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  • 6/12/2025
Wainwright Walks episode 10

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Travel
Transcript
00:00Nestled in the far northwest of England, this is the Lake District.
00:08A land defined by its natural beauty.
00:21Unknown to millions who love the lakes was the late Alfred Wainwright, author, guide writer and talented artist.
00:29But above all, he was the greatest fell walker.
00:36Wainwright's guides have inspired generations of walkers to roam these glorious fells.
00:42And now, a century after his birth, it's my turn to go in search of the real Wainwright experience.
00:59Welcome to one of the remotest spots in the Lake District.
01:06This is the very tip of the Ennerdale Valley and from where I am here, it's nine miles that way to the closest village.
01:13And we're at least five miles away from a proper tarmac road.
01:17So it's pretty remote.
01:18I'm here because this is Wainwright's recommended start point for one of his most dramatic climbs.
01:25Over there is the ominously named pillar.
01:27And today, I'm going to find out why Wainwright thought that this mountain had the most handsome crag in Lakeland.
01:36Dominating the side of the Ennerdale Valley is Pillar, the highest peak in the western fells.
01:37Just short of 3,000 feet, Pillar is right up there at the top of the mountain.
01:42And it's the highest peak in the western fells.
01:46But it's in terms of drama that Alfred Wainwright thought this mountain really excelled.
01:51It's the most famous mountain that was previously named Pillar.
01:53And today, I'm going to find out why Wainwright thought that this mountain had the most handsome crag in Lakeland.
01:58Dominating the side of the Ennerdale Valley is Pillar, the highest peak in the western fells.
02:03Just short of 3,000 feet, Pillar is right up there amongst England's highest summits.
02:09But it's in terms of drama that Alfred Wainwright thought this mountain really excelled.
02:15The north face of the fell has a formidable aspect.
02:21Crags and shadowed hollows, scree and tumbled boulders form a wild, chaotic scene.
02:28A setting worthy of a fine mountain.
02:32At the heart of the north face stands Pillar Rock, a 500-foot tower, the defining feature of the mountain.
02:40And Wainwright highlighted a route that could take determined walkers right through this dramatic scenery.
02:46The reason I'm able to start from here so early in the morning with my cup of tea, thank you very much, is this place.
03:07It's the Blacksail Youth Hostel, a sort of outpost of civilisation here in the valley.
03:12A definite favourite of Wainwright's and just about anybody who wants to get the most out of Ennerdale.
03:21Blacksail is the only building in the upper reaches of Ennerdale.
03:24Five-star accommodation it may not be, but that's of little concern when the location is unsurpassed.
03:33Walkers who've already trekked for miles can sit and assess their route up Pillar, with little more than the grazing sheep to disturb them.
03:42When you come here, you know that you're only ever going to share the valley with a handful of people, so you feel quite privileged.
03:49But there is one man who spends a bit more time here than most.
03:53One of the very few people who can actually claim to live in Ennerdale is Tony Hume.
03:58A former geography teacher, he now has the unique task of managing Blacksail.
04:03You never get bored of the view here, do you?
04:06Not at all, no.
04:07It's a pretty good office to have, I must say.
04:10Oh, the valley has such atmosphere in any time of day, any time of year, whatever the weather.
04:15Even when the wind's whistling around and the slates on the roof are rattling, the fire's going inside.
04:21It's all snug.
04:22Absolutely, yes, very snug.
04:24But it hasn't always been a youth hostel. How long has it been operating?
04:27The White Shave run it since about the 1930s.
04:31Right.
04:32But it was built hundreds of years before that, and built as a shepherd's bothy,
04:37when the shepherds needed somewhere to stay as they brought their flocks from one valley to another,
04:42one market to another.
04:43They needed somewhere to stay overnight.
04:45It's their little stopover?
04:46Yes, yeah.
04:47Still got a few sheep, which I love.
04:49Just a few, yes.
04:50Just a few, yes.
04:51Not quite, back to the old days.
04:53Now, you are a geography teacher, so who better for me to ask about the glaciers and the...
