Unless you’re a West Cumbrian, Pillar takes significantly more effort than the other high fells, requiring a long drive to reach the base. Often that is Wasdale. But this misses out on Pillar's finest aspect: the chaotic northern face. Ennerdale is a good place to start, but it’s a long way up the valley before you reach the fell’s lower reaches. If you’re already in Buttermere, it’s not too big an ask to add Scarth Gap as a walk-in, but heed Wainwright’s warnings that you’ll have to recross the pass at the end of the day, so pack spare oomph. The High Level Route is a journey not just through space but also time: it was the preferred approach of the early climbers to Pillar Rock. This was hallowed ground in the clinker-nailed, leader-must-not-fall era. Breathe deeply enough and you can smell the damp tweed, hemp rope and pipe smoke. Men may find their sideburns growing a little quicker. Nowadays, it’s a delightful quiet alternative to the East Ridge, picking an improbable line across a steep fellside, leading to the jaw-dropping moment when the Rock finally heaves into view at Robinson’s cairn.
More than four months after setting out on a continuous round of the Grahams, Lorraine McCall has climbed her final summit. She is the first woman to complete a round of the 231 Grahams as a single journey, travelling on foot over the hills...
