Lake District
Black Crag
801M
2627FT
About Black Crag
Perched on the northern edge of the Pillar massif, this rugged subsidiary summit offers a dramatic perspective of the Ennerdale valley. It is an atmospheric, rocky spot that serves as the gateway to the climbing routes on Pillar Rock, providing a vertiginous feel often missing from the broader main plateau.
Key Statistics
Rank
64th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Western Fells
Prominence
?
7
Nearest Town
Wasdale
Geology
The ground here is Birker Fell Andesite, a durable volcanic rock. These ancient lava flows cooled and hardened to form the rugged foundation beneath your boots.
Classifications
Find It
Latitude
54.4798°N
Longitude
3.2892°W
Did You Know?
- •The name combines the descriptive 'Black'—referring to the dark, shaded nature of the north-facing cliffs—with 'Crag', a word of Celtic origin meaning a steep, rugged rock. It describes the sombre, precipitous face the hill presents to the valley floor below.
- •While omitted from Wainwright’s pictorial guides, it is classified as a Synge summit. Author Tim Synge included it in his survey of the Lakeland fells to acknowledge significant high points that possess a unique character independent of their parent peak.
- •This is the premier vantage point for inspecting the north face of Pillar Rock; from the edge, walkers can look directly down onto the 'High Man', the summit of the most famous detached crag in the Lake District.
- •The view north is exceptionally framed, looking across the deep U-shaped trough of Ennerdale toward the High Stile range and the sharp, pointed profile of Steeple, with the silver thread of the River Liza visible 700 metres below.
- •It is the ideal destination for the contrarian hiker; it offers the best possible view of Pillar's summit precisely because you aren't actually standing on it.