Looking Stead (Pillar)

Rising as a rugged gateway on the high ridge between Black Sail Pass and Pillar, this rocky shoulder offers a commanding perspective of the Ennerdale valley. Though often passed over as a mere waypoint, its craggy northern face and clear views across to Kirk Fell make it a worthwhile summit in its own right.

• •The name 'Looking Stead' originates from the Old English 'stede', meaning a place or position. It translates literally to a 'looking place' or lookout, likely used by shepherds to monitor flocks across the steep slopes leading down into Ennerdale.
• •While Alfred Wainwright did not grant Looking Stead a separate chapter in his 'Pictorial Guides', he identified it as a prominent shoulder on the ascent of Pillar and a 'fine viewpoint' for surveying the head of the valley.
• •The summit offers a unique 'birds-eye' view of Black Sail Hut, the most remote youth hostel in England, which sits far below at the base of the pass between Kirk Fell and the Pillar massif.
• •The remains of an old iron boundary fence run across the ridge here; these rusted posts often serve as useful, if unintended, navigational markers for walkers traversing the high ground between Black Sail Pass and the main summit of Pillar during low visibility.
• •It is perfectly placed to provide a false sense of accomplishment; reaching the top feels like a victory until you look west and realise Pillar’s main summit still looms another 260 metres above you.