From near Wasdale Head

Illgill Head and its close neighbour Whin Rigg are well known as the Wastwater Screes. The tremendous northwest face of these mountains is an impressive sight, rising over 500m from the lake surface in a massive cascade of boulders and scree. The hill itself is less remarkable, and in contrast to the Screes, the gentle moorland sloping down to Burnmoor Tarn is uninteresting.

But this is a minor criticism. Illgill Head lays claim to unsurpassed views of both the Wasdale mountains and the lowlands extending towards the West Cumbrian coast. The traverse of Illgill Head and Whin Rigg is arguably the best low-level fellwalk in the Wasdale Valley.

I climbed this fell late in May 2005, the day after Great Gable. It was a warm morning, and I found the long plod up to the summit very tiring. At the time I assumed this was due to the constant, moderately steep grassy slope, but with hindsight it may be because I had run out of porridge the previous day. I bought some from the Barn Door Shop that evening, and I never had any energy problems from then on. Remember: for fellwalkers, porridge is everything!

Once you finally reach the cairn, the view is definitely worth every step (although it is even better from the edge of the cliff, if you're careful). The Scafells don't look too attractive, but this is the best place to view Wasdale Head, which appears as a tiny speck, dwarfed by the giant mountains rising up on all sides. Looking out of the valley, the pattern of fields and woods extending towards the coast provides a startling contrast.

But the most amazing view of all is seen when you look down. The lake appears far below, at the bottom of an enormous slope of stones. Trees can be seen in the distance and give a surprising sense of scale to the picture. (See photo below.)

Illgill Head may not be the most exciting fell in the world to climb, but the view is probably the best in this height range, and nobody can fail to be impressed by the bold front of the Wastwater Screes.

The summit cairn	View of the Mosedale fells
That's the lake, not the sky!	Looking down to the road
Across the valley	August 2003: baking hot