Illgill Head and Whin Rigg

From the NT car park turn left up the road towards the mountain rescue bridge over Lingmell Gill - so named from the parking area reserved for MRT vehicles.

Cross the bridge and bear left signposted "public bridleway, Eskdale, Miterdale and Scafell Massif". In a few metres bear right in front of the FRCC Brackenclose climbing hut. Cross the driveway, keeping ahead, to go through the gate into the field. Follow the path, with the wall to your right, fording a number of small streams, and go through the gate above and to the right, into the next field. Continue on the path as it climbs more steeply to the stone double bridge over Hollow Gill and Groove Gill.

Above the bridge the bridleway passes below tumbledown ruins. As the bridleway bears away left to climb to the col and Burnmoor Tarn keep ahead on the clearer path to go through the gate in the wall. Climb the small zigzags and bear left to follow the grassy path along the recently rebuilt wall on the left. Just below a rocky knoll the way steepens and there are two stiles in the wall. Use one to re-cross the wall.

Continue on the clear path to gain the ridge. Glimpses of the wall can still be seen over to the right. Continue past the cairn on the beginning of the ridge. A little way on is a windshelter over to the right, and a small cairn on slightly higher rocks to the left - the OS 609m spot height. The summit cairn depicted by Wainwright is the larger cairn over on the right a little way on.

From the summit cairn there are two principal options for traversing the ridge. A wide path along the middle, or a narrow single-file trod on the edge of the crags. Which has merit probably depends on your desire for exposure and the weather conditions! Our path follows the edge. So where the path splits, bear right on the fainter path through the grass towards the crags and then bear left along the top of the crags.

Reaching the depression where there are a number of tarns. Another narrow path climbs off to the right to a knoll where there are good views back along Wast Water to Wasdale Head and the fells beyond. Across the water is Buckbarrow and Middle Fell, at the back Haycock. On a clear day you can see across the fields to the sea, and Sellafield. Bear left to visit the summit of Whin Rigg.

From the summit of Whin Rigg, carry on along the path as it descends towards the deep gash of Greathall Gill, keep left on the path which is occasionally cairned to visit the head of the gill.

Facing the gill take the narrow path around its right hand side. Initially fairly gentle the path bears right to join with a more direct path, then bears left to descend straight down steeply alongside the gill.

Bracken which was rather forgotten along the top now reappears. Amongst it a few remains of a once stone pitched zigzag path continue the steep descent. Drop down to the gate to enter a cattle field. Cross the field and bear right to go around the field beside the fence, down to the double gates and through to the track.

Go through the gate opposite and through the copse to the River Irt - the outfall of Wast Water. Turn left to follow the river, through the gate into the field, and into the next field. Turn immediately right over the stone Lund Bridge.

Over the bridge bear right through the gate with small footpath markers, and bear right again on the gravel path to skirt Low Wood with the river now on your right. Follow this lovely path through the woodland round to Wast Water, passing below the YHA and on to the steps up to the road.

Bear right along the road. Whilst much of the way is only along the road you can make use of the grass along the water's edge for some of the way. Reaching the head of Wast Water turn right to Brackenclose, and across the bridge back to the car park.