Wainwright's Lake District - The Western Fells Quiz

Answer: Lank Rigg

Matty Benn's Bridge is described by the Visit Cumbria website as the oldest packhorse bridge in Cumbria, and also informs us that it was built for the monks of Calder Abbey. Hence it is also known as Monk's Bridge. Packhorse bridges are readily identifiable by their low or non-existent parapets. They were built like this so as not to obstruct the horses' packs. But those without any parapets (as are those I have seen in the Lake District) also require care when crossing as one slip and you may be falling into water and onto rocks.
Boat How and Latter Barrow do both appear to be subsidiary summits on the sketchmap provided by Wainwright, but Whoap could reasonably be considered a separate hill. However the only one of these four options that was included by Wainwright, and as indicated in the question, the highest) is Lank Rigg.

As to the act of generosity, I will quote Alfred Wainwright, (first edition):
"The only exciting experience in the lonely life of the Ordnance column occurred on a gloriously sunny day in April 1965, when it was a mute and astonished witness to an unparalleled act of generosity. In an uncharacteristic mood of magnanimity which he has since regretted, the author decided on this summit to share his hard won royalties with one of his faithful readers, and placed a two-shilling piece under a flat stone: it awaits the first person to read this note and act upon it. There is no cause to turn the whole top over as though pigs have been at it - the stone is four feet from the column. If the treasure cannot be found at this distance it can be assumed that a fortunate pilgrim has already passed this way rejoicing. The finder may be sufficiently pleased to write in c/o the publishers and confirm his claim by stating the year of the coin's issue. If nobody does so before the end of 1966 the author will go back and retrieve it for the purchase of fish and chips. It was a reckless thing to do, anyway."
The cash was indeed found by a reader, on 12th March 1966.

Answer: Starling Dodd

Highest, biggest, fastest, it is interesting how many very similar claims refer to so many different things. Scale Force has a single drop of 120 feet and two smaller drops. Cautley Spout is described as England's highest waterfall above ground, but as a cascade of falls for 580 feet. Gaping Gill is described as England's highest single drop waterfall, falling 360 feet into a pothole. Hardraw Force claims to be England's highest single drop waterfall open to the sky although the drop is only 100 feet.

The last three waterfalls are all in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, part of which is in Cumbria. Back to the question itself, Scale Force lies on Scale Beck which runs from the northern slopes of Starling Dodd, along the southern side of Mellbreak into Crummock Water without much deviation, (or hesitation or repetition). Starling Dodd is the 214th and last hill Alfred Wainwright ascended when writing his guides, and some dedicated Wainwright collectors (those who try to climb all of the hills listed by Wainwright) leave it till last for this reason.

Answer: Fleetwith Pike

Low Raven Crag can still be a risky place on the descent from Fleetwith Pike, as the direct route will take you directly over the precipice. Follow the zig-zags, do not make a beeline for the pub. When Alfred Wainwright wrote his guides the slate mine and quarry on the other side of Fleetwith Pike was still working.

This closed in 1986 but reopened in 1996 and is now a tourist attraction, as well as a working slate mine. Part of its attraction is a 'Via Ferrata'. To quote the mines own website: "Via Ferrata is Italian for "Iron Way" and the system has been used in the Alps for more than a century.

At Honister, the Victorian Miners used an early and risky version to get home quickly after a day in the dark. Honister's Via Ferrata is an adventure climbing system that uses a permanently fixed cable for safety and protection up the rock face of the old miners' route."

Answer: Base Brown

Chambers dictionary defines a hanging valley as "a high-level tributary valley from which the ground falls sharply to the level of the lower, main valley". If you wish to see one in the wild (so to speak) then head to Base Brown. Base Brown also features the stream Sour Milk Gill (which contains water) and Fawn Crags to the east (colour uncertain).

Answer: Great Borne

Great Borne has a subsidiary summit of Bowness Knott which is marked on the Ordnance Survey map of the area as a viewpoint. This overlooks Ennerdale Water and the views are presumably good. Ennerdale Water was also used in the film '28 Days Later' (2002). According to the Visit Cumbria website, "the closing sequences were filmed around the Ennerdale area, and include a sweeping panoramic view of the lake".

The summit of Great Borne itself has two slightly separate tops. The southern one is the higher of the two and has an Ordnance Survey column on it along with a wind shelter. The northern top had a heaped cairn on it when the 1st edition was published and may well still have.

Answer: Red Pike

The two hills are distinguished in Wainwright's writings as Red Pike (Buttermere) and Red Pike (Wasdale), Wasdale being the higher and more southerly one. To consider the other options, Grey Crag and Gray Crag are both Wainwright fells in volume 2 "The Far Eastern Fells". Wainwright writes about two hills called 'High Pike', one in each of the volumes on northern and eastern fells. Likewise he describes two mountains called 'White Side', one in the eastern fells (which has no name but Wainwright named Whiteside Edge) and one in the north western fells.

Answer: Great Gable

Edward and Thomas Westmorland erected the cairn that bears their name to mark the best viewpoint, (in their opinion),in the area. The war memorial at the summit was erected by the' Fell and Rock Climbing Club' after World War One. Napes Needle is a well known rock climbing challenge, for walkers this is an observer sport only.

Another named rock is the 'Cat Rock' which is also called the 'Sphinx Rock'; these two names are understandable as it looks very different from different directions. Wainwright helpfully provides sketches to demonstrate this.

Answer: Pillar

The Shamrock Traverse is as good a place as any to get a look at the feature of this mountain known as Pillar Rock. Pillar Rock is impressive to look at but not suitable for as a route up the mountain for walkers. Its gullies are strictly for climbers.

Robinson's Cairn is a memorial to John Wilson Robinson who was one of the originators of rock climbing in the Lake District as a leisure activity. Pillar Rock was one of his favourite places. It is worth noting that unlike many memorials on these high fells it is not the site of an accident, J W Robinson died of cancer, not from falling off a mountain.

Answer: Haystacks

Haystacks is spelt as two words by Ordnance Survey, but Wainwright spelt it as one word from his personal preference, as this quiz is derived from his writings it seems appropriate to follow his spelling. Innominate means nameless, hence the name of the tarn is nameless tarn, a bit of an oxymoron.
Wainwright consider Haystacks not to be a place to get stuck on in mist, his advice to a novice lost in mist on this fell was: "kneel down and pray for safe deliverance." Alfred Wainwright died in 1991 and his ashes were scattered here by his second wife, who in her turn died in 2008.

Answer: Assistants

Although Alfred Wainwright dedicated a volume to each of the listed options, the inscription in volume seven reads (in part): "Book seven is dedicated to all who have helped me, sometimes with advice, sometimes with information, sometimes with no more than a friendly nod or a smile."