Great Gable From Seathwaite

28th March 2010

This weekend my plan was to head up to Great Langdale & tackle Cold Pike & Pike O’ Blisco but as ever a sudden change of plan came in the  form of Great Gable, the very fell that had beaten me twice already, now Id put quite a bit of research into Cold Pike so my head was set, the route had been planed as we was up what ever the weather,that was until I text Tim my walking buddy who’d be joining me this weekend, “why not when we do Great Gable next time shall we do it from Seathwaite?” I asked, That was it 2hrs later, ‘are we doing Gable this weekend? instead of Cold Pike?’ & basically that was were my plans changed because I thought if we have the weather why not? this mountain & the weather had beaten me in the past & this time its revenge !

 

Wainwright Guidebook

The Western Fells

 

 

Overview
Ascent: 2,949 Ft  899Mtrs
Wainwrights: 3  Base Brown, Green Gable, Great Gable
Weather: Overcast much of the day,Windy On Topps, Some Sunshine,Cloud Base 600-700 Mtrs, 6 Degrees With Highs of 9.
Parking: Seathwaite Farm, Seathwaite
Area: Western
Miles:  
Walking With:  
Ordnance Survey: OL4
Time Taken:  
Route:  
 

Map and Photo Gallery

 
 

 

The hamlet that is Seathwaite & Seathwaite Farm ,it did take us a while to find the path just to get to the fell alone,what we didnt see was the hidden (my thought anyway) signpost directing us through the barn on the right .


 
Starting the walk our plan was to do Brown Base, Green Gable drop down into Windy Gap & onwards to Great Gable,Summit, then back down Aaron Slack towards Styhead Tarn & then flank Base Brown on the return journey, & what a plan it was

 

The new footbridge over Styhead Gyll.


 

And a little further up the track Sour Milk Gill.


 

Looking back down into Seathwaite.


 

A  little tricky but nothing we couldn’t handle, every time I hit a section of path like this I always think of my son Owen & how he’d love the scramble !


 

And looking back down,I did say to myself at this point that I was glad we was ascending Base Brown from this direction as I didn’t fancy come back over this section of the path.


 

The sun catching Hind Crag & Glaramara.


 
Nearing the top off Sour Milk Gill & I can definitely feel the wind at this point from now on,A wise decision to have the thicker jacket on today me thinks

 

Flanking Base Brown towards the head of the valley (Gillercombe) & Brandreth to the right of the picture (our last ascent of Great Gable) .


 

What we did hear was hook a left towards Base Brown’s summit, Keeping to the path would take you directly towards Green Gable.


 

Looking back into Gillercombe, classic glacial territory .


 

Setting our sites on Base Brown, our first summit of the day.


 

Base Brown summit with a glimpse of Dewent Water & High Spy lit up in sunshine.


 
 

 

Walking back towards Green Gable & we got this quick second shot of Great Gable &  man did I have to quick,the clouds were moving so fast within seconds the summit had gone again.


 

Looking back on Base Brown & a very visible Eastern Lake District…,sadly not the case for us though .


 

And looking directly at Haystacks & Inominate Tarn with Buttermere, Rannerdale Knotts & Crummock Water.


 

Green Gable Summit Cairn, & we’ve almost lost visibility from here on in .


 

Green Gable Shelter,almost hard to believe just a couple of months ago all this was under 4Ft of snow in parts, I hardly recognised it !


 
The same shot from Dec 09 , not the snow, but wish we had the visibility

 

Views into the Ennerdale Valley (while they lasted!)


 
Making our way down the aptly named Windy Gap & then back up on the other side towards Great Gable

 

Ennerdale Valley from  Windy Gap.


 

And looking back towards Green Gable.


 

And a brief glimpse of Aaron Slack & Styhead Tarn our descent route.


 
Almost at the summit & its pretty murky

 

Great Gable summit memorial ….its pretty breath taking.


 

Great Gable summit, & not the pleasantest place to be if you’ve no shelter from the biting wind, which if your these guys your fine ,did kind of take something away from the whole day for me not being able to spend a little time here but no time for that ,lets make our way a little way down & have some lunch.


 

Fed, & More or less out the wind, or for now at least, descending back onto Windy Gap & hook a right down Aaron Slack.


 
Quick!! Camera out!! its clear…for a few seconds Here we have the Ennerdale Valley again with Pillar to the right & Haystacks,High Crag,High Stile & Red Pike under the cloud

 

Nice to be out the clouds Styhead Tarn from Aaron Slack.


 
 

 

Styhead Tarn looking towards Lingmell.


 

And back up Aaron Slack, I must admit you hear rumours about one place or another & Aaron Slack is no exception but today I found it really enjoyable.


 

Heading back towards Seathwaite crossing this wooden bridge over Styhead Gill.


 
 

 
Seathwaite

 

I love to see these stone bridges ,All togeather another brilliant day on the fells & knocking two more Wainwrights of my list which at this point I’m going to have to actually check what I’m up to!! Yes Great Gable is conquered but not being able to spend as much time on the summit has kind of made me a little craggy! There’s just no pleasing you Paul !!In all I’ve toppled two of the Lakelands highest fells in under 7 days so that should put a smile on my face & it does .




 

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