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The Top Ten viewpoints of the Lake District Fells from Wasdale

By Mark Richards
Published 25 September 2019 2 minute read

Fellranger author Mark Richards shares his 10 favourite viewpoints in the Lake District’s Wasdale valley.

A ceaseless procession of pilgrims singularly destined for the summit memorial on Scafell Pike come into Hollow Stones and twist their heads acutely up right to look in amazement at the mighty cliffs of Scafell Crag. Scafell Crag is for climbers and let’s be content to admire it from a safe distance.

Lingmell is probably the best viewing station for Great Gable’s glorious southern façade. Although as you climb above Lingmell col onto Scafell Pike this backward view conveys great power.

Green Gable fairfield langdale pikes — Great Gable’s western profile from Kirk Fell, ever more riven with scree, which suggests a challenging climb, and of course it is. In this view you can spot Green Gable overtopped by Fairfield on the left and the Langdale Pikes to the right.

Walkers striking south from Styhead Pass come across the Corridor Route and also witness the best of Lingmell as a fortress of rock, especially stunning is the view as one crosses the head of Piers Gill. A ravine to otherwise avoid like the plague.

View from Lingmell — I particularly love this northward view, again from Lingmell, looking down upon its startling pinnacles that tower above Piers Gill and through the depression, wherein lies Styhead Tarn into verdant Borrowdale, to Blencathra and in the far yonder the northernmost Pennines where I live.

From Bowfell, Scafell Pike’s unremitting rock consumes attention. Notice a ray of sun casts a beam of light into the wild hollow of Little Narrowcove and onto the awesome gap of Mickledore to the left.

Here see The Sphinx Rock on Great Napes from the vicinity of the Dress Circle viewing stance next to Nape’s Needle. In the background, Yewbarrow is overtopped by Seatallan. While to the right, the screes of Kirk Fell underscore the snow-rimmed crest of Red Pike.

Esk Hause route — Another bold place to stand at ease is the top of Central Gully on Great End. The cliffs plummet beneath one’s feet and you can study the steady progress of walkers on the Eask Hause route coming up by Allen Crags. In the background is the distinctive cluster of peaks that constitute the Langdale Pikes.

Pillar Rock can be viewed extremely well from Scarth Gap. The Shamrock Traverse from Robinson’s Cairn can be picked out in this view. The high-level route to the cairn is a great delight, branching from the normal ridge path up from Black Sail upon Looking Stead via Green Cove.

This is a bird’s eye view from the ascent of Lingmell. It shows the hamlet of Wasdale Head with its inn, camping ground, car park and working farm, complete with Herdwick ewes (yows) being sorted. In the bottom of the view is the kirk-garth of St Olaf’s, hidden in a dense copse of yew trees beside the walled lane to Burnthwaite.

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