Kirk Fell East Top [Kirk Fell North Top]

About Kirk Fell East Top [Kirk Fell North Top]

Often overlooked in favour of the slightly higher west summit, this 787m top offers a finer perspective of Great Gable’s craggy western face. Situated on a broad, stony plateau above Wasdale Head, it marks the high point of the ridge leading toward the deep, rocky depression of Beck Head.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Old Norse 'kirkja', meaning church, and 'fjall', meaning fell. It is likely named for the hill's supposed resemblance to a church roof when viewed from Wasdale, or its proximity to the tiny St Olaf’s Church in the valley floor.
• •While the western summit is the true high point, this East Top is listed as a separate peak by Tim Synge and Bill Birkett. It is separated from the main summit by a high-altitude marshy depression that often contains several small, seasonal tarns.
• •The summit offers a spectacular, close-up view of Great Gable; from here, you can clearly distinguish the climbers’ paths traversing the Napes and the dramatic scree-filled gully of Great Hell Gate.
• •Reaching this point usually involves crossing the 'nose' of Kirk Fell. This ascent from Wasdale Head is so notoriously steep and unrelenting that Alfred Wainwright famously drew it as a series of zig-zags that look more like a ladder than a path.
• •Despite its proximity to the main summit, the East Top feels distinct, acting as a quiet balcony overlooking the head of Ennerdale and the wild, remote upper reaches of the Liza valley.