Black Crag

Occupying a remote position on the high ridge between Caw Fell and the Ennerdale valley, this rugged summit offers a sense of profound isolation. Characterised by dark, rocky outcrops and peat hags, it provides a quiet alternative to the busier fells, rewarding visitors with a wild, untamed atmosphere.

• •The nomenclature of the summit is a point of long-standing debate; while Ordnance Survey maps label the nearby rocky escarpment as Iron Crag, the 828m high point is specifically recorded as Black Crag in the Birkett and Synge guides.
• •The name likely stems from the Old Norse 'blakkr', describing the dark, brooding appearance of the crags when viewed from the valley floor in the afternoon shadows.
• •Located on the high, wild watershed between Ennerdale and the River Bleng, the summit offers a commanding and unusual view of the Great Gable and Pillar massif, seen here from an angle that reveals their true scale.
• •Because Alfred Wainwright excluded this summit from his Pictorial Guides—choosing instead to focus on the neighbouring Caw Fell—Black Crag remains one of the loneliest spots in the Western Fells.
• •The ascent from the Ennerdale side via 'The Side' is a steep, pathless grind through heather and scree, making it a firm favourite for those who prefer their hillwalking without the aid of a manicured trail.
• •It is a summit where you can truly appreciate the silence of the west, provided you don't mind the occasional boggy detour through the expansive peat hags that guard the ridge toward Caw Fell.