Black Sails & Great How

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Wrynose Pass Car Park → Hell Gill Pike (1.5 km, 283 m)

   Climb of about 283 m over 1.5 km (around 19% average).

   Depart the Three Shire Stone at Wrynose Pass, striking directly south up the steep, craggy spur of Wet Side Edge. The path weaves heavily through rocky outcrops and boggy patches, making a relentless, aggressive climb until the gradient momentarily eases at the minor rocky tor of Hell Gill Pike.

   Waypoints

   Wrynose Pass (Three Shire Stone), Wet Side Edge, Hell Gill Pike (approx 660m).

   Decision point

   The sheer drop into the Wrynose Bottom valley on your right (west) and the deep cut of Greenburn to your left (east) act as massive natural funnels. The heavily worn, rocky path is obvious, pointing directly up the spine of the ridge.

   Easy to get wrong

   A 19% gradient right out of the car park is a shock to the lungs. The path up Wet Side Edge is heavily eroded and crisscrosses small, slick rock slabs that become treacherous in wet or icy conditions. Exposure to the wind increases drastically the moment you clear the shelter of the pass.

   If you need to get off

   Turn 180 degrees and carefully downclimb the rocky path of Wet Side Edge straight back to the car park at Wrynose Pass.

2. 2

   Hell Gill Pike → Little Carrs (0.2 km, 23 m)

   Undulating section of about 0.2 km.

   Continue south-east along the ridge, enjoying a very brief, almost level stroll across rocky ground and short turf, hopping over a minor depression before stepping up onto the small, stony rise of Little Carrs.

   Waypoints

   Hell Gill Pike, Little Carrs (690m).

   Decision point

   Keep heading directly toward the massive, looming bulk of Great Carrs immediately ahead. The ridge line is distinct and easy to follow in clear weather.

   Easy to get wrong

   This section is mercifully short but remains fully exposed to the elements. The rock here is blocky and uneven, requiring you to keep an eye on your foot placement rather than the expansive views over the Duddon Valley. Right by Great Carrs' summit the ground drops suddenly in crags and steep scree into the Greenburn corrie — the aircraft memorial sits on this very brink.

   If you need to get off

   Retreat the way you came: back over Hell Gill Pike and down Wet Side Edge to the start. Do not attempt to bail laterally off this high, steep-sided ridge.

3. 3

   Little Carrs → Great Carrs (0.6 km, 102 m)

   Climb of about 102 m over 0.6 km (around 17% average).

   From Little Carrs, tackle the steep, rocky final pull up the ridge. The path zigzags through shattered crags, eventually leveling out onto a broad, stony plateau just past the haunting wreckage and memorial of the WWII Halifax bomber, delivering you to the summit cairn of Great Carrs.

   Waypoints

   Halifax bomber memorial, Broad Slack (vicinity), Great Carrs summit (785m).

   Decision point

   The path threads naturally through the rocks towards the highest ground. The wooden cross and metal debris of the aircraft memorial act as a solemn, distinctive waypoint just before the summit.

   Easy to get wrong

   The final ascent requires minor scrambling over loose stones and blocky steps. The bomber crash site is situated near a precipitous drop overlooking the Greenburn valley; the edges of the crags here are frequently corniced in winter and inherently unstable year-round.

   If you need to get off

   Reverse your route: back over Little Carrs and Hell Gill Pike and down Wet Side Edge. The way back runs north, not south; south takes you on towards Swirl How and the high plateau. If weather forces a retreat and you are not sure where you are, stop and work out your position with the map and compass before you commit to the descent, and keep back from the sheer drops to the east. If you cannot move safely, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

4. 4

   Great Carrs → Swirl How (0.6 km, 30 m)

   Undulating section of about 0.6 km.

   Bear south, enjoying a magnificent, high-level ridge traverse over a broad, stony plateau. The route crosses a shallow depression at Broad Slack before making a very slight, easy rise to the impressive summit cairn of Swirl How.

   Waypoints

   Broad Slack (saddle), Swirl How summit (802m).

   Decision point

   Keep the dramatic, plunging cliffs of the Greenburn basin to your left (east), and stay well back from them. In low visibility, rely on pacing and a south-easterly compass bearing to cross Broad Slack accurately.

   Easy to get wrong

   This is one of the highest and most exposed plateaus in the southern fells. While the gradient is negligible, the terrain is a chaotic jumble of stones that can be harsh on the ankles. In thick hill fog, this broad, stony expanse is highly disorienting.

