I haven't done much on Pillar, just about the least convenient crag for a Lancaster-based climber. (Easily double the drive and double/triple the walk-in compared to Pavey or Gimmer.) So not the Old West, but Slab & Notch and the 'Classic Rock' combination of New West and Rib & Slab.
The painting at the head of the post really romanticises it, like a mash-up of Napes Needle and the Old Man of Hoy.
Excellent tale, it reminds me that having done a good route to the top the two of us descended an obvious gully to the left (south?). About two thirds down the scree-filled gully bed dropped vertically over a jammed boulder. As I was first I moved to the ridge alongside and waited, but not for long… looking up I could see all the scree in the gully was rapidly on the move and my friend with it! Holding on with one hand i reached out with the other. My friend grabbed it and swung into safely and me as the scree plunged on over the boulder and into space down the gully. Happy days!
The gully on the east (up-valley) side is Walkers Gully, named not because it’s suitable for walkers but because the first person to die in it was a Mr Walker. The gully on the west is the West Waterfall, a nice wild Mod climb, not full of loose stones when I went up it (unroped) many years ago.
PS a friend of mine used to live in Ennerdale. One day an elderly couple struggled past going up the valley with a shopping trolley. “Where are going?” My friend asked. “We are doing the Coast to Coast’ they replied. “Not with that”, my friend said. Luckily he managed to talk them out of it!
Looks great! Never climbed in the Lakes, even when I lived in Liverpool and we wanted to get lost on a classic climb, we used to prefer Lliwedd and other Snowdonian playgrounds.
Good stuff—again.
I haven't done much on Pillar, just about the least convenient crag for a Lancaster-based climber. (Easily double the drive and double/triple the walk-in compared to Pavey or Gimmer.) So not the Old West, but Slab & Notch and the 'Classic Rock' combination of New West and Rib & Slab.
The painting at the head of the post really romanticises it, like a mash-up of Napes Needle and the Old Man of Hoy.
what it feels like rather than what it looks like - but possibly it was in the cloud when the artist paid his visit
It's a testament to great writing that this American who's not a climber and never been to Scotland so enjoys these stories About Mountains. Thanks.
Excellent tale, it reminds me that having done a good route to the top the two of us descended an obvious gully to the left (south?). About two thirds down the scree-filled gully bed dropped vertically over a jammed boulder. As I was first I moved to the ridge alongside and waited, but not for long… looking up I could see all the scree in the gully was rapidly on the move and my friend with it! Holding on with one hand i reached out with the other. My friend grabbed it and swung into safely and me as the scree plunged on over the boulder and into space down the gully. Happy days!
The gully on the east (up-valley) side is Walkers Gully, named not because it’s suitable for walkers but because the first person to die in it was a Mr Walker. The gully on the west is the West Waterfall, a nice wild Mod climb, not full of loose stones when I went up it (unroped) many years ago.
Thanks for your info. Glad we survived our descent !
PS a friend of mine used to live in Ennerdale. One day an elderly couple struggled past going up the valley with a shopping trolley. “Where are going?” My friend asked. “We are doing the Coast to Coast’ they replied. “Not with that”, my friend said. Luckily he managed to talk them out of it!
Looks great! Never climbed in the Lakes, even when I lived in Liverpool and we wanted to get lost on a classic climb, we used to prefer Lliwedd and other Snowdonian playgrounds.
I hope you climbed it in nails
Would have been handy sometimes, get the occasional near vertical grass slope up there...