The Kirk and its fell - Photo Gallery
Today is one of those walks that has to be done just so that I know that I can still do it, the annual Kirk Fell direct from Wasdale Head.
The steep green ascent directly up the fell doesn’t seem quite as perilous this year, there are some foot marks almost all of the way up the grassy part of the ascent. Which is more than can be said once you get to the scree, there is a choice of routes upwards and the one I chose was no better than last year, at one point I had to resort to scrambling on all fours as quickly as possible to overcome the effects of gravity on the steep, loose surface.
Once you get past the scree is a wonderful little grassy shelf, a lawn where you can relax and admire the excellent view on a sunny day and keep your eye on the clouds coming in from the west. The worst is over but it is still 20 minutes or more before the summit is reached, an excellent viewpoint with not another person in sight.
As I walk over to the cairn on the other side of the summit I am fascinated by the view over to Scafell, a cloud has crept up behind it and mist is forming quickly, I am slightly concerned that it might get to Great Gable before I do. I was hoping to meet someone at the North East cairn who could take my photograph with my favourite view of my favourite mountain in the background. Sure enough there was a party of walkers where I needed them to be but in the time it had taken me to get there the mist had overtaken me and Great Gable was out of sight.
Down to Beck Head and up my favourite footpath to Great Gable summit, by which time the mist had cleared. Compare the number of people at the summit with the number on Kirk Fell!
Took the excellent path & scramble down to Windy Gap, then down the easy, stony Aaron Slack footpath to Styhead Tarn and then walked up to the Stretcher Box at Styhead Pass. Rather than take the path straight back down to Wasdale I walked the Climber’s Traverse that crosses Great Gable’s flank below the spectacular crags.
The path isn’t difficult but there are one or two scrambles that can be a bit awkward whilst carrying a camera in one hand and I certainly wouldn’t want to fall off this path, it’s a long, steep way down. There are large boulders to scramble over below Kern Knotts, there are scree runs to cross at Great and Little Hell Gates and the path is narrow and close to the edge – wonderful.
Just to finish off I decided to descend via Gavel Neese, much to the concern of a couple of two walkers who suggested that I could find an easier way down just 10 minutes further along the path. The way down is steep and slippery, a horrible path that I wouldn’t recommend to anybody who likes an easy life but these things have to be done. Don’t they?
Finish at St. Olaf’s, a remarkably small church to have a remarkable fell named after it.
Andy Wallace 13th July 2002