04:59There's Conifet.
05:00There's everything going on here, isn't there?
05:01There's a lot of geography happening.
05:03There's a lot going on, yes.
05:05Starting with the basic shape of the valley, I suppose, which is what people come for.
05:09The dramatic crags and the mountain tops.
05:13A long time ago, millions of years ago, it was a volcanic area.
05:17So what you see on the highest bits are the remains of very ancient volcanoes.
05:21But you have to also try and imagine what it was like during the last ice age, which finished about 10,000 years ago.
05:27And everything you see now in the valley would have been covered in ice, completely covered in ice.
05:31And then later on, as the ice started to melt, there would have been valley glaciers.
05:35So the sorts of things you'd see in parts of the Alps and the Himalayas today,
05:40where you have a glacier filling maybe three quarters of the valley with the peaks sticking out above it.
05:45The fact that Wainwright recommends this is a good start point for Pillar.
05:49How many people come to you because of that?
05:52Well, most of our visitors are probably here because of Wainwright.
05:56Not only walking up Pillar and the surrounding mountains, but also because we're on the coast-to-coast route.
06:01So AW's, you know, he's good for business here.
06:04It's fantastic the way the wind just whistles through here, doesn't it? It picks up out of nowhere.
06:10This is what it's like here, yes.
06:12It just changes.
06:13Yes, yeah, and it's a good demonstration of what we said about the atmosphere.
06:17This is, I mean, suddenly as if, you know, we've just been shot through a wind tunnel.
06:22Well, right, the hair's got back to normal now. You're all right, though.
06:25Then it dies down. Yes, I don't have those problems.
06:29That's what I like about the legs.
06:32Pillar, there I go. High-level route. Comments, please, Tony?
06:37Certainly a favourite. Dramatic views, quite steep drops.
06:42Hope you've got a head for heights up there. But well worth it when you get to the top.
06:47Have you gone the high-level route?
06:48I haven't actually done the high-level route myself.
06:50I knew you were going to say that.
06:52I don't get out as much as people might think.
06:54But I have been up on top of pillar a few times, yes.
06:57I just hope the weather stays like this because at the moment it's magical.
07:00Yeah, you'll be able to see for miles if it's like this. It'll be very clear up there.
07:03But, you know, it can change in half an hour.
07:05I know.
07:06So it could be cloudy when you get up there. Have fun anyway.
07:09Fingers crossed.
07:10Please.
07:13Being at Blacksail means I'm already 900 foot above sea level,
07:17right amongst the high ground at the end of the valley.
07:21This will be the shortest distance I've ever had to cover
07:24to reach one of the country's highest peaks.
07:27But let's take a look at how parts of the climb more than make up for it in steepness.
07:32Leaving the hostel, I have to head further up the valley to cross the River Leesa.
07:50The bridge takes me onto the path up to Blacksail Pass.
07:54A broad grassy slope and the quickest route over the hills to the Wasdale Valley.
08:02But as I reach the top of the pass, I'll turn north-west
08:05and step onto the main ridge that leads all the way to the summit.
08:11The path passes close to the grassy dome of Lookingstead,
08:15Wainwright's recommended viewpoint for the whole of Ennerdale.
08:18This is where I'll prepare to leave the ridge and set off on the high-level route,
08:24straight across the drama of Pillar's north face.
08:29The cliffs continue to grow in size until a long diagonal ledge
08:32gives walkers the chance to come face-to-face with Pillar Rock,
08:36Wainwright's most handsome crag.
08:39But the rock is not the top.
08:44There's still 400 feet of steep scrambling to go.
08:49A challenging end before you've conquered the north face
08:52and can walk easily across Pillar's rounded peak.
08:56Well, I know there's plenty of rocky ground on this climb,
09:09so I'm hoping this morning's fine weather holds
09:12and surfaces remain dry all the way to the top.
09:15But for now, there's just a lot of grass up ahead.
09:20As for so many Wainwright walks,
09:22you start actually heading away from where you're going.
09:31The approach to Blacksail Pass takes you towards the dome-shaped summit
09:34of Pillar's biggest neighbour, Great Gable.
