1: The Eastern Fells (Page Four)

1. The EASTERN FELLS
2. The FAR EASTERN
FELLS
3. The CENTRAL FELLS
4. The SOUTHERN FELLS
5. The NORTHERN FELLS
6. The NORTH WESTERN
FELLS
7. The WESTERN FELLS

Wainwright's Western Fells

The Eastern Fells • 4

THE FELLS IN THIS AREA:

ARNISON CRAG • BIRKHOUSE MOOR • BIRKS • CATSTYCAM • CLOUGH HEAD • DOLLYWAGON PIKE • DOVE CRAG • FAIRFIELD • GLENRIDDING DODD • GOWBARROW FELL • GREAT DODD • GREAT MELL FELL • GREAT RIGG • HART CRAG • HART SIDE • HARTSOP ABOVE HOW • HELVELLYN • HERON PIKE • HIGH HARTSOP DODD • HIGH PIKE • LITTLE HART CRAG • LITTLE MELL FELL • LOW PIKE • MIDDLE DODD • NAB SCAR • NETHERMOST PIKE • RAISE • RED SCREES • ST SUNDAY CRAG • SEAT SANDAL • SHEFFIELD PIKE • STONE ARTHUR • STYBARROW DODD • WATSON'S DODD • WHITE SIDE

NAB SCAR
Height: 1450', (442m)
Grid Ref: NY 356071

Nab Scar is the first summit encountered when traversing the Fairfield Horseshoe in a clockwise direction. It's very steep initially, though once the summit is attained the rest of the ridge to Fairfield has fairly gradual ascents.

NETHERMOST PIKE
Height: 2922', (891m)
Grid Ref: NY 344142

Most people probably reach the summit of Nethermost Pike while traversing the Helvellyn ridge (or more accurately pass the summit, as it is a short distance from the heavily cairned path). The finest approach, however, is from Grisedale in the east, a route which finishes over a knife-edge ridge which Wainwright likens to 'a miniature Striding Edge'.

A variation to Wainwright's route is to walk up Grisedale as far as Ruthwaite Lodge, then turn west, climbing the steep pathless slope into Ruthwaite Cove. From this point it is unlikely you'll meet anyone before you reach the summit, and there is the added attraction of lunch at the beautiful Hard Tarn, which can be hard to find - look out for a grassy ledge to the right of some large reddish boulders. From the tarn it is just a matter of traversing NE across boulders and scree (pathless but safe) till the steep ridge which leads to the summit is reached (there is a path but no cairns). Incidentally, if planning to climb Helvellyn on a Bank Holiday, then this route is far preferable to Striding Edge, which will be seen directly across Nethermost Cove looking like a bar of Blackpool Rock that's been dipped into an ant-hill.

Hard Tarn, with St Sunday Crag beyond

RAISE
Height: 2897', (883m)
Grid Ref: NY 343174

Over the years Raise has probably been more popular with Winter Sports enthusiasts than fell walkers. It's north eastern slope, known to skiers as Savages Drift though unnamed as such on the map, seemingly holds snow longer than anywhere else in the district, and there's even a ski tow on this side of the mountain. In recent years, however, warmer winters and cheaper Alpine package tours have all but killed off skiing in the region, although I know of a few snowboarders who go to the area. The summit of Raise is the rockiest of the Helvellyn range, being covered with unusual gnarled stones of volcanic origin. About a quarter of a mile to the north lies the Sticks Pass, beyond which the Dodds rise.

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RED SCREES
Height: 2545', (776m)
Grid Ref: NY 397088

Red Screes has the honour of having the closest summit to any pub - it's less than half a mile from the trig point down to the Kirkstone Pass Inn. This is more of an advantage in descent than ascent, however, as there is over a thousand feet of rough scrambling between the pub (at 1480') and the summit, which is one of the most distinctive in the Eastern Fells. Besides the trig point, there is a large cairn, a shelter, and a substantial tarn.

A slight bump on the mile-long northern spur of Red Screes is Middle Dodd, given a chapter of its own in the Wainwright guide, though there is minimal reascent (and no ridge-route indicated in the book).

