope that lay ahead. I wondered if he was injured or just enjoying the views, but as we started to ascend again he began to come towards us. With an exasperated look on his face he explained how he had started climbing the scree slope but wasn’t comfortable with the steep scramble and had decided to turn back. This made me feel slightly uneasy, but retracing our steps down the steep slope didn’t look any more appealing! We decided to continue on whilst the walker began what I’m sure would have been a knee-trembling descent.
Pressing onwards the grass soon turned to scree and I realised why the walker had felt so ill at ease. The gradient is every bit as relentless as the previous grassy slope, but with the added challenge of loose scree shifting under your feet and little to grab on to. With Kat leading we took it in turns to zig-zag across the slope to avoid kicking loose rocks onto each other. We made slow progress, more due to me than Kat, but eventually emerged from the scree slope onto a strip of grass that felt like a red carpet leading to the summit cairn.
The view of Wasdale from Kirk Fell.
The summit of Kirk Fell itself is not a particularly pretty place. It is mainly grassy, punctuated with clumps of rock from which emerge the remains of an old, rusty metal fence. Two uninviting tarns lie between the main summit and its lower, secondary top. As I brushed the dust and dirt from my trousers I realised the real beauty was in what lay around Kirk Fell. To the east lies the breath taking Great Gable, a mountain with an appearance every bit as bold as its name suggests. To the south east is England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike, and Lingmell. To the south west are the famous Wast Water Screes and Yewbarrow (which AW describes as looking like an upturned boat, but Kat thought looked more like a Cornish Pasty!). Northwards lies an exciting vista of fell tops, providing a sense of scale to those new to the National Park.
The scree slope on Kirk Fell, the final challenge before the summit.
From the summit we had planned to head eastwards, following the ridge to Great Gable, but slower than anticipated progress meant it was later in the day than we had expected. The lure of a hot meal back in Ritson’s Bar was too much to resist and so we decided to leave Great Gable for a future visit and make our way back to Wasdale Head. We returned by the route we had originally intended to ascend by, making our way towards Black Sail Pass. Thankfully this side of Kirk Fell is entirely different to the south face. The lack of scree slope was a relief and a few sections required some easy scrambling to negotiate, making for a more interesting descent. We soon arrived at Black Sail Pass and took up the well pitched path that follows Gatherstone Beck before picking up Mosedale Beck. Tired legs were glad of the gentle descent and the eyes were allowed to study the impressive amphitheatre of Red Pike, Black Crag and Pillar. We soon arrived at the attractive stone bridge crossing the gently flowing Mosedale Beck, back where we had started at Wasdale Head.
Jon stands on the summit of Kirk Fell.
Whilst we didn’t bag a bunch of Wainwrights, take in any classic ridge walks or summit England’s highest peak, I feel I enjoyed the trip all the more for it. There were no pressures, no fixed routes to follow and no urgency to push on to a final destination. I savoured exploring an area new to me, matching summit views to names in the guide book. Orienting the beautiful Harvey’s map and using it to identify famous fell tops was thrilling, and in my mind I marked out those I would like to visit in the future. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later!
Iconic Lake District Herdwick sheep with AW favourite Haystacks in the background.
Just a final note to say the National Trust campsite we based ourselves out of was fantastic. There was loads of space with a variety of pitches, some more secluded than others, and campers are advised to keep at least 6m between tents. There are dedicated car parking areas so how far you have to carry your kit depends on how far away you pitch – glamperstake note! The facilities on site are excellent, clean and well looked after. The on-site shop is well stocked and came in handy on a couple of occasions. The location won’t suit everyone, especially those looking to explore the more commercial side of the Lake District, but for lovers of remote areas I can think of no place better to base yourself than by the stunning Wast Water.
If you need any further reason to visit Wast Water then check out Mark Gilligan’s superb photo essay entitled “Wast Water through the seasons” in the Autumn edition of TGO magazine.
which describes 45 routes covering a variety of distances and difficulties, all with clear contour mapping.
