Whin Rigg, Illgill Head & Boat How

Whin Rigg, Illgill Head & Boat How - Sunday 1 December 2019

Route

Porterthwaite - Miterdale Forest - Irton Fell - Whin Rigg - Illgill Head - Maiden Castle - Bulatt Bridge - Burnmoor Tarn - Boat How - Brats Moss - Blea Tarn - Siney Tarn - Porterthwaite

Parking

Large parking area at Porterthwaite (Free) - Grid Reference NY 1466 0117

Mileage

11.6 miles

Terrain

Good mountain paths for the most part. The latter stages of the descent from Illgill Head to Maiden Castle can be boggy as can the transit to Bulatt Bridge.

Weather

Perfect weather conditions - sunshine & light breezes with excellent visibility.

Time Taken

6hrs 45mins

Total Ascent

2417ft (737m)

Wainwrights

2 plus 1 Outlying Fell

Map

OL6 - The English Lakes (South Western Area)

GPX File

gpx 1_dec_19_-_whin_rigg_actual.gpx

If the above GPX file fails to download or presents itself as an XML file once downloaded then please feel free to contact me and I will send you the GPX file via e-mail.

Route Map

Plenty of room at Porterthwaite - the Car Park is reached off the road between The Bower House Inn & Eskdale Green

Heading through Miterdale Forest - the path is good all the way to the edge of the forest

Looking to Great Bank

Free from the tree canopies the views open out towards Sellafield and the West Cumbrian coast

The summit of Irton Fell looking to Whin Rigg

I have heard people say that the transit over the ridge from Irton Fell all the way to Illgill Head is a 'bog fest' - I think that is vastly over exaggerated.

The summit of Whin Rigg

The connecting ridge to Illgill Head. With the visibility as good as this it is best to keep as far left as you can from here. There is a path heading right which continues on as the one in the centre of shot leads to the summit of Illgill Head. However for the best views into Wasdale and The Screes keep to the left path - it can be seen sloping to the left from the centre of shot. Left to right are the slopes of Red Pike, Pillar, Yewbarrow, Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Illgill Head, Scafell Pike & Scafell

A bit further on towards Illgill Head - the views today were just glorious and better still there was nobody else here

Wastwater comes into view as we head over to the left

Looking back to Whin Rigg with the left hand path we took (when looking from Whin Rigg) clearly visible

Discussing with Fudge where to go for our post walk pint - is there a better place to discuss this other than looking at Yewbarrow's majestic southern face?

What a cracking view that is - Seatallan, Middle Fell, Haycock, Scoat Fell, Red Pike, Pillar, Yewbarrow and Kirk Fell

Coming a bit further around to also encompass Illgill Head

Looking over Wastwater to Buckbarrow, Seatallan, Middle Fell, Haycock & Scoat Fell

Approaching the western cairn on Illgill Head

There are two summits on Illgill Head - people generally accept that the true summit (the highest point) is the cairn shelter overlooking Wasdale however Wainwright regarded the eastern top (where Fudge and I are above) as the true summit. Either way, do what we did and visit both - after all what else have you got to do?

Angie on the eastern summit of Illgill Head

The western summit of Illgill Head looking to Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Lingmell, Scafell Pike & Scafell.
The cairn has been made hollowed out to make a shelter. Wainwright said of the western summit "if it is omitted the whole ascent becomes purposeless" (Illgill Head 7)