Yewbarrow 627m and Y. North Top 616m, Wasdale (2xNuttalls).
Summary
I decided today was my last day and went out for a quick one that I was leaving for a dry day. It didn’t turn out to be a dry day but I just wanted to knock this one off, this one being Yewbarrow which sits on the edge of Wast Water. It is only 627m high and resembles an upside down boat but it has good scrambles either end and has the reputation of being the most awkward of the Wainwrights to do.
The Southern route has some great grade 1 scrambling and you come out just above Bell Rib rock where the views over Wast Water are great. This part was done in the dry and it was a top first hour or so. Then the drizzle came as I came over the summit brow to knock off Yewbarrow and then Yewbarrow North Top. Anticipating that Stirrup Crag would now be very wet I decided to take a side chute down to Dore Head and the path down Over Beck valley back to the car. Despite the persistent summit drizzle it was a cracking day out and one to come back for to do again and again.
As far as the route is concerned from the car park you follow the footpath at the tail end of the parking area heading North until you hit a gate and then a style. Here follow the fence line north on the left hand side until the path diverges where you take the right hand one heading for a nearby gate. Once through the gate keep on the obvious track until it starts to zig zag on a well constructed stepping stone path. You will appear to have reached the end of the path (a feint one goes onwards) and you will have an obvious gulley on the right. You will also be able to see a stone wall nearby on the left. There are photos of the gulley and wall on my Kamoot entry.
The gulley is quite steep but not oppressively so. It also has plenty of good holds and the scree is minimal. Just keep going up the gulley and when you start to come over the lip after about 50-70 meters a narrow path goes off on the right in a cleft in the rock. You then make your way along this path, go up a notch in the rock and then up hill along a faded foot/scramble trail made by those who went on before you. It is quite easy to follow and the scrambling enjoyment is good. Eventually you will come out on top of Bell Rib rock where there is some more scrambling fun before you head further uphill along Great Door until you come out on the mountain proper at Bull Crag.
From Bull Crag it is about 500m to the cairned summit of Yewbarrow and then nearly another kilometre to the cairned top of Yewbarrow North Top. This is the cairned top whereby the true summit is about a 100m before you get there as the cairn is not on the high point. It took me just over hour and a half (all in time with rest/navigation) and 500m of ascent to get to Yewbarrow summit.
As I said I didn’t particularly want to down climb Stirrup Crag on a wet day and especially as I didn’t know it so I retraced my route and headed off on a side route about 300m before North Top that takes you down to Dore Head. From here it is an easy valley walk all the way until you rejoin your up route and retrace your footsteps to the car park.
Parking: Over Beck bridge car park. Free/Donations. Sizeable parking spot.
Route: Good trails, a steep gulley scramble, various other scramble sections and a scramble on Bell Rib. A really good scramble day with great views. All trails were quite distinct.
Route Statistics: A 7.5km blast, 535m height gain day done in 2hr 45min.
Info Sheets
From car park to the top of the first gulley.
Views of Bell Rib after topping out onto Yewbarrow.
The cairns of Yewbarrow and Y.North Top.
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