Blown away on Yewbarrow

[johnkaysleftleg]

We arrived in Eskdale on a fine evening having enjoyed great views of the fells on our journey up from Snowdonia. The views where not going to last however as the forecast for the next few days was nothing short of apocalyptic. Sunday at least was not too bad on the morning so I picked a shortish route to climb Yewbarrow.

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We parked up at Overbeck Bridge and set off up the intimidating South ridge. It’s a steep climb up by the fence but very straight forward. Soon Bell rib towers above you and the route veers off to the left. You have several options including a very tedious looking scree gully but we stuck to rock and completed several simple scrambles before dramatic cleft of the Great Door is reached. We were being followed up by a couple who looked a bit tentative. I overheard the lady complaining to her husband that “this isn’t a walk!” and I would agree, it most certainly isn’t.

Looking up the South ridge

Start of the scramble

Steep section

The Great Door

..and again

Looking back down the ridge...it's not as scary as it looks mam!

Slowly but surely the gradient eases and the rock gives way to grass leaving a simple easy walk to the highest point marked by a cairn. One of the notable things about Yewbarrow is the view with all 3000 footers and many other Lakeland giants. Today we can’t see a thing however, oh well.

Grace and Hughie on the summit

We dropped down to the col getting brief glimpses of a view as the cloud flirted with the ridge. As we made our way back up into cloud towards the North Top the wind, already blowing fairly strongly, started to intensify. By the time we made our second Hewitt of the day the blast from the West was quite exhilarating and breathtaking in equal measure and made our mind up as to how we would descend.

A windswept westie

The easy route down

The rocky scramble down Stirrup Crag was out so we returned to the col where a small cairn marks the start of the path that bypasses the difficulties. Once down we continued on to admire the view down Moasdale and the vertiginous Dore head screes.

Dore head screes

View from Dore head

By the time we completed the simple walk back to the car the cloud had lifted from the top but given how the wind had strengthened I had few regrets.

Yewbarrow top now cleared

Yewbarrow is a fantastic mountain and gives a great short day out if taken alone. I suspect we may well be back one day to get that view to the 3000 footers and the scramble down Stirrup Crag.

[ChrisW]

What a great single mountain that is JK, even with restrictive clouds you still look to have got some great views, I laughed at the woman telling her husband "this isn't a walk"......I'll bet he paid for that when he got home

[SusieThePensioner]

Enjoyed your report, John, and the photos, even if you didn't have the views
Yewbarrow was one of my favourite "walks" and can't remember how many times I've been up there.
I always felt compelled to look through "Great Door" even though I felt ill with the drop

[johnkaysleftleg]

Great report and photos. - Especially of Grace and Hughie at the summit. Its a long time since I did Yewbarrow. I remembered it as a smashing hill but not as spectacular as your photos show it to be. I hope I manage to do again some day. It just shows that there is a lot more to hillwalking than just Munro bagging.

Thanks for the kind words.

What a great single mountain that is JK, even with restrictive clouds you still look to have got some great views, I laughed at the woman telling her husband "this isn't a walk"......I'll bet he paid for that when he got home

I think you may be right

Enjoyed your report, John, and the photos, even if you didn't have the views
Yewbarrow was one of my favourite "walks" and can't remember how many times I've been up there.
I always felt compelled to look through "Great Door" even though I felt ill with the drop

Thanks Susie, I also find it hard not to stare down huge drops and attempt to get a pic. No idea why I do it to be honest

[colgregg]

I descended Yewbarrow the way you went up. I marked it as the stiffest descent of any lakes fell I'd been on, made all the more difficult as I tagged it onto the end of the Mosedale round.

[SusieThePensioner]

I descended Yewbarrow the way you went up. I marked it as the stiffest descent of any lakes fell I'd been on, made all the more difficult as I tagged it onto the end of the Mosedale round.

Colin, that sounds like purgatory to me!

[johnkaysleftleg]

I descended Yewbarrow the way you went up. I marked it as the stiffest descent of any lakes fell I'd been on, made all the more difficult as I tagged it onto the end of the Mosedale round.

Not sure I have fancied that. Would have descended Stirrup Crag had it not been close to blowing us off our feet however.

[garyhortop]

Nice report JK amd some cracking photo's even if the weather wasn't quite as clear as you'd hoped - nice pic of windswept westie as well as the gale force Grace!

[johnkaysleftleg]

Nice report JK amd some cracking photo's even if the weather wasn't quite as clear as you'd hoped - nice pic of windswept westie as well as the gale force Grace!

Cheers Gary.