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Kirk Fell - Route Two |
| Start - Wasdale Head NY 186 084 | Distance - 3.2 miles | Ascent - 2,490 feet | Time - 2 hours : 30 minutes |
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| Kirk Fell from the Wasdale Green car park at the start of the walk |
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| Pass between Ritson's Bar and the Barn Door Shop to join the Black Sail Pass bridleway |
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| The bridleway passes the picturesque packhorse bridge over Mosedale Beck |
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| The bridleway continues on passing behind the cottages of Row Head |
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| The steep southern ridge of Kirk Fell dominates the view ahead as the bridleway rises to a gate |
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| Looking over to Great Gable, Sty Head and Great End |
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| Looking back to Illgill Head from the gate |
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| Beyond the gate the bridleway to Black Sail Pass turns left and passes through another gate, the first of three |
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| Yewbarrow and Red Pike dominate the view as the bridleway follows a wall above Mosedale Beck |
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| The bridleway gradually descend into Mosedale with Pillar filling the view at the head of the valley |
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| Mosedale from the second gate |
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| Looking back to Lingmell and Scafell |
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| After passing through the third gate the bridleway reaches the open fell side and begins to climb steadily towards Gatherstone Head |
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| The bridleway leading up to Gatherstone Head |
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| Approaching Gatherstone Head and the crossing point over Gatherstone Beck |
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| The crossing point over Gatherstone Beck which is usually quite simple even when the beck is in spate. The bridleway continues on sweeping up and over the steep grass bank on the opposite side |
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Stirrup Crag on Yewbarrow from Gatherstone Head. This was the subject of Wainwrights final sketch in his last Pictorial Guide of the series |
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| Black Sail Pass comes into view from the top of the bank |
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| Blackem Head flanked by Red Pike and Black Crag |
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| Ignore a path that veers away to the left, it serves as a short cut to the ridge below Looking Stead |
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| The bridleway continues ahead |
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| Looking back to Yewbarrow above Mosedale |
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| The bridleway traverses an easy section of the slope without gaining much height before climbing more steeply to reach the pass |
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| Looking back to Yewbarrow and Red Pike from the easy section of the bridleway |
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| Some parts of the steeper climb have been stone-pitched |
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| Looking up to Pillar |
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| Black Sail Pass with the edge of Kirkfell Crags, the continuing line of ascent, on the right |
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| Approaching the summit of Black Sail Pass |
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| Looking back to Yewbarrow and Red Pike |
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| Looking back to Pillar from near the summit of Black Sail Pass |
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| Black Sail Pass |
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| Green Gable across Boathow Crags |
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| Pillar from Black Sail Pass |
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| Yewbarrow and Middle Fell from Black Sail Pass |
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| Red Pike from Black Sail Pass |
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| Kirkfell Crags from Black Sail Pass |
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| The start of the climb over Kirkfell Crags, the path swings left before veering right to follow a line of old metal fence posts over steep rock steps |
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| Pillar and Looking Stead from the start of the climb over Kirkfell Crags |
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| Boathow Crags and Kirkfell Crags |
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| Brandreth and Green Gable across Boat How |
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| Kirkfell Crags |
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| Looking across to Brandreth |
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| As the path approaches the eastern gullies and buttresses a steep scree path breaks off to the right and climbs towards the iron fence posts on the western buttress of the Kirkfell Crags |
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| The scree path leading up to the western buttress of Kirkfell Crags |
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| Looking down to the Black Sail Youth Hostel |
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| The Grasmoor group of fells over Scarth Gap with the High Stile ridge to the left |
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| Fleetwith Pike and Dale Head over Brin Crag on the left with Grey Knotts and Brandreth on the right |
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| Looking down on Black Sail Pass |
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| Pillar across the western buttress of Kirkfell Crags |
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| No way to to the left of the buttress .... |
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| ........ continue on to join the iron fence posts on the right hand edge of the buttress |
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| There are one or two mild sections of rock scrambling involved on this ascent. The posts are the remnants of the Lonsdale Estate boundary fence which once enclosed much of Ennerdale |
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| Looking over to Scoat Fell, Black Crag and Pillar |
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| The High Stile ridge and Grasmoor |
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| Looking down on Black Sail Pass from high on Kirkfell Crags |
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| Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Black Crag and Pillar from near the top of Kirkfell Crags |
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| Middle Fell over Dore Head from near the top of Kirkfell Crags |
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| After scrambling up one final very steep rock step the slope eases onto the top of Kirkfell Crags |
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| Looking down on the rock step |
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| The High Stile ridge and the Grasmoor group from the top of Kirkfell Crags |
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| Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Black Crag and Pillar from the top of Kirkfell Crags |
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| It's now just a matter of following the fence posts across the plateau to reach the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| Looking over to Kirk Fell's north top |
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| Looking back to the High Stile ridge from the summit plateau |
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| The summit of Kirk Fell soon comes into view |
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| The dome of Great Gable appears over Kirk Fell's summit plateau |
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| Approaching the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| The summit cairn on Kirk Fell looking towards Great Gable |
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| The Scafell group from the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| Wast Water from the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| Middle Fell over Yewbarrow, Seatallan and Red Pike from the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| Scoat Fell, Steeple, Black Crag and Pillar from the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| High Stile, High Crag, Grasmoor, Wandope, Eel Crag and Sail from the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| Skiddaw and Blencathra on the distant horizon from the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| The Helvellyn range on the horizon from the summit of Kirk Fell |
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| Green Gable and Great Gable from the summit of Kirk Fell |
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