Pillar and Haystacks from Honister

[dav2930]

A much-needed, sanity-preserving walk on the fells, where the becks still flow, the grasses still nod in the breeze and everything remains as it always has been. For a few hours in the October sunshine, all talk of infection rates, three-tier restriction measures and mass unemployment is blissfully forgotten. Nothing up there for Boris's tousled image to appear on; just white clouds mirrored in tarns and puddles, and the silently enduring rocks.

At the Drum Hause, looking to Pillar

Looking back over Borrowdale

High Crag and High Stile

Buttermere and Crummock Water.

Pillar

Great Gable

Wast Water from Beck Head

Kirk Fell above Beck Head

Yewbarrow from Black Sail

The ridge to Pillar from Black Sail

Wasdale from the ridge to Pillar

Wasdale with Scafell on the left

Gable and the Scafells from east ridge of Pillar

Wasdale and Burnmoor Tarn

The Scafells from summit of Pillar

Pillar summit

Scoat Fell & Steeple, Isle of Man on horizon.

Ennerdale Water

High Stile, Grasmoor, Skiddaw

Robinson, Hindscarth, Skiddaw, Blencathra

Ennerdale and the Solway

Descending to Pillar Rock

South side of Pillar Rock

Top part of High Level Traverse, looking back up

East face of Pillar Rock - Shamrock & Low Man

Shamrock, Walker's Gully & Low Man

Pillar Rock

Head of Ennerdale

Scarth Gap

Path up Haystacks

Enjoying the view over Buttermere

copter

Summit of Haystacks

Great Gable from Haystacks

Innominate Tarn

Buttermere

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[rockhopper]

Lovely day for it - nice autumnal colours in the first photo. That did look a good way to get back to some sort of "normality" even for only a few hours - cheers

[past my sell by date]

Nice pics of arguably the best walk in the Lakes. Remember doing it in winter - about 12 hours (8 in crampons - But from Black Sail we went via Robinson's cairn, Shamrock traverse up to Pillar - sort of reverse of your route - then down to Black Sail YH, up Loft gill and back. Path down from drumhouse a mass of water ice - and we had one small torch berween us
Also my goggles fell off on the traverse and clattered down the Shamrock. Norman's ribbed me for ages that he's seen a sheep wearing them
In Summer the evening sun lights up Boat How - brilliant

[dav2930]

Lovely day for it - nice autumnal colours in the first photo. That did look a good way to get back to some sort of "normality" even for only a few hours - cheers

Thanks RH. I really didn't want to go back home that day! I've been pining for Scotland too - haven't been to the Highlands since February.

Nice pics of arguably the best walk in the Lakes. Remember doing it in winter - about 12 hours (8 in crampons - But from Black Sail we went via Robinson's cairn, Shamrock traverse up to Pillar - sort of reverse of your route - then down to Black Sail YH, up Loft gill and back. Path down from drumhouse a mass of water ice - and we had one small torch berween us
Also my goggles fell off on the traverse and clattered down the Shamrock. Norman's ribbed me for ages that he's seen a sheep wearing them
In Summer the evening sun lights up Boat How - brilliant

Thanks Tony. I agree that whole area around the head of Ennerdale and especially the high level traverse to Pillar Rock is about as good as gets in the Lakes. Sounds quite an epic you had in winter! Hope those goggles weren't expensive - or if they were that the sheep appreciated them!

[Alteknacker]

An inspiring set of pics - looks like a wonderful walk. This is definitely a special part of a special part of the world.

[trailmasher]

I don't know how I missed this when it was posted . What a great walk dav, one of the best in the district with a bonus of some decent weather to boot allowing for some great walking memories to look back on. It's always good to get in the hills and leave everything else behind for a few hours Thanks for posting

[dav2930]

An inspiring set of pics - looks like a wonderful walk. This is definitely a special part of a special part of the world.

Thanks AK. Funnily enough I hadn't combined Pillar and Haystacks quite in this way before; I've always backtracked to Black Sail YH on previous occasions. It's a bit of a brutal descent from Pillar to the Liza, but is more than compensated by the close-up views of the rock and then the lovely rising traverse up to Scarth Gap. Considering what a fine area this is, it's about time those hideous plantations made way for the Ennerdale rewilding project!

I don't know how I missed this when it was posted . What a great walk dav, one of the best in the district with a bonus of some decent weather to boot allowing for some great walking memories to look back on. It's always good to get in the hills and leave everything else behind for a few hours Thanks for posting

Thanks TM. I'm sure I've missed loads of reports (probably including some of yours) in recent months. It's difficult to keep up with them all sometimes! Your kind comments are much appreciated though. I think getting out in the hills and leaving everything else behind has meant more to me over the last few months than ever before

[Alteknacker]

....Considering what a fine area this is, it's about time those hideous plantations made way for the Ennerdale rewilding project!

Could not agree more. Collectively we really need to push to reverse the environmental vandalism of the Forestry Commission (and also of grouse moors!!).

[past my sell by date]

....Considering what a fine area this is, it's about time those hideous plantations made way for the Ennerdale rewilding project!

Could not agree more. Collectively we really need to push to reverse the environmental vandalism of the Forestry Commission (and also of grouse moors!!).

But they are much less awful than they were. When I first went there with school friends on a youth-hosteling trip - Easter 1956 I think - they were much more uniform and sharp edged and filled the entire floor of the valley

[dav2930]

....Considering what a fine area this is, it's about time those hideous plantations made way for the Ennerdale rewilding project!

Could not agree more. Collectively we really need to push to reverse the environmental vandalism of the Forestry Commission (and also of grouse moors!!).

But they are much less awful than they were. When I first went there with school friends on a youth-hosteling trip - Easter 1956 I think - they were much more uniform and sharp edged and filled the entire floor of the valley

Thankfully, yes. Even when I first visited the area in the 1970's it was still as you describe the way it was. It's been steadily improving in recent years, but they just need to get on with it!

AK - totally agree about grouse moors. All the so-called "arguments" in their defence have long since been exposed as specious and disingenuous. Environmentally, socially and economically they are nothing but an outrage and a scam perpetrated by the unfairly privileged and disproportionately powerful.