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Walk 51 - Illgill Head - 26th August 2020 |
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Wainwright's Walking Guide to the Lake District Fells - Book 4 The Southern Fells |
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#122 Whin Rigg 2625 ft |
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Distance |
7.1 miles |
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Time |
6 hrs |
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Lowest Point |
216 ft |
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Highest Point |
1998 ft |
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Total Ascent |
2117 ft |
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Walk Rating - moderate |
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Mini Route Map Go to walk start
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| 12.18 Walking up through the woods from the car park. |
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| 12.31 Leaving the woods onto Irton Fell. |
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| 12.35 Panorama 475 Base of Irton Fell among the cows, looking up at Whin Rigg and along Wastwater. |
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| 12.46 Starting to climb Irton Fell. |
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| 12.57 Viewpoint |
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| 13.01 Irton Pike in the background. |
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| 13.20 An hour in and approaching the small summit of Irton Fell. |
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| 13.31 Panorama 476 From the summit of Irton Fell towards Whin Rigg. |
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| 13.42 Greathall Gill. |
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| 14.08 History shall record that I Reached the summit of Whin Rigg first. Nick slowed by his mother no doubt. |
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| 14.09 Whin Rigg summit |
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| 14.33 Whin Rigg summit |
This is a splendid viewpoint, relying for its charm mainly onthe strong contrast between the pastoral softness of the valleys of the Irt and the Esk with the sea beyond, and the sombre hills enclosing Wasdale Head. |
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Alfred Wainwright - The Southern Fells. Whin Rigg 7. |
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| 14.36 Panorama 477 Whin Rigg summit |
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| 14.37 Whin Rigg summit. |
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| 14.40 Looking down Great Gully to the southern end of Wastwater. |
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| 14.48 One of several tarns north of Whin Rigg. |
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| 15.06 The ground steadily rises towards Illgill Head but the summit is hidden until we are near it. |
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| 15.07 Cloud passing up the valley over Wastwater obscures Seatallan on the far side. |
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| 15.11 Panorama 478 Between Whin Rigg and Illgill Head |
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| 15.14 Yewbarrow comes closer as we approach Illgill Head. |
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| 15.15 Looking back, Buckbarrow on the far side of the valley. |
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| 15.18 False summit but nearly at Illgill Head's true top. |
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| 15.28 Stopping for second lunch at the summit of Illgill Head, looking south. Much of the view particularly to the east, was under heavy cloud and it was difficult to identify fells. |
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| 15.53 However the view to the west of the summit was much better. Fast moving cloud over the end of the valley, but wind was light up on the ridge. |
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| 15.55 Wasdale Head and Wastwater from near the summit of Illgill Head. |
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| 15.56 Yewbarrow nearly disappears. |
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| 16.06 We managed to stay under the cloud all day. I put it down to skilful walk selection, myself. |
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| 16.07 Still smiling. |
The summit is the only really satisfactory viewpoint for Wasdale Head - a finely proportioned scene, with gaunt mountains soaring up suddenly from the level strath of this grandest of all daleheads. |
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Alfred Wainwright - The Southern Fells. Illgill Head 8. |
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| 16.09 Panorama 479 Picking the right moment for the picture was vital. |
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| 16.11 Yewbarrow looking slightly awe-inspring from this angle. |
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| 16.11 Yewbarrow doing an impression of a volcano at times. |
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| 16.14 Patches of sunlight flicker over the scene as the clouds move. |
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| 16.20 Near the summit of Illgill Head. |
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| 16.23 Yewbarrow and Wastwater |
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| 16.23 |
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| 16.24 Panorama 480 My favourite panorama of the day. Robinson is visible over Black Sail Pass to the left of Kirk Fell. |
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| 16.28 Starting to descend from Illgill Head. We had planned to return south to the car but decided to walk home, enjoying this view, and drive back to pick it up later using the van. |
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| 16.30 Kirk Fell at the far end showed through the cloud sometimes but we didn't see anywhere near the top of the Scafells and had only seen Great Gable from the very far end of the valley at around 12.30. |
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| 16.34 Wastwater appears and disappears as we descend. |
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| 16.48 The path veers away towards the east. |
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| 16.53 Kirk Fell and the pub and green in Wasdale Head visible. |
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| 16.55 Heading towards Fence Wood at the foot of Scafell. |
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| 16.56 Looking over to Scafell in heavy cloud. This was the ground we walked over at the end of walk 50 two days ago. |
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| 17.00 Slight Side in the centre. |
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| 17.03 Slight Side, Burnmoor Tarn and Harter Fell in the background. |
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| 17.06 STILL smiling. |
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| 17.35 Old building at Fence Wood. |
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| 17.46 Last bit of the path into Brackenclose. |
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| 17.49 Sunlight over Middle Fell. |
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| 17.50 Great Door on Yewbarrow. |
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| 18.10 Nice light on Kirk Fell. |
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| 18.12 Great Gable under heavy cloud. |
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| 18.14 Looking back at Illgill Head, now in the clouds. |
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///asked.wanted.moods