   If you need to get off

   There is no quick way off this high plateau. Decide on Great Carrs: on along the route to Swirl How, or back the way you came, down Wet Side Edge. If you cannot move safely, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

5. 5

   Swirl How → Great How (Swirl Band) (0.6 km, 1 m)

   Undulating section of about 0.6 km.

   From the summit cairn of Swirl How, head south along the broad ridge of the Swirl Band, losing only about 25 m, to the small rocky top of Great How. This is an out-and-back: the route comes back the same way to Swirl How before it goes on.

   Waypoints

   Swirl How summit, the Swirl Band, Great How summit (Swirl Band).

   Decision point

   Leave Swirl How's top heading south along the Swirl Band. Do not take the steep Prison Band, which the route uses later, or the ridge back to Great Carrs, the way you came. Great How is the next small top on the Swirl Band, 0.6 km south.

   Easy to get wrong

   A gentle leg, about 0.6 km at around 4%. The difficulty here is leaving Swirl How by the right ridge, not the ground itself: in mist it is easy to take the wrong one.

   If you need to get off

   Decide on Swirl How before you leave it: on to Great How, or back the way you came to Great Carrs and down Wet Side Edge. If you cannot move safely, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

6. 6

   Great How (Swirl Band) → Black Sails (2.6 km, 200 m)

   Descent of about 148 m, then a climb of about 200 m, over 2.6 km.

   Retrace your steps north from Great How to Swirl How's top, about 0.6 km and 25 m back up. From the top, leave Swirl How heading east-north-east down the Prison Band, the steep, rocky ridge that drops about 170 m in 0.7 km to the col of Swirl Hawse. From the col, climb east-north-east for about 0.8 km onto the ridge between Black Sails and Wetherlam, then turn south-west along it to the summit of Black Sails.

   Waypoints

   Great How, Swirl How summit (a second time), the Prison Band, Swirl Hawse, the ridge between Black Sails and Wetherlam, Black Sails summit (745m).

   Decision point

   On Swirl How's top, take the ridge heading east-north-east: that is the Prison Band. The Swirl Band, to the south, is the way you have just come back along, and the ridge north-north-west goes to Great Carrs. Swirl Hawse is the low col at the Prison Band's foot. From it, climb towards Wetherlam and, once you are on the ridge, turn south-west for Black Sails; Wetherlam lies the other way along it, to the north-east.

   Easy to get wrong

   The Prison Band is the steepest part of this stage, around 26% on average: rocky and eroded, with short steps where hands help for balance, and greasy when wet. Take it slowly, and in wind take extra care on the steps. The climb from Swirl Hawse onto the ridge is gentler, around 12% for about 90 m.

   If you need to get off

   Before the Prison Band, the way back is the way you came: from Swirl How to Great Carrs and down Wet Side Edge. We have not checked a line down from Swirl Hawse to Levers Water, so none is offered here. The route's own way down is over Black Sails into the Greenburn valley and its old mine tracks, back towards Wrynose. If you cannot move safely, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

7. Black Sails → Finish (4.8 km, 183 m)

   Descent of about 370 m, with about 183 m of climbing, over 4.8 km.

   From Black Sails, go back north-north-east along the ridge for about 0.45 km, to where you joined it. From there, descend west-south-west, dropping steadily over rolling, pathless terrain. Intersect the old copper mine tracks in the Greenburn valley, and follow these undulating, stony paths as they wind their way back up the valley to finally close the loop at the Wrynose Pass car park.

   Waypoints

   Black Sails descent, Greenburn mine ruins, Greenburn Beck, Wrynose Pass road (finish).

   Decision point

   Aim for the highly visible, ruined stone buildings of the Greenburn copper mines in the valley below. Once you hit the valley floor, the old mining tracks provide a distinctive, continuous linear handrail all the way back to the Wrynose pass road.

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial descent off Black Sails is steep grass that becomes a dangerous slip-hazard in wet weather. The long 4.7 km walk-out along the valley floor involves a deceptive amount of re-ascent (183m) on hard, stony mining tracks, which feels particularly punishing on tired legs at the very end of the day.

   If you need to get off

   You are on the final escape route. Stick strictly to the established mine tracks along the valley floor, avoiding any temptation to cut across the marshy banks of Greenburn Beck.