Mountaineers’ Mecca
Wasdale Head Inn, Lake District
Buried in the far reaches of one of the most remote valleys in Britain stands the warm and welcoming Wasdale
Head Inn. Found nestled at the very end of the valley whose name it bears, this stunning little Lakeland outpost is well worth the pilgrimage.
And within striking distance of its walls you’ll find three record-breaking sights. First, there’s the tallest mountain:
Scafell Pike. At 978m there is no disputing its crown, and its dark, snow-blasted crags and seethingly malign architecture dominate the horizon, towering over the valley and the lonely shape of the Wasdale Head.
DIVING FOR GNOMES
Ticked off England’s highest mountain? Next there’s its deepest lake: Wastwater. At 79m deep, this glacially carved body is regarded by many as being the finest in the Lake District (you’ll even find it on the Park’s official logo) and it is a strange and beautiful place, with steep scree fields on its flanks and a ‘gnome garden’ of novelty ornaments placed on its bed. The gnomes are conveniently just below the 50m mark past, to which disapproving police diving teams cannot legally venture. Thirdly there’s a more
“THE INN CAN BOAST OF BEING THE BIRTHPLACE OF ROCK CLIMBING”
disputable claim, that nearby
St Olaf’s Church is in fact the smallest in the nation. Though it’s a difficult point to prove, step inside the titchy space and you’ll be inclined to believe it.
With such an eclectic mixture of extremes to tempt visitors, and a wealth of craggy outdoor beauty in the vicinity, it’s no wonder that the area around the Wasdale Head boasts a human history to match its geological one.
Thanks to the southern-facing crags of Great Gable, and in particular the perfectly formed pinnacle of Napes
Needle, the region found itself at the centre of a late Victorian Golden Age of rock climbing and mountaineering.
Figures such as WP Haskett Smith (the first to ascend the Needle in 1886) and the Abraham brothers George and Ashley, whose photographs immortalised the various gentlemen climbers’ exploits, flocked to the Wasdale Head Inn, which can rightly boast of being the “birthplace of rock climbing”. The Inn carries on this heritage well, continuing to welcome scramblers and climbers and displaying a host of mountaineering photos.
Today, there’s a range of comfortable accommodation for the 21st-century visitor, from camping pitches through to nine main bedrooms, six self-catering apartments and three luxury suites. The wood-heavy Ritson and Residents bars provide an evening’s fare, and the on-site Barn Door Shop is stocked with everything you might need for an impromptu adventure.
The walks in the area encompass everything that a Lakeland explorer could hope to find but should be treated with the utmost respect in the icy months. A relatively straightforward but still glorious excursion can be had by climbing north-east to the waters of Styhead Tarn.
1 WHERE MOSES TROD
On this walk you’ll mainly follow the path known as Moses
Trod – named after local quarryman and whisky smuggler Moses Rigg. The ascent takes you beneath that famous south face of Great
Gable and onto a flattish expanse of scrubland around the shores of the Tarn. But first, head south-east from the Wasdale Head and follow the signs for St Olaf’s Church, which lies just 100m or so down the path. It’s a beautiful place from which to admire the fells at the head of the valley.
2 TO THE TARN
From here, head north-east up to the next farm before meeting up with Moses Trod proper. This turns to the right and makes its way east-northeast towards Styhead Tarn. It’s relatively rough and uneven underfoot, but the path sticks to the obvious ground by the beck and should be easy enough to follow.
3 FORK IN THE ROAD
Roughly half a mile from
Burnthwaite the path splits into two, although, again, this can be easy to miss, even without snow on the ground, so pay attention if you’d like to head out a different way to your return. It’s not a disaster if you continue on the lower path – they meet again at Sty Head – but the higher path is dramatic and gets you closer to the south face of Great Gable.
4 TASTE OF GRANDEUR
When the ground levels out you’ve reached Sty Head. The justifiably popular ‘Corridor Route’ could take you southwards towards from here to Scafell Pike, while heading west routes rise up towards Great Gable and onto
Ennerdale. To the north, meanwhile, lies the valley of
Borrowdale and (eventually) the town of Keswick. These aside, however, with even a hint of clarity in the air this is a breathtaking place to stop and to take in the grandeur of the area. From green valley bed to white-capped mountain top and broken, vertiginous terrain, there’s much to see and to savour from this spot.
5 THE WAY HOME
Exploring a little further to the north to the cold waters of
Styhead Tarn is well worth the 10-minute walk, and can afford even better views down towards Borrowdale and on to the northern Fells. Once you’ve satisfied your curiosity, return the way you came.