Lake District
Bell Rib
462M
1516FT
About Bell Rib
Guarding the southern end of Yewbarrow, this craggy prow offers a vertiginous introduction to the Western Fells. The ascent from Wasdale Head is famously direct, requiring a scramble through the 'Doorway' gully. It provides an unmatched, airy perch overlooking the full length of Wast Water and the Screes.
Key Statistics
Rank
490th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Western Fells
Prominence
?
6m
Nearest Town
Wasdale
Geology
You are walking over layers of solidified lava and compacted volcanic ash containing small stony fragments.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY170076
Latitude
54.4579°N
Longitude
3.2811°W
Did You Know?
- •The name combines 'Bell', often used in Northern England to describe a bell-shaped prominence, with 'Rib', denoting the narrow, rocky spine that projects from the main body of the fell.
- •It is classified as a Synge, a summit identified by Timothy Synge in his 1995 guide for its individual character and the significant physical effort required to reach it.
- •The ascent involves navigating 'The Doorway', a steep, narrow rock notch that provides the primary scrambling route through the otherwise formidable crags of the southern face.
- •The summit offers a specific, birds-eye view of St Olaf’s Church at Wasdale Head, appearing as a tiny stone speck amidst a patchwork of ancient drystone-walled fields.
- •It is the kind of climb that makes you realise 'level ground' is a concept the Wasdale fells haven't quite finished negotiating yet.