Great Gable & the Gable Girdle from Wasdale - Thursday 16 May 2024
Route
Burnthwaite - Moses Trod - Gable Beck - Gavel Neese - Beck Head - North Traverse - Gable Crag - Windy Gap - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Windy Gap - Aaron Slack - Styhead Tarn - Sty Head - South Traverse - Lower Kern Knotts - Great Hell Gate - Great Napes - Napes Needle - Sphinx Rock - Little Hell Gate - Gavel Neese - Gable Beck - Moses Trod - Burnthwaite
Parking
I started the walk from our accommodation at Burnthwaite Farm however there are various parking options at Wasdale Head including the Village Green (free). The Grid Reference is NY 18682 08508 and the nearest postcode is CA20 1EX.
Mileage
7.4 miles
Terrain
Mountain paths for the most part with some rough, rugged & rocky terrain which includes scree slopes and boulder fields. There is some mild exposure on several sections of the route.
Weather
Sunny spells with light breezes and good visibility.
Time Taken
5hrs 50mins
Total Ascent
4491ft (1369m)
Wainwrights
1
Map
OL4 - The English Lakes (North Western Area)
Walkers
Dave
Burnthwaite - Moses Trod - Gable Beck - Gavel Neese - Beck Head - North Traverse - Gable Crag - Windy Gap - Great Gable - Westmorland Cairn - Windy Gap - Aaron Slack - Styhead Tarn - Sty Head - South Traverse - Lower Kern Knotts - Great Hell Gate - Great Napes - Napes Needle - Sphinx Rock - Little Hell Gate - Gavel Neese - Gable Beck - Moses Trod - Burnthwaite
Parking
I started the walk from our accommodation at Burnthwaite Farm however there are various parking options at Wasdale Head including the Village Green (free). The Grid Reference is NY 18682 08508 and the nearest postcode is CA20 1EX.
Mileage
7.4 miles
Terrain
Mountain paths for the most part with some rough, rugged & rocky terrain which includes scree slopes and boulder fields. There is some mild exposure on several sections of the route.
Weather
Sunny spells with light breezes and good visibility.
Time Taken
5hrs 50mins
Total Ascent
4491ft (1369m)
Wainwrights
1
Map
OL4 - The English Lakes (North Western Area)
Walkers
Dave
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Route Map
Burnthwaite Farm at Wasdale Head - we were staying here therefore started the walk directly from the farm. I have had a full traverse of Great Gable on my radar for quite a while now and was really looking forward to today.
Wainwright said of the Gable Girdle - "This is the finest mountain walk in the district that does not aim to reach a summit"
Book Seven The Western Fells (Great Gable 9)
Wainwright said of the Gable Girdle - "This is the finest mountain walk in the district that does not aim to reach a summit"
Book Seven The Western Fells (Great Gable 9)
From the farm the route heads through a gate and turns to the right on to Moses Trod
On Moses Trod with my return route across the South Traverse of Great Gable in the centre of shot
Moses Trod is an old track that links Honister to Wasdale Head and was the quickest route to transport slate from one valley to the next. It did however have a dual purpose in that it became a smuggler’s route used by Moses Rigg who used it to move illegal moonshine hidden amongst the slate. It is thought that Moses had an illegal still somewhere "en route" between Honister & Wasdale Head.
Moses Trod is an old track that links Honister to Wasdale Head and was the quickest route to transport slate from one valley to the next. It did however have a dual purpose in that it became a smuggler’s route used by Moses Rigg who used it to move illegal moonshine hidden amongst the slate. It is thought that Moses had an illegal still somewhere "en route" between Honister & Wasdale Head.
Looking towards Sty Head to Great End & Lingmell
Great Gable
My outward route via Gavel Neese can be seen on the left to the right of Gable Beck with the crags of the Napes in the centre
My outward route via Gavel Neese can be seen on the left to the right of Gable Beck with the crags of the Napes in the centre
A closer look at Lingmell's north face
The footbridge over Gable Beck with the path to Gavel Neese on the left
Up I go and having done this ascent many times, it doesn't get any easier. Illgill Head and Wastwater are centre with Yewbarrow over to the right.
Looking over Gable Beck to Kirk Fell
A little higher up on the Gavel Neese path to Beck Head - the views back to Wasdale Head started to open out
Looking across Lingmell Beck to Great End, Broad Crag & Lingmell
The ravine of Ill Gill with Kirk Fell beyond
As usual on this ascent I was blowing for tugs by now and paused many times to look back to Wasdale
Approaching Beck Head below Gavel Neese with Moses Finger top right
The Gavel Neese path contains a scree section which can hinder progress and is quite energy sapping in ascent. It is easier going up than down however I would have the pleasure of it both ways today.
The Gavel Neese path contains a scree section which can hinder progress and is quite energy sapping in ascent. It is easier going up than down however I would have the pleasure of it both ways today.
Moses Finger - ordinarily I'd have wandered up the scree to have a look at it however I had enough on my plate today
Arriving at Beck Head with the lower slopes of Kirk Fell to the left. In the middle distance is the High Stile ridge with Grasmoor a distant right
Kirk Fell and Beck Head with Beckhead Tarn to the right of the path
Brandreth & Green Gable across Stone Cove with Moses Trod continuing its way to Honister
From Beck Head I began the North Traverse over to Windy Gap below Gable Crag
Beneath Gable Crag on the North Traverse of Great Gable. Whilst it does not look it, there is a path all the way to Windy Gap.
Continuing on over the vague path to Windy Gap. The path would lead me around the sloping crag to the right.
Gable Crag towers above me as I near the turn
Looking to Greengable Crag on Green Gable over Stone Cove
Looking back along the North Traverse to Kirk Fell - there is a path there honest!
Grass gives way to loose scree as I contour around Gable Crag and climb gently towards Windy Gap
The crossroads of paths at Windy Gap - head left to Honister & Ennerdale via Stone Cove, ahead to Green Gable and right to Sty Head via Aaron Slack. Behind me is the climb to Great Gable which was next on the agenda. Ordinarily, the Girdle is completed simply by circumnavigating the mountain via the North & South Traverses and not climbing to the summit. I had all day and the weather was set fair therefore I did an out and back to the summit.
Looking down Aaron Slack to Styhead Tarn from Windy Gap. Once I had been up & down to the summit this would be my route of descent. I had never been up or down this route before therefore it was nice to add it in.
The first part of the ascent is over loose stone
Soon the terrain necessitated a bit of hand on rock as it steepened - this was a lovely scramble
About half way up the summit as I look south east to Seathwaite Fell above Styhead Tarn, the Langdale Pikes, Allen Crags, Bowfell North Top, Esk Pike, Great End, Broad Crag & Scafell Pike
A little further to the east and the full summit of Seathwaite Fell is in view with Glaramara to the rear left
Arriving at the summit of Great Gable and the memorial to the members of the Fell & Rock Climbing Club who perished in the two Great Wars. Each year on Remembrance Sunday a service takes place to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The summit of Great Gable
Wastwater from Great Gable's summit - as I normally do when climbing Great Gable I headed the 150 yards or so to the south to visit the Westmorland Cairn
The Scafell group from Great Gable - Ill Crag, Broad Crag, Scafell Pike, Scafell & Lingmell
Broad Crag, Scafell Pike, Scafell, Lingmell & Piers Gill from near the Westmorland Cairn
Wasdale & Wastwater from the Westmorland Cairn. Many visitors to Great Gable's summit simply head down from whence they came and do not bother visiting here - as can be seen, the view is superb.
The cairn sits above a precipice and is approximately 150 yards south of the summit. It was erected in 1876 by two brothers named Westmorland to mark what they considered to be the finest view in the Lake District - it is hard to argue against that.
The cairn sits above a precipice and is approximately 150 yards south of the summit. It was erected in 1876 by two brothers named Westmorland to mark what they considered to be the finest view in the Lake District - it is hard to argue against that.
The view from the Westmorland Cairn - this time in mono
From the Westmorland Cairn there is a dramatic view down into Great Hell Gate with the crags of Tophet Bastion beyond
Great End & the Scafell group from Great Gable with Bowfell centre distance
Kirk Fell with Pillar distant
Leaving the Westmorland Cairn I returned to the summit to retrace my steps back to Windy Gap
Green Gable from the descent to Windy Gap
Approaching Windy Gap with my route down Aaron Slack to the right
Descending Aaron Slack with Styhead Tarn below. There is much loose rock and scree on the descent however it is just a question of taking your time. "Slack" is another definition of scree.
Looking back up Aaron Slack to Windy Gap
The middle section of Aaron Slack. It was here that the going became a little easier underfoot.
Whilst easier than the initial section I still had to be careful over the larger stones
Down at the base of Aaron Slack looking to Styhead Tarn & Great End - I would be heading to the right
The Mountain Rescue Stretcher Box at Sty Head
Piers Gill & Lingmell from Sty Head
Looking to Wasdale from Sty Head and my onward path. If returning direct to Wasdale then this is the path I would normally take however I would only be on it for a couple of hundred yards today.
Great End, Broad Crag & Scafell Pike from below Kern Knotts
Leaving the Wasdale Head path I headed off piste to make my way up to the South Traverse route via Lower Kern Knotts
The South Traverse path with the Great Napes looming high up above me
The Great Napes looms even larger as I approach the scree crossing of Great Hell Gate
Looking down Great Hell Gate and over to the Scafells
Below Tophet Bastion & Hell Gate Pillar - this was glorious walking and I was totally alone
Having crossed Great Hell Gate which is now over to the left, it was now time to make my over to the rocks of Great Napes
Cat Rock in the centre of shot
Looking to Lingmell & Scafell Pike from near the Dress Circle
Napes Needle from the Dress Circle - so called because it provides the best view to see climbers on the needle.
The Napes as a whole are important in the history of English rock climbing. Walter Parry Haskett Smith's ascent of the detached pinnacle of Napes Needle in June 1886 is thought by some to mark the origins in England of rock climbing as a sport in its own right.
The Napes as a whole are important in the history of English rock climbing. Walter Parry Haskett Smith's ascent of the detached pinnacle of Napes Needle in June 1886 is thought by some to mark the origins in England of rock climbing as a sport in its own right.
Sphinx Rock
This classic view takes a small amount of scrambling to get to but is so worth it. Cat Rock, mentioned earlier is the same rock as Sphinx Rock but takes on a completely different profile close up.
This classic view takes a small amount of scrambling to get to but is so worth it. Cat Rock, mentioned earlier is the same rock as Sphinx Rock but takes on a completely different profile close up.
From Sphinx Rock I descended over rough ground to cross Little Hell Gate
Looking up Little Hell Gate - care needs to be taken over the scree on both Little Hell & Great Hell Gates
The final part of the crossing of Little Hell Gate with White Napes over to the right
Looking back across Little Hell Gate
Crossing beneath White Napes, I am given a curious look from inquisitive Herdwick Sheep. My route back to Wasdale Head via Gavel Neese is below to the right.
The Gavel Neese path back to Wasdale Head - scree for most of the way therefore as always I simply took my time
Thankfully the scree relents and the path becomes pitched however it is still very knee jarringly steep
Great End & Lingmell from Gavel Neese
White Napes & Great Napes from near Gable Beck Bridge
At Gable Beck Bridge I was met by Angie & Fudge - he really was pleased to see me although by the state of his grid it would seem not. From the bridge it is a simple stroll along Moses Trod back to Burnthwaite and on to Wasdale Head.