Great Gable and Kirk Fell from Wasdale Head

[gld73]

Good weather forecast and no hospital visits, gave me a day to get out and do some bigger hills. Still only managed a late morning start, but enough time to get to Wasdale; thought I'd do Illgill Head and Whin Rig again, but at the last minute decided to continue up to Wasdale Head and do Great Gable and Kirk Fell as they looked surprisingly snow free (the couple of mild days after the snow had cleared things amazingly quickly). Cracking day out, memorable for an utterly deafening, internal-organ-rattling low fly by of 2 jets when I was in clag right at the summit of Great Gable, and the 2 very steep descents.

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Kirk Fell and Great Gable from the Wasdale Head car park. Quite a few cars for a weekday in January, but it was a good forecast

View down on Lingmell Beck and back to Wasdale Head as I took the path up the valley to tackle Great Gable first

Reaching the Mountain Rescue box, looking back towards Lingmell. Headed up Great Gable from here on a clear path.

Headed NW up Great Gable, this was looking down on Styhead Tarn (beneath Seathwaite Fell)

Summit of Great Gable was in cloud unfortunately so none of the stunning views. Very low flying jets had me curling up in a ball with my fingers in my ears at this point, almost felt and sounded like they were close enough to touch!

Decided to take the very steep direct route down towards the pass between Kirk Fell and Great Gable, though KF also in cloud now

Wastwater on left, Kirk Fell centre, Ennerdale valley on right

Wastwater

Kirk Fell (whilst still heading steeply and slowly down Great Gable...)

Made it down safely and across the col to start up Kirk Fell. By now the cloud had cleared from Great Gable and I could see where I'd come down - the steep, rocky then scree 'path' down the middle of this picture. Not a route I'd have looked at from here and considered taking tbh!

Roughly followed a line of old fence posts across Kirk Fell's plateau to head towards the summit (this view looking back roughly east to Great Gable)

Continuing across the bumps of the plateau towards the summit

Towards Buttermere valley, Grasmoor in centre (High Crag and High Stile I think on the left ridge)

Kirk Fell summit

Start of the steep descent down towards Black Sail Pass

On a longer day in summer, I'd have happily continued along the ridge to Pillar

Pillar from Black Sail Pass

The way I'd come down Kirk Fell - doesn't look as steep as it felt

Setting off down towards Mosedale

Snow melt meant Gatherstone Beck had a fair bit of water coming down it - definitely needed a walking pole to help balance on rocks to keep dry feet

Nice walk out through Mosedale in the evening sun

Nearing the end of the walk, Wasdale Head in sight

Kirk Fell and Great Gable, both clear of cloud by the time I'd finished the walk

[ChrisLP]

Nice write up. If there is an easy way down Kirk Fell I've yet to find it myself.