Yewbarrow North Top [Stirrup Crag]

About Yewbarrow North Top [Stirrup Crag]

Often overshadowed by its slightly higher southern neighbour, this secondary summit offers some of the most dramatic terrain in the Lake District. Guiding walkers through the rocky scramble of Stirrup Crag, it serves as a rugged gateway to the Mosedale Horseshoe, overlooking the deep waters of Wast Water and the Great Gable mass.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Old Norse 'íva-berg', meaning yew hill, combined with the Old English 'beorg' (barrow), describing its distinctive hull-like shape when viewed from the valley floor.
• •While Alfred Wainwright treated Yewbarrow as a single entity in his guides, modern classifications like the Hewitt and Nuttall lists recognise the North Top as a distinct peak due to the depth of the depression separating it from the main summit.
• •The ascent via Stirrup Crag is a celebrated, hands-on scramble that requires navigating a series of rocky tiers; it provides a direct, airy line for those heading towards the high pass of Dore Head.
• •The summit offers a front-row seat to the Mosedale amphitheatre, with an unobstructed view of the Great Chimney on Pillar and the steep, scree-covered flanks of Kirk Fell.
• •Given the relentless steepness of the surrounding crags, many walkers find that Yewbarrow is one of the few hills where the descent feels significantly longer—and considerably more vertical—than the climb up.