Yewbarrow revisited - no photos today
Last week's descent from Yewbarrow was uncomfortable, so this week I decided to reverse the sequence of hills, I remember that my previous ascent of Yewbarrow from Overbeck Bridge was quite enjoyable and Wainwright describes it as a beautiful and interesting climb.
The first part of the climb is that which is visible from the road and it feels as steep as it looks, the consolation being the rapidly improving view of Wastwater. At the stile in the wall the path starts to traverse the flank of Yewbarrow and shortly afterwards a higher path veering off to the right quickly brings you to the start of a rock gully.
The gully is eroded and steep and not for the faint hearted, but the strenuous exercise isn't interrupted by any danger. Suddenly, you think you are nearly at the top and after a short climb up grass you are on the top of something. By now I was in mist and could not see very far but I had a distinct feeling of being close to the edge with a strong breeze trying to push me closer to it.
The top was actually a false summit, as I continued, each new "summit" was surrounded by extremely steep crags or seemingly bottomless depths - I don't remember being this impressed last time.
Eventually I reached the real highest point, crossed the flat and surprisingly wide summit and arrived at the start of my descent. There have been no route finding problems so far in spite of the poor visibility and the path downwards is easily located.
The clamber downwards is as enjoyable as last week's ascent, I realised that I had walked in Wainwright's "footprints" - his account of Yewbarrow includes a paragraph entitled "The use of the bottom in Mountaineering" and I knew that he had been there.
The path to Red Pike is easily found and the gradient is easier upto the summit. Last week's excellent ridge walk is transformed into a windswept, rainlashed wilderness with no shelter from the wind.
After it started raining and the mist became even thicker I decided that it probably wasn't sensible to try and find Steeple as I had intended, the priority is to find my way out of here.
So now I've got to do some compass work to try and get to Pillar, I think I'm on the right path but I can't see anything. I pass two walkers coming in the other direction, it is now ten past two they are the first people I have seen since I set off at half past nine.
I arrive at the stony top of something, I hope it is Black Crag but I don't remember seeing such a large cairn and a shelter when I came past in the opposite direction last week. But, I'm always optimistic so I'll assume I know where I am and I set off in the direction of Wind Gap. I'm descending, which is good, I see a cairn which is good, I see a path off to the right - this must be Wind Gap, and then appearing out of the mist is the path up to Pillar.
It looks very steep, but the climb isn't too bad and I arrive at the top, I own Pillar and given the conditions I was probably welcome to it. I set off down the ridge to Black Sail Pass, it's probably one of the easier descents from the higher peaks, I pass two parties of three walkers - not much of an attendance today!
At the top of the Black Sail Pass I have visibility at last, it looks quite sunny over Buttermere way. It is quite an easy descent down to Wasdale Head, which is bathed in sunshine when I get there.
It took 7 hours 15 minutes to complete the walk.
Andy Wallace 30th June 2001