Pillar Route Information

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Quick Facts

This is the summed total of all the climbing within a route and is a good indicator of the strenuousness of a route.

Total Ascent

1055 m

An estimate of the time taken based on a derivation of Naismiths rules. Our calculation is based on the horizontal and ascent components of a climb, we do not make a reduction for descent.

Registered users can customise these walking times by specifying their own walking and ascending speeds. They can also add a fixed time period for stoppages.

Route Time

4.5 hrs

The horizontal distance of the route.

Route Distance

12.71 km

The UK is covered by 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 scale maps. Maps numbered 1 to 86 cover Scotland but for the highest mountains (Munros) only 23 maps are required. The name given roughly describes the area covered by the map.

You can click on the map name to purchase the map for £6.29 including postage which is one of the cheapest prices we have found.

OS Landranger Maps Required

89	West Cumbria, Cockermouth & Wast Water

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A brief summary of this route.

Our summary will always contain one of easy, moderate or hard to indicate the severity of the route.

Notes

The ‘Mosedale Horseshoe’, one of Lakeland’s classic walks. There is minimal scrambling, but it finishes with a once-fast scree-run. Walkers can avoid the scree-run on steep grass, and may therefore prefer to walk the route in reverse.

Here we provide the nearest town to the start of the route where you will find basic services.

We then give directions from that location to the route start. Your approach route may differ.

Travel Information

Head to: Egremont

From Egremont drive 10km SE along A595 and turn off into Gosforth. In the village bear left on minor road for Nether Wasdale and Wasdale. Drive 14km, passing Wast Water, and park at the end of the road at Wasdale Head.

Route Waypoint Map

The total ascent is 1,055 metres. Allow 4.5 hours to complete this 12.71 km route.

Usually the shortest way to climb the mountain, making best use of tracks and paths to gain altitude. Route navigation requires map reading skills and an ability to navigate with a compass.

The information given here will enable you to annotate your map and plan your route. We do not give anecdotal descriptions on where to find the paths, worn by the feet of previous mountaineers.

Where the access routes are few or the ridge is narrow, paths are generally obvious. On open ground, following paths without using your compass may get you lost in poor visibility.

Route Information

Waypoint Detail

	Park on car park at Wasdale Head.
		NY18680853	Distance	Altitude 77 m

1	Walk N to Inn and join path beside E bank of Mosedale Beck
		NY18630878	Distance 0.29 km	Altitude 80 m

2	Continue NNE onto hillside over a stile
		NY18770912	Distance 0.38 km	Altitude 105 m

3	Follow path NNW above wall up Mosedale
		NY18251018	Distance 1.28 km	Altitude 150 m

4	Branch right on well trodden track ascending NNE
		NY18381101	Distance 0.94 km	Altitude 326 m

5	Continue ENE to the summit of Black Sail Pass
		NY19161144	Distance 0.96 km	Altitude 544 m

6	Bear NW on path along broad ridge
		NY18951168	Distance 0.32 km	Altitude 563 m

7	Follow path turning WNW to Looking Stead
		NY18621175	Distance 0.34 km	Altitude 576 m

8	Walk WSW across minor col onto Pillar’s E ridge
		NY18391165	Distance 0.27 km	Altitude 650 m

9	Follow broad ridge WNW to summit of Pillar (2500ft+)
		NY17121210	Distance 1.38 km	Altitude 892 m

10	Walk SW from Pillar then descend steeply to Wind Gap (Mosedale can be accessed by steep descent SE from here)
		NY16811179	Distance 0.69 km	Altitude 755 m

11	Follow undulating ridge WSW to Scoat Fell.
		NY15931133	Distance 0.84 km	Altitude 810 m

12	Descend SE joining path. Continue across col up ridge to Red Pike (821m).
		NY16511059	Distance 1.02 km	Altitude 862 m

13	Descend ridge S to rocky minor top
		NY16551012	Distance 0.47 km	Altitude 792 m

14	Continue your descent SE on path above crags
		NY16960973	Distance 0.62 km	Altitude 591 m

15	Follow path ESE
		NY17340964	Distance 0.41 km	Altitude 477 m

16	Follow descent path SE to Dore Head col and junction of paths
		NY17500951	Distance 0.22 km	Altitude 517 m

17	Descend NE down loose scree, or on steep grass left of scree run, to Mosedale valley.
		NY17990984	Distance 0.64 km	Altitude 167 m

18	Follow path SE out of Mosedale
		NY18450930	Distance 0.76 km	Altitude 116 m

19	Remain SSE on path to rejoin ascent route and return to car park.
		NY18688535	Distance 0.88 km	Altitude 77 m

A selection of weather forecasts local to this route.

Weather

Cumbrian Fells
by MWIS (PDF format)

Lake District
by Met Office

Scafell Pike
by Metcheck

Images of Pillar

The craggy N side of Pillar seen across Ennerdale, taken from High Stile.

© David S Brown

Image by David S Brown

Wasdale and Pillar from the slopes of Sca Fell Pike; January 1971.

© Roger Vander Steen

Image by Roger Vander Steen

Pillar seen from the Wasdale Inn. Wind Gap is near left of the picture, from where a steep scree descent to the valley can be made. Black Sail Pass is off the picture to the right.

© David S Brown

Image by David S Brown

Ascending Pillar's E ridge: the final rise to the summit.

© David S Brown

Image by David S Brown

Route Area Map

Legend

Munro

Corbett

Graham

English/Welsh Top

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Disclaimer. The details provided above are an aid to planning an expedition, but all distances, altitudes and bearings must be considered approximate. You must navigate with the appropriate map, a compass, your navigation skills and common sense, MunroMagic.com accept no responsibility for your interpretation of our route information.

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