The approach walk - Mountaineering Routes in the Lake District
Mountaineering routes in the Lake District - Steeple Buttress
Back in 2007 the current edition of the climbing guide to Gable & Pillar was published. In 2011 I bought a copy and was instantly overwhelmed with the shear amount of mountain routes on offer.
The Gable crags made for an obvious early choice and days up there have always been wonderful experiences. And in more recent years Pillar has drawn me in. Ticking the classics, often visiting numerous times a year to guide people on the scrambling routes too. And just a few weeks ago a magical, multi-adventure day taking in North Climb.
The approach to Pillar used to feel somewhat off-putting, but not anymore. Every step or pedal stroke is worth it. The rewards are big. Roadside climbing of course has its place, but spending time with good friends on big, remote mountain crags is far better in my opinion.
The Gable & Pillar guide also covers other crags around the Ennerdale valley and yesterday we went in search of a big route on Steeple. 15 years since I’ve owned the guidebook, and I know this was one of the places I homed in on pretty quickly, so a long time coming.
Me on the route - Mountaineering Routes in the Lake District
But was it worth the wait.......
Steeple Buttress (VD) 160m
I’d try to sell the cycling in plan to Rachel, but there were some stumbling blocks to this, so we opted for the walking approach, which turned out to be really nice too and allowed us to create a more circular route.
From Bowness Knott we took good tracks along the lakeshore and these remained until we had to cut up into the dense forestry plantation alongside the tumbling waters of Low Beck. Once clear of the trees the entrance to Mirk Cove beckoned. Mirk Cove is, I think, the most remote part of the Lake District and has a Distinctly Scottish feel to it.
The cloud was low and doing a good job at obscuring the crags. We remained optimistic and forged on into the depths of the cove. Thankfully the cloud did begin to lift as we neared the crags and a beautiful rocky Ridgeline revealed itself, this was to be our objective and I was excited to be here.
Thankfully Rachel has a really good eye for routes and can interpret a guidebook topo and description really well, so she had us at the base of the climb in no time. As we geared up we noticed a rise in the wind speed and a definite chill in the air. Hmmm, time for jackets to come out as summer leaves us. Still, the rock above looks amazing.
Rachel on the route - Mountaineering Routes in the Lake District
A couple of scrambling pitches for starters and these set the tone for the route. Protection is hard won, rock quality is variable from amazing to terrible, but all the rock is mega grippy. For pitch 3 I put rock shoes on, although actually these were probably more hindrance than help as there was still a fair amount of grass on the ledges. Pitch 4 was back to scrambling, but pitch 5 things got exciting. This was a fabulous pitch and led us to a belay below a beautiful rib.
The best left until last. The final pitch was for Rachel and as always, she cruised up it with a cool, steady approach when faced with various pieces of detached rock. The positions looked really good, they were. The big one for this pitch though, the belay was on the summit of the mountain. Absolutely stunning, with views in all directions, but particularly beautiful was looking back into Mirk Cove and onto the western slopes of Pillar. Occasional sunlight lit the other crags of Mirk Cove and we were both suitably inspired by what we saw as to start the discussions for a return visit for more wilderness days here.
Panoramic views from the top - Mountaineering Routes in the Lake District
As a rock climb, Steeple Buttress is just okay. There is some really nice rock, but plenty of doubtful rock. As a mountaineering route, it is amazing and yes it was well worth the wait and the big approach it demands. The location is superb, as good as anywhere I have climbed. Topping out on a big summit makes the whole experience all the more special.
Our descent route followed a fine ridge heading back towards Ennerdale via the slopes of Lingmell.
Big thanks to Rachel for joining me on this adventure. And to Stephen Reid of Needle Sports for his efforts to produce such a well written guidebook.
Are you looking for adventurous days out in the Lake District? If so please do check out what we can offer here: Activities in the Lake DistrictÂ
Mark
Me enjoying a snack during the approach walk - Mountaineering Routes in the Lake District
The River Liza, Ennerdale - Mountaineering Routes in the Lake District