Wandope
Encyclopedia
Wandope is a fell
in the north-western area of the English
Lake District
. It lies to the east of Crummock Water
and south of Crag Hill
. From the summit there are excellent panoramas of the Sca Fell
and High Stile
ranges.
occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north-south axis. Two roads cross from east to west, dividing the fells into three convenient groups. The central sector, rising between Whinlatter Pass
and Newlands Pass
, includes Wandope.
The highest ground in the North Western Fells is an east-west ridge in this central sector, beginning with Grasmoor
above Crummock Water
and then gradually descending eastwards over Crag Hill, Sail
, Scar Crags
and Causey Pike
. Grasmoor has the greatest elevation, but Crag Hill stands at the hub of the range. It sends out a subsidiary ridge to the south west, stepping down over Wandope and Whiteless Pike
toward Buttermere village.
Wandope is not prominent in views from below and from most directions appears subservient to its higher neighbours. The connection to Crag Hill is the broad plateau of Wandope Moss, sloping down easily to the west. On the opposite side is the striking feature of Addacomb Hole. This symmetrical hanging valley resembles a half crater, its headwall being 700 ft high.
The ridge south westward from Wandope is divided into two by Third Gill. The eastern branch is a short blunt ended spur, but the western arm narrows to the fine airy ridge of Whiteless Edge. This makes straight for the summit of Whiteless Pike across the col
of Saddle Gate (2,065 ft). The flanks of the ridge are steep and rough throughout, but with more exposed rock to the east.
All of the run-off from the fell finds its way ultimately to Crummock Water, the Derwent-Cocker watershed ignoring Wandope in favour of the onward connection from Crag Hill to Ard Crags
. Sail Beck carries the water from the south and east, running out from between Knott Rigg
and Whiteless Pike into Buttermere village. Addacomb Beck and Third Gill are the tributaries which mark the northern and southern boundaries of Wandope on this flank. To the north and west of the fell is Rannerdale Beck, disgorging its flow direct into the centre section of the lake.
Kirkstile Formation. This is the typical rock of the Skiddaw
fells and is composed of laminated mudstone
and siltstone
. Beneath this are the Greywacke
sandstone
turbities of the Loweswater Formation. The Causey Pike Fault runs across the southern flanks of the fell, beyond which are the rocks of the Buttermere Formation.
marks the summit on a gentle grassy dome, a few yards in from the fall into Addacomb Hole. The view north is blocked by Grasmoor and Crag Hill, but a glorious mountain view extends in all other directions. The Scafells
are perhaps the highlight from this vantage point.
Indirect routes are also popular, and Wandope can either be added to the traverse of the Grasmoor-Causey Pike ridge, or taken on a circuit of Rannerdale.
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
in the north-western area of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. It lies to the east of Crummock Water
Crummock Water
Crummock Water is a lake in the Lake District in Cumbria, North West England situated between Buttermere to the south and Loweswater to the north. Crummock Water is two and a half miles long, three quarters of a mile wide and 140ft deep. The River Cocker is considered to start at the north of the...
and south of Crag Hill
Crag Hill
Crag Hill is a mountain in the North Western part of the English Lake District. It was formerly known as Eel Crag; however, the Ordnance Survey now marks Eel Crag as referring to the northern crags of the fell....
. From the summit there are excellent panoramas of the Sca Fell
Sca Fell
Sca Fell is a mountain in the English Lake District. Its height of 964 metres makes it the second-highest mountain in England after Scafell Pike, from which it is separated by the col of Mickledore....
and High Stile
High Stile
High Stile is a mountain in the western part of the Lake District in northwest England. It is the eleventh highest English Marilyn, standing 807 metres high, and has a relative height of 362 metres ....
ranges.
Topography
The North Western FellsNorth Western Fells
The North Western Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Including such favourites as Catbells and Grisedale Pike, they occupy an oval area beneath the Buttermere and Borrowdale valley systems...
occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north-south axis. Two roads cross from east to west, dividing the fells into three convenient groups. The central sector, rising between Whinlatter Pass
Whinlatter Pass
The Whinlatter Pass is a mountain pass in the English Lake District. It is located on the B5292 road linking Braithwaite, to the west of Keswick, with High Lorton to the south of Cockermouth....
and Newlands Pass
Newlands Pass
The Newlands Pass, also known as Newlands Hause, is a mountain pass in the English Lake District. It is located on an unclassified road linking the Newlands Valley, to the west of Keswick and Derwent Water, with the village of Buttermere...
, includes Wandope.