ST SUNDAY CRAG
Height: 2758', (841m)
Grid Ref: NY 369134

The long whale back ridge of St Sunday Crag looks imposing from any direction. From the north, a long wall of crags is seen falling steeply into Grisedale, providing rock climbers with some of the few significant pitches in the Eastern Fells. The summit of the fell is broad and grassy and is not particularly interesting; a finer place for a halt is the small airy summit of Gavel Pike (2572' / 784m), a quarter mile east across a small col but well worth a visit if time is not pressing. Another point on the St Sunday ridge, Birks, is little more than a small rise as the fell descends towards Ullswater, though Wainwright gave it a separate chapter.

St Sunday Crag is often used as an approach to Fairfield, a route which traverses the excellent rocky top of Cofa Pike (2700').

St Sunday Crag from Fairfield, with Cofa Pike to the left

SEAT SANDAL
Height: 2415', (736m)
Grid reference: NY 344115

The long ridge that comes up from Fairfield across Helvellyn and the Dodds drops below 2000' at Grisedale Tarn. Though not quite the halfway point, the area around the tarn is often used as a campsite by people backpacking along the ridge. Seat Sandal rises to the west overlooking the tarn, but is usually bypassed by walkers. I've climbed it a few times, usually when camping by the tarn, and it makes a pleasant evening walk if you've still got the energy. Legend has it that the crown of Dunmail, the ancient king of Cumberland, was sunk in the waters of the tarn. His body is said to be buried beneath the large cairn on the pass that bears his name, near the foot of Seat Sandal.

The summit is marked by a cairn near a right angle in the wall which comes up from Grisedale Hause and continues north onto Dollywagon Pike. Following the wall is a good way of reaching the summit in mist. A cairn situated a couple of hundred yards to the west has excellent views of the Central and Western Fells.

The waters from Seat Sandal reach the sea at three places - Morecombe Bay, the Solway Firth, and Workington, which is unique in the Lake District.

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Seat Sandal seen across Grisedale Tarn

SHEFFIELD PIKE
Height: 2215', (675m)
Grid Ref: NY 369182

The summit of Sheffield Pike with Ullswater beyond.

STONE ARTHUR
Height: 1652', (504m)
Grid Ref: NY 374078

Stone Arthur is little more than a rocky tor halfway up Great Rigg, with little loss of height when continuing on to the parent fell. However, that isn't obvious from valley level from where it appears to be an independent fell.

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STYBARROW DODD
Height: 2766', (843m) (Wainwright has 2770' approx.)
Grid Ref: NY 343189

The most southerly of the Dodds range, Stybarrow Dodd rises a few hundred feet above the summit of the Sticks Pass, (at 2420' the highest pass in regular use in the Lake District).

The summit of the fell is a broad plateau, the highest point being marked by a cairn with a single slate spike. Wainwright doesn't mention the small circular shelter built from the collapsed wall to the the north east, presumably because it wasn't there in his day. He seems to have spent much of his time here making complex trigonometric calculations about the height of the fell - see his summit notes in Book One. There is also a cairn a few hundred yards to the south west, marking the old OS spot height of 2756'.

A half mile to the east of the the summit is the minor top of Green Side (2608', NY 353187), which is often included on peak bagger's lists. It should really have been a 'Wainwright', there being far more reascent to reach the top than at least four of the fells in this region.

WATSON'S DODD
Height: 2588', (789m)
Grid Ref: NY 336196

Watson's Dodd seems to be a well defined peak from St John's in the Vale, and all ascents are steep. However, in reality it is little more than a bump in the contours on the col that links Great Dodd with Stybarrow Dodd, and there is hardly any perceptible reascent when approached from either of these summits.

The most prominent feature on the western flank is Castle Rock (1112' / 339m: NY 322197), very popular with rock climbers due to the challenging crags on it's northern and western sides. Sir Walter Scott describes the rock in his epic poem The Bridal Of Triermain (a poem which also mentions Glaramara by name):

But midmost of the vale, a mound
Arose, with airy turrets crown'd,
Buttress, and rampires circling bound,
And mighty keep and tower

The summit of Castle Rock can only safely be reached by walkers from 'behind', i.e., from the east, and involves a little scrambling with some exposure. The nearby ravine of Mill Gill is also worthy of investigation.

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WHITE SIDE
Height: 2832', (863m)
Grid Ref: NY 338167

The summit of this fell is not named on the OS map, the name White Side more properly referring to the grassy shoulder which descends north west towards Thirlspot, which, like its neighbour Raise, was once popular with skiers. Its other neighbour to the south, Helvellyn, is the main attraction for walkers in the area, and most people who reach the summit of White Side are on route to or from there.

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