- Kirk Fell
Infobox Mountain
Photo= Kirk Fell Crags.jpg
Caption=Kirk Fell from Moses' Trod by [http://www.madaboutmountains.com/ Ann Bowker]
Location =Cumbria , ENG | Range=Lake District ,Western Fells | Name=Kirk Fell
Translation=Hill above the church
Language=Old English
Elevation=802 m (2,631 ft)
Prominence=181 m
Parent peak=Great Gable
Grid_ref_UK=NY194104
Topographic_
OS "Landranger" 89, 90, "Explorer" OL4
Listing=Marilyn, Wainwright, Hewitt, Nuttall
GB summits entry
Name=Kirk Fell East Top
Gridref=NY199107
Height=787 m (2,581 ft)
Status=HewittKirk Fell is afell in the Western part of theEnglish Lake District . It is situated betweenGreat Gable and Pillar on the long ring of fells surrounding thevalley ofEnnerdale , and also stands overWasdale to the south. However, it is separated from its two higher neighbours by the low passes of Black Sail and Beck Head, giving it a highrelative height and making it a Marilyn, the thirteenth highest in the Lake District.The direct ascent up the south western slope from
Wasdale Head is backbreakingly steep and the subject of an amusing drawing by WainwrightAlfred Wainwright : "A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Volume 7 The Western Fells": Westmorland Gazette (1966): ISBN 0-7112-2460-9] . Usual ascents are by one of the aforementioned passes; alternatively one may climb Kirk Fell as part of the Mosedale Horseshoe, a walk on the fells surroundingMosedale , a side-valley of Wasdale.Topography
The
Western Fells occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east andWasdale to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country areGreat Gable and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank ofEnnerdale , the western fells in effect being a great horseshoe around this long wild valley. Kirk Fell is the first on the southern arm.The main watershed runs broadly westwards from Great Gable, dividing the headwaters of Ennerdale and
Wasdale . The main fells in this section are Kirk Fell, Pillar,Scoat Fell , Haycock andCaw Fell , followed by the lowerLank Rigg group.Kirk Fell sits squarely at the head of Wasdale, rising between the main headstreams of Mosedale and Lingmell Becks. From this direction it appears as a truncated cone, steep sided with a wide level top. The flanks above Wasdale are unremittingly steep, convert|2000|ft|m|abbr=on of grass and scree with little to break the monotony. The only stream on these slopes is Ill Gill, falling from the depression between the summit and the east top.To the west, between Kirk Fell and Pillar, is Black Sail Pass. This is a pedestrian route from Wasdale to Ennerdale, and from there onward via Scarth Gap to
Buttermere . A well graded path now used exclusively for leisure, it was once a thoroughfare for trade between the valleys. The summit of the pass at convert|1775|ft|m|abbr=on is crossed by the Ennerdale Fence, a boundary marking the watershed around the head of the valley. Although some sections of the 'fence' are actually stone walls, that running over the top of Kirk Fell is only a remnant, marked by occasional posts.The Ennerdale face of Kirk Fell has more features to offer, but due to the remoteness of the dalehead is much less familiar. A wall of rock rims the summit plateau, Boat How Crags to the east and Kirkfell Crags to the west. Between the two is the hollow of Baysoar Slack, the birthplace of Sail Beck. Below the crags the gradient is not quite as severe as on the Wasdale side, slopes running down to the bank of the River Liza. Kirk Fell does not have such a prominent position in Ennerdale, Great Gable standing at the head of the valley.
To the east of Kirk Fell is Beck Head (2,020 ft), the
col connecting to Great Gable. A small rocky spur, Rib End, runs down from the summit plateau to the tarns at the depression. Although prominently named onOrdnance Survey maps, Beckhead Tarn is a small shallow pool with a bed of peat and submerged flags. A second smaller pool forms after heavy rain. Blair, Don: "Exploring Lakeland Tarns": Lakeland Manor Press (2003): ISBN 0-9543-9041-5 ]The summit plateau of Kirk Fell assumes a 'figure of eight' shape in plan, the narrow waist squeezed between Illgill Head and Baysoar Slack. The highest ground is to the west, while a subsidiary top occupies the other section. Kirk Fell east top has sufficient
prominence (34 m, 112 ft) to qualify as a Hewitt in its own right. Between the summits is Kirkfell Tarn, actually two small tarns. The deeper pool is an oval, while the other has an indented outline, reminiscent of Sprinkling Tarn onSeathwaite Fell in miniature.Geology
The summit area consists of drift deposits overlying the
plagioclase -phyricandesite lava s and subordinate sills of the Birker Fell Formation. The northern crags expose some granophyricgranite of the Ennerdale Intrusion, together with the beddedbreccia s,sandstone s andtuff s of the Round How Member.British Geological Survey: 1:50,000 series maps, "England & Wales Sheets 29 and 38": BGS (1999) and (1998)]ummit and View
The main top is marked by a
cairn set amid an area of stones. The east top has a cairn set on a rocky outcrop. Some remains of the old fence can be found on the watershed, crossing both tops.Great Gable fills the eastern view, Gable Crag and the Napes seen in fascinating profile. Across Wasdale rise the
Scafells , while theHigh Stile andGrasmoor ranges are well seen in the other direction. There are also more distant glimpses of theSkiddaw andHelvellyn range s.Ascents
A path of sorts ascends direct from the village of Wasdale Head to the summit, the way being in Wainwright's words "a relentless and unremitting treadmill, a turf clutching crawl, not a walk. There are only three opportunities of standing upright...". More conventional ascents can be made via Black Sail or Beck Head, the former providing easier gradients. Black Sail can also be used to give access from Ennerdale, although unless staying at Black Sail
Youth Hostel , the nearest access in this direction is actually Gatesgarth via Scarth Gap. Bill Birkett:"Complete Lakeland Fells": Collins Willow (1994): ISBN 0-00-713629-3]Kirk Fell can also be climbed as part of the Mosedale Horseshoe, also taking in
Yewbarrow , Red Pike,Scoat Fell and Pillar.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.