The highest ground in the North Western Fells is an east-west ridge in this central sector, beginning with Grasmoor
Grasmoor
Grasmoor is a mountain in the north-western part of the Lake District, northern England. It is the highest peak in a group of hills between the villages of Lorton, Braithwaite and Buttermere, and overlooks Crummock Water....
above Crummock Water
Crummock Water
Crummock Water is a lake in the Lake District in Cumbria, North West England situated between Buttermere to the south and Loweswater to the north. Crummock Water is two and a half miles long, three quarters of a mile wide and 140ft deep. The River Cocker is considered to start at the north of the...
and then gradually descending eastwards over Crag Hill, Sail
Sail (Lake District)
Sail is a hill in the English Lake District, lying between Derwentwater and Crummock Water.-Topography:The North Western Fells occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north-south axis. Two roads cross from east to west, dividing...
, Scar Crags
Scar Crags
Scar Crags is a fell in the north western part of the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. It is one of the Coledale group of fells situated seven kilometres south west of Keswick and reaches a height of 672 metres .-Topography:...
and Causey Pike
Causey Pike
Causey Pike is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated in the Newlands Valley, 5 km south west of the town of Keswick. Even though it has a modest height of 637 metres it is one of the most distinctive fells when viewed from the Derwent Water and Keswick area due to its...
. Grasmoor has the greatest elevation, but Crag Hill stands at the hub of the range. It sends out a subsidiary ridge to the south west, stepping down over Wandope and Whiteless Pike
Whiteless Pike
Whiteless Pike is a fell in the north-western English Lake District. It stands immediately east of Crummock Water and forms a perfect pyramid shape when viewed from Rannerdale. In his celebrated guide to the Lakeland fells, Alfred Wainwright called it "the Weisshorn of Buttermere"...
toward Buttermere village.
Wandope is not prominent in views from below and from most directions appears subservient to its higher neighbours. The connection to Crag Hill is the broad plateau of Wandope Moss, sloping down easily to the west. On the opposite side is the striking feature of Addacomb Hole. This symmetrical hanging valley resembles a half crater, its headwall being 700 ft high.
The ridge south westward from Wandope is divided into two by Third Gill. The eastern branch is a short blunt ended spur, but the western arm narrows to the fine airy ridge of Whiteless Edge. This makes straight for the summit of Whiteless Pike across the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
of Saddle Gate (2,065 ft). The flanks of the ridge are steep and rough throughout, but with more exposed rock to the east.
All of the run-off from the fell finds its way ultimately to Crummock Water, the Derwent-Cocker watershed ignoring Wandope in favour of the onward connection from Crag Hill to Ard Crags
Ard Crags
Ard Crags is a fell in the Lake District in Cumbria, England, it is situated in the Newlands Valley just off the minor road between Keswick and Buttermere...
. Sail Beck carries the water from the south and east, running out from between Knott Rigg
Knott Rigg
Knott Rigg is a fell at the head of the Newlands Valley in the English Lake District. It is situated some 8.5 kilometres south west of Keswick and has a modest height of 556 metres . Its name is derived from the Old English language and means “hill on a knobbly ridge”...
and Whiteless Pike into Buttermere village. Addacomb Beck and Third Gill are the tributaries which mark the northern and southern boundaries of Wandope on this flank. To the north and west of the fell is Rannerdale Beck, disgorging its flow direct into the centre section of the lake.
Geology
The summit areas of Wandope are composed of the OrdovicianOrdovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
Kirkstile Formation. This is the typical rock of the Skiddaw
Skiddaw
Skiddaw is a mountain in the Lake District National Park in England. With a summit at 931 m above sea level it is the fourth highest mountain in England. It lies just north of the town of Keswick, Cumbria, and dominates the skyline in this part of the northern lakes...
fells and is composed of laminated mudstone
Mudstone
Mudstone is a fine grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Grain size is up to 0.0625 mm with individual grains too small to be distinguished without a microscope. With increased pressure over time the platey clay minerals may become aligned, with the...
and siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
. Beneath this are the Greywacke
Greywacke
Greywacke or Graywacke is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color, and poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or lithic fragments set in a compact, clay-fine matrix. It is a texturally immature sedimentary rock generally found...
sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
turbities of the Loweswater Formation. The Causey Pike Fault runs across the southern flanks of the fell, beyond which are the rocks of the Buttermere Formation.
Summit and View
A small cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
marks the summit on a gentle grassy dome, a few yards in from the fall into Addacomb Hole. The view north is blocked by Grasmoor and Crag Hill, but a glorious mountain view extends in all other directions. The Scafells
Scafells
Image:Annotated Scafell range.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Scafell range as seen looking west from Crinkle Crags. rect 23 372 252 419 Slight Side rect 173 794 560 834 Scafell East Buttress...
are perhaps the highlight from this vantage point.
Ascents
Buttermere is the obvious starting point for climbing Wandope, and several routes are available. Sail Beck and then Third Gill can be followed to give a toehold on the shorter eastern branch of the south west ridge. Alternatively Sail Beck can be followed further up the valley until Addacomb Beck is reached. Above this point a fine ridge can be seen, skirting the southern rim of Addacomb Hole.Indirect routes are also popular, and Wandope can either be added to the traverse of the Grasmoor-Causey Pike ridge, or taken on a circuit of Rannerdale.