09:40Kirkfell is to the right, Green Gable to the left.
09:43Three shapely summits and a natural blockade
09:46that have helped preserve the total isolation of this spot.
09:49From here, you can stand and look over thousands of conifers
10:00that fill the valley floor all the way to Ennerdale water.
10:06By the time Wainwright arrived here,
10:08the trees had already been planted to replenish wood reserves
10:11after the First World War.
10:13A forest station in Ennerdale has cloaked the lower slopes
10:19in a dark and funereal shroud of foreign trees.
10:24An intrusion that nobody who knew Ennerdale of old can ever forgive.
10:33Elsewhere, though, this spot is as untouched as England gets.
10:36Visitors are welcome, but anyone hoping to find a tea room or a gift shop
10:41will be sorely disappointed.
10:43There's base camp back there.
10:49Everything you need getting further and further away.
10:52And this is the first bit of serious business of the climb as well.
11:02On a day like today, a walk like this presents a common Lake District problem.
11:17What should one be wearing?
11:19The long, steady climb up Blacksail Pass is hot work, but as you get higher,
11:30the wind begins to bite every time you pause for breath.
11:37The top end of passes are, by their nature, rather exposed places.
11:41This well-trodden path is where the air gets channeled between Pillar and Kirkfell,
11:46a route once taken by shepherds and miners alike,
11:49heading towards Wasdale and the Cumbrian coastline.
11:56Now Wainwright says,
11:58watch out for a gate that marks the top of the pass.
12:01Only a fanatical purist would think of using it.
12:05It's been 40 years since this book was written and they still haven't fixed the gate.
12:17Don't forget to close it behind you.
12:22In fact, as you turn north and make your way along the broad ridge to Pillar,
12:25the route is clearly marked by a strict succession of ageing, rusty fence posts.
12:30They seem utterly redundant, but have become a substitute cairn for the uncertain walker.
12:46Well, I'm onto the approach slopes of Pillar now.
12:48I have to say, so far it's been a pretty healthy walk.
12:51You certainly need a bit of stamina.
12:57And I reckon I'm just about here.
13:03This is where Wainwright's artistry and eye for detail really comes to the fore.
13:06By the way he's angled the drawing and its scale,
13:09he's managed to fit a very intense, complex, curvy route all onto one pocket-sized page.
13:17And this is where it looks like it's going to start to get pretty interesting.
13:25From this small, unnamed tarm, the broad grassy ridge stretches out for another half a mile.
13:30You can stride out with the view down into Wasdale, opening up on your left.
13:37Hello, Mr Sheep.
13:40But it's to the other side of the ridge that AW suggests a brief detour.
13:45Looking Stead is a small pinnacle jutting out, 1,000 feet below the main summit.
13:51An ideal vantage point to assess the view down into Ennerdale,
13:56one of Lakeland's more controversial valleys.
13:59You can really see the work that's being done to the valley from here.
14:02Look at that huge swathes of conifers that have been taken out.
14:10Acres of evergreen forest give Ennerdale a rather unfamiliar look.
14:15More Canadian rockies than English lakes.
14:18But you imagine that AW would have been quite pleased with the current wild Ennerdale project.
14:25This scheme is steadily removing conifers and introducing areas of mixed woodland.
14:31In years to come, the valley should have a more natural beauty
14:36to accompany one of Wainwright's favourite mountains.
14:39It is an offence to the eyes to see Pilla's once colourful fellside,
14:44now hobbled in such a dowdy and ill-suited skirt.
14:48Yet such is the majesty and power of this fine mountain,
14:52that it can shrug off the insults and indignities,
14:55and its summit soars no less proudly above.
14:58This is my first view of the drama up ahead.
15:04You can see all the rocks and cliffs of the north face of Pilla,
15:08and the high-level route traverses across,
15:11which is hopefully what I'm going to do.
15:14But for the moment at least, the grassy eastern slopes of Pilla are a simple fell-walking pleasure.
15:24And at around the 2,000-foot mark, there's a view down the opposite valley,
15:29all the way to the head of Waspwater, the deepest lake in England.
15:32My walk today, though, is about to change.
15:37Walkers looking for a real adventure have to look for the easily missed diversion.
15:43As the grand peak of Schofell appears in the background,
15:48there's a small cairn, the turning point for the high-level route.
15:52Wainwright thought that this was the start of one of the best miles in Lakeland,
15:58a route of engrossing interest.
15:59And to kick things off, whilst the main path continues up,
16:04the high-level route takes me down.
16:07Steeply down.
16:14Stepping onto the north face of Pilla is like making a leap to an entirely new mountain.
16:19This really can't be described as a walk any longer.
16:23This is a true and testing fell climb.
16:29The highest peak of Pilla is on the right.
16:33You're going to explore this.
16:37The highest peak peak of the sea is on the right,
16:40and then there's a few.
16:42A high-level route may be found.
16:43Your gaze is tempted up to the ever-heightening peaks above you.
16:50But you can't absentmindedly stroll along the high-level route.
16:55Every ten metres or so, there's something new to negotiate.
17:00Scree, boulders, and occasional outbreaks of very wet rocks.
17:13This rocky climb was more of what I was expecting from Pillar, I must say, based on what I'd read and heard.
17:20But I was hoping, as I came round that little corner, to catch a glimpse of Pillar Rock.
17:27But not quite yet, it would seem. A bit more rocky terrain to tackle.
17:34The high-level route twists and turns its way around the many spurs and buttresses that support the mountain.
17:40Unlike the ridge path far above, there's rarely a chance for an unobstructed view.
17:47But there is one large man-made feature to look out for.
18:01That must be Robinson's Cairn over there, which is Wainwright's big last landmark before you get to the rock.
18:10John Wilson Robinson was a local man and a pioneer of rock climbing, who established many of the now-famous routes up Pillar Rock.
18:24When he died a century ago, his friends came here to build a cairn in his honour.
18:29Well, this is definitely an appropriate spot to build a cairn, because that is a cracking view, finally, towards Pillar Rock.
18:39I can just make out the path from here. That rather ominous-looking ledge on the left cuts diagonally across all the way to the top.
18:51Now, of course, what I could have done is twinkle-toed, nice and easy, across the top there.
18:56But then, you wouldn't get this view.
19:00Robinson's Cairn is the first place where you can begin to see how a mere walker could hope to negotiate Pillar Rock.
19:08Shamrock Traverse is the steep and narrow ledge that leads you almost level with the topmost pinnacle of rock.
19:15At this point, it is possible to enjoy the view before taking the direct path back to the valley floor.
19:26But that would only leave this Wainwright chapter incomplete.
19:30For me, there's 900 feet still to the summit, and it's clearly going to be steep all the way.
19:36The rock had a well-established local notoriety, long before tourists called wider attention to it.
19:46An object of such unique appearance simply had to be given a descriptive name.
19:51The pillar was an inspiration of shepherds. Men of letters could not have chosen better.
19:58And so it was that the Lake District's most notorious rock formation became the name for an entire mountain.
20:06As you approach, it dominates your horizon, a full 500 foot from base to summit.
20:17Eventually, the rock blocks out the sunlight, and you climb the scree to get onto Shamrock Traverse.
20:24You can feel that you're high up here.
20:41I'm a little vertiginous.
20:42Wainwright rated this spot, Shamrock Traverse, as one of his favourite places in the whole of Lakeland.
20:55Excluding the summits, of course.
20:58And it's certainly an experience.
21:00Loose stones.
21:07A big drop.
21:09A narrow ledge.
21:11And today, a little bit slippy.
21:13I think I'm going to go up and round.
21:15The vast majority of ascents up pillar never come anywhere near this stretch of high drama.
21:34It's an ingenious route, allowing fellwalkers a rare chance to scale vertical cliff faces.
21:41The name Shamrock has nothing to do with Irish cloverleaves, however.
21:50It is quite literally a shamrock.
21:54From a distance, it appears to be part of the same crag as pillar rock.
21:58But as you reach its top, you realise the two are separated by a mighty chasm.
22:04The most handsome crag in Lakeland is now staring you in the face.
22:10But as Wainwright makes unusually clear, this is as close as one gets without ropes and a harness.
22:16Pillar rock is positively out of bounds.
22:24Don't even try to get a foothold on it.
22:27The climbing guides mention easy routes.
22:30But these are not easy for a walker who is not a climber.
22:34And lead into dangerous situations.
22:36Rock climbers, or crag rats as they're known in these parts, are drawn to pillar by its history.
22:46The main jagged peak at the centre was first conquered in 1826.
22:50And arguably marked the birth of an entire sport in this country.
23:00My route past the peak of pillar rock traverses the top of Walker's Gully.
23:06But like the rock, this is actually no place for walkers.
23:10Quite the opposite, in fact.
23:12For this ever-steepening crack is where a man named Walker once tried to descend the mountain.
23:17It was a decision that cost him his life.
23:23Above the rock, my ascent suddenly becomes very exposed.
23:28There's a direct climb of 400 feet left.
23:31Not helped by the fact it's just starting to rain.
23:41Well, I might not have to tackle the rock, but this is pretty intense scrambling.
23:47There.
23:51Final hurdle.
24:09Just make the rock nice and wet as well, why don't you?
24:13As you approach the summit, you can see much further down the valley.
24:26It's clear that there really is some severe weather in the area.
24:30A twisting column of rain cloud is passing some way to the north.
24:35Not a time to be hanging around.
24:36Nearly there now, I can smell the summit, but the weather can't make up its mind.
24:43The sun is back out.
24:45And look, a little rainbow, a little bit of magic on the way up.
24:48To the south, sunshine.
24:49To the north, storms.
24:50This is the sort of weather the lakes are famous for.
25:03You end up playing a guessing game, wondering if the bad weather in the neighboring valley will ever reach you.
25:07But at this late stage, the threat of rain isn't going to stop me reaching the top.
25:13Nearly there.
25:14Final few steps.
25:15Oh!
25:16Blimey!
25:17All that climbing, all those rocks!
25:18And it's completely flat!
25:19Oh, but look, that is the first proper view of Ennerdale water, which looks as if it's underneath a big old rainstorm.
25:44I can hear thunder over that-a-way.
25:46And if you look round to the north, far, far, far beyond the hills, that's actually Scotland.
25:58It always feels good to get to the top of a summit.
26:08On a clearer day than today, I'd be able to see the entire Cumbrian coastline from this western edge of the Lake District.
26:15From the Scottish hills right round to Morecambe in the south.
26:20Today, though, only the giant tops of Scorfell and Scorfell Pike are clearly visible.
26:25And disappearing into the haze a vast number of peaks, all of them charted in detail by A. Wainwright.
26:35This little book was the final instalment of Wainwright's Pictorial Guides, but the real closing chapter is over there in the east.
26:44Above the tiny youth hostel lies Haystacks, which is a walk I've done.
26:49And, of course, it's A. W.'s final resting place.
26:56Directly across the valley, with Pillars standing guard in the background, stands the lowly summit of Haystacks.
27:03In 1991, this is where Betty Wainwright came to sprinkle her late husband's ashes.
27:09To be forever amongst the hills that had given him so much.
27:15In my walk so far, I've only touched the surface of one man's life ambition.
27:19Alfred Wainwright left us with a seven-volume, 2180-page guide.
27:26It was, he said, his love letter to the English lakes.
27:32In 1965, it was here on the fells around Ennerdale that Wainwright finished his final pictorial guide.
27:40His plan was to climb and to walk during the summer, and to write during the winter.
27:44He thought it would take about 13 years.
27:48He finished one week early.
27:57The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent.
28:04But their hills are eternal.
28:06Those who seek and find where there is yet time, will be blessed both in mind and body.
28:17There will be fair winds and fowl.
28:20Days of sun and days of rain.
28:23But enjoy them all.
28:25And enjoy them all.