Get Lost Mountaineering

Yewbarrow from Overbeck Bridge Car Park

Start/Finish

Overbeck Bridge car park which is along the road by the edge of Wastwater.

Distance/Time

5 km       About 3 - 4 hours

Peaks

Yewbarrow, 628 m, NY 173 085.       OL6 South Western Lakes

Introduction

This is a fine mountain with terrain as challenging as one wishes with some fine rocky, but avoidable, sections. Navigation is fairly straightforward even in mist. On a clear day, there are excellent views to the surrounding hills including Whin Rigg, Illgill Head, Haycock, Scoat Fell, Pillar, Kirk Fell, Great Gable and the Scafells. The descent avoids Stirrup Crag which many find unpleasant. There are many opportunities for exploring on this mountain. Yewbarrow's most famous feature is the “notch” well seen from Wastwater which is known as Great Door.

Route

(1) Take the obvious uphill path from the car park which starts up the nose of Yewbarrow. Do not cross the fence/wall until the stile is reached. Follow the path a little further until a right fork branches off up scree. This can be followed up with many variations possible. A good route is to leave the path at the foot of an easy, usually dry, rocky gully and follow this up. It is hardly a scramble but leads to a narrow crevice on the S side of the Great Door beyond which is a vertical cliff. To the left, N, is a short rocky ridge crossing the Great Door then a path continuing N up the crest. Follow the path. The first small cairn reached is the S top. Continue and soon reach a medium cairn which is the summit of Yewbarrow, 628 m.

(2) Continue N, descending slightly to cross a shallow dip. A path drifts left off the lowest point and makes a descending traverse towards Dore Head. When a small cairn is reached, the path can be left and it is easy to pick a way down to the main path in the valley without continuing to Dore Head. Turn left, S, on to this path and follow it back to the stile and then the car park.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 11^th October, 2014, and many times previously.