Whin Rigg and the famous screes
Whin Rigg
Whin Rigg may be relatively modest in height, but it anchors one of the most jaw-dropping and starkly dramatic upland landscapes in the United Kingdom. Serving as the absolute southern terminus of the shattered rock ridge that traps the eastern shore of Wast Water, its northwestern face drops away with terrifying suddenness. This immense geological feature forms the famous Wastwater Screes—a vast, primeval rockfall plunging 450 metres straight into the black water below, protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) alongside the deep, vertical slot of Greathall Gill.
The sheer, near-vertical cliffs of the mountain are violently split by two enormous fissures known as Great Gully and C Gully. Peering over the rim into these chasms offers an inspiring and dizzying look at the lake below. These gullies are entirely inaccessible to traditional walkers; Great Gully alone contains 17 brutal, vertical pitches and holds a somber piece of aviation history—the deeply wedged remains of a wartime Grumman Avenger aeroplane that crashed into the crags.
The summit of Whin Rigg
Navigating the highest ground can actually be quite a challenge in poor visibility, as the broad plateau holds several competing rock outcrops that all appear to claim a similar altitude. Once you successfully locate the true summit cairn perched on the highest crest, the reward is spectacular. Standing on this elevated platform unlocks a magnificent, sweeping view down the length of Wast Water, balanced by the beautiful, rolling lines of the high ridge line tracking northeastward toward Illgill Head.
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