Great Gable
Park at: Seathwaite Farm Campsite public parking £5 all day
Distance: 7.5 mile circular loop
Duration: 4.5 hours
Height: 899m / 2,949 ft
Wainwright height ranking: 7 of 214
This is a circular route which takes in 3 other Wainwrights: Base Brown, Green Gable and Seathwaite Fell
1) Using the entrance to the farm as the start point, walk straight ahead to about half way down a row of buildings on the right. There is a gateway with footpath signs leading into a lane.
2) Turn right here, pass through the buildings alone the lane and cross the footbridge at the far end.
3) Bear left and start climbing to a ladder stile across the wall which you should climb over.
4) Continue climbing up the steep path through the tall bracken alongside the cascades and waterfalls over Sour Milk Gill.
5) After some minor scrambly sections you will reach a wall. Turn left, then right to go through the gate in the wall.
6) Continue on the stone pitched path.
As you bear left away from the gill watch for a small cairn on your right, about 200m from the gate.
7) Turn left here and cross slightly boggy ground aiming for the large sloping boulder below the cliff.
8) As you approach the boulder you may manage to pick up a faint path zigzagging up the the fellside to the bottom of the cliff face. Either way, bear slightly right to climb up to the cliff.
9) Above you is the prominent Hanging Stone. A clear path traverses left across the bottom of the cliff, passing a tree growing out of a rock, dropping slightly, and then climbing to start round the back of the cliff.
10) The path becomes faint and turns sharp right along a shelf to then zigzag up steep grass slopes to gain the ridgeline above the crags.
11) Bear left to climb a knoll on the ridge, and then the final slopes to the summit of Base Brown which is marked by a cairn. 1 of 4 Wainwrights complete !
12) Continue over the summit of Base Brown, bearing right a little to drop down slightly boggy ground to the depression where the path coming up from the hanging valley of Gillercombe joins.
13) Continue ahead on the wide and rocky path, cairns start to mark the way.
14) At the top, as the gradient eases and the cairned path from Honister joins in from the right, bear left.
15) The cairns seem to have been multiplying with one every few yards. The summit of Green Gable is also marked with a cairn. 2 of 4 Wainwrights complete !
16) Across Windy Gap the path ascending Great Gable can clearly be seen. So continue ahead, dropping down the ruddy red stained and slightly loose path to the cairn on the col of Windy Gap.
17) Cross, and follow the path climbing steadily opposite. Bearing right the path is seemingly halted by a wall of rocky steps.
18) Clamber up the steps, about mid-height bear left a little to pick up the cairned path climbing through the steep boulder fields.
19) Reaching the domed top, bear left to the summit outcrop of Great Gable where there is a Fell & Rock Climbing Club memorial plaque. 3 of 4 Wainwrights complete !
20) Bearing left from the direction of ascent, pick up the cairned path dropping down to Sty Head. Beware of just spotting any old cairn and following the associated path. There are cairns and paths in all directions. Sty Head is south east, the path initially heads east a little before bearing right and south eastwards.
21) Sprinkling Tarn can be seen across the gap. Follow the cairned path down short sections of pitched path and loose gravel to arrive at the stretcher box on Sty Head.
22) Continue ahead, across the little boggy patch on the stepping stones and bear slightly left to the path.
23) Climb through a rocky outcrop and continue on the gravel path. The path bears right and carries on climbing alongside a small gill.
24) After another 450m you reach the remote setting of Sprinkling Tarn.
25) Immediately before the tarn turn left. Climb the rocky grassy outcrops and pick up a faint meandering path initially above the tarn shore line, and then heading away northwards.
26) There is no clear path at this point.
Walk around the numerous small tarns and boggy patches heading generally North East.
27) The ground starts gradually dropping and the summit of Seathwaite Fell comes into view.
28) Just before the rocky outcrop is a tarn surrounded by boggy ground which it is best to give a wide berth either side.
29) Reach the summit marked by a cairn. Enjoy views overