Walk 64 - Great Gable - 2nd September 2021 |
||||
Wainwright's Walking Guide to the Lake District Fells - Book 7 The Western Fells |
||||
#150 Great Gable 2949 ft |
Distance |
6.1 miles |
||
Time |
7.5 hrs |
|||
Lowest Point |
261 ft |
|||
Highest Point |
2949 ft |
|||
Total Ascent |
3053 ft |
|||
Walk Rating - tough |
Mini Route Map Go to walk start |
---|
11.56 Actually about to leave on a walk before midday. |
12.00 Making our way along the path to Burnthwaite. |
12.38 We decided to take the old path up to Styhead this time. |
12.43 My map said go right and over the beck at this point but the lead group elected to go left. |
12.46 Looking back down Lingmell Beck. Look there's the path we should be on, on the other side of ther beck! |
13.00 The left hand path led to steeper ground. |
13.02 but a better view of the waterfall. |
13.18 Looking back again as we near Styhead. |
14.15 After a brief stop at the stretcher box we started the direct route up the east side of Great Gable which was not too steep or difficult. |
14.44 Panorama 593 A little higher up Esk Pike and Bowfell come into view behind Great End. |
15.42 Panorama 594 On the summit of Great Gable looking north (Wainwright #150 2949ft) |
15.42 Panorama 595 Looking south east towards the Scafells. |
15.55 Panorama 596 We walked do in the direction of Westmoreland Cairn for a view south over Wastwater. |
Great Gable's summit is held in special respect by the older generation of fellwalkers because here set in the rocks that bore the top cairn is the bronze War Memorial tablet of the Fell and Rock Climbing Club, dedicated in 1924 and ever since the inspiring scene of an annual Remembrance Service in November; it was replaced in 2013. It is a fitting place to pay homage to men who once loved to walk on these hills and gave their lives defending the right of others to enjoy the same happy freedom. |
|||||
Alfred Wainwright - The Western Fells. Great Gable. |
|||||
16.00 The climbers club memorial on the summit. A small boy from a family nearby asked his father what the memorial was about and his father told him that it was climbers who had died while climbing and that climbing was dangerous. The boy stood reading the inscription for several minutes and slowly came to the realisation that his father was an idiot. |
16.15 Panorama 597 Making our way down to Windy Gap with some scrambling for the last part. |
16.59 Panorama 598 Green Gable (Wainwright #151 2628ft). Although Great Gable is only 300ft higher it is a dominent presence so nearby. |
17.04 Panorama 599 A few yards north from the summit of Green Gable looking over Ennerdale and the north western fells. |
17.05 Ennerdale from Green Gable. |
17.06 Haystack, Buttermere and Crummock Water with Blackbeck Tarn looking like part of Buttermere. |
17.40 Panorama 600 After descending down through Windy Gap again we head across to Beck Head for the return path. We could hear climbers on the face of Great Gable as we walked. |
17.50 Looking back at Green Gable and Windy Gap |
17.53 Beck Head overlooking Wasdale. |
17.59 We were still able to see the climbers on the side of Great Gable. |
18.11 Heading back down the Gavel Nees path again as Yewbarrow casts its shadow over Wasdale Head. |