Starting point: The public car park, Wasdale Head  (NY 187085)  Distance: 8.55 miles  Ascent: 3787'

A classic horseshoe walk around the valley of Mosedale in the Western Lakes taking in four major fells, Pillar, Scoat Fell, Steeple and Red Pike (W).

Route: Starting from Wasdale take the bridleway up to the Black Sail Pass.  Turn north west up the ridge crossing over Looking Stead for fine views into Mosedale and Ennerdale before a choice of routes on to Pillar.  The ridge route can be followed (as in this walk) or the High Level route for  a visit to Pillar Rock before climbing up to the summit.  Continue around the skyline crossing Wind Gap before ascending to the summit of Scoat.  A short diversion to Steeple is well worth the effort before retracing steps and then on to Red Pike, the last top on the round.  Be sure to visit The Chair before descending to Dore Head where a steep path on grass descends into Mosedale and the starting point.

Stunning weather at the start of the walk into Mosedale

Yewbarrow and Dore Head, the steep descent route at the end of the day

We reach Gatherstone Beck, which has to be forded
Beattie cools down and has a drink

Looking back to Wasdale Head

This is Black Sail Pass, which connects Wasdale and Ennerdale
The gate in the Ennerdale Fence is now redundant!

Looking Stead is a fine place to appraise Pillar, our next objective

And looking into Ennerdale, Black Sail Hut is far below
Black Sail Hut, once a shepherd's bothy is now a YHA hostel

Remote Ennerdale

On the climb up to the summit of Pillar, we are following the line of the old Ennerdale Fence

The summit of Pillar with fine views of the fells at the head of Wasdale

Looking north-west towards Ennerdale Water

The south face of Pillar Rock

Our route to Scoat and Steeple

At Wind Gap, there are views back into Mosedale
Scafells in the background

And looking the other way into Ennerdale

Steeple seen across Windgap Cove

The summit of Scoat Fell
The cairn has been built on top of the wall!

Some distance away is a more accessible cairn

It's a ten minute walk to the summit of Steeple

Just one more top on our round today - Red Pike

Scoat Tarn below our path

The summit cairn of Red Pike is perched on the edge of steep crags

Now it's downhill all the way back to Wasdale ...

... but we just have to visit The Chair

And finally over the bridge at Mosedale Beck
It's been a marvellous walk!

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Photographs taken with a Fuji MX-2900 Zoom or a Canon EOS 20D
Copyright © 2009 Derek Cockell     All Rights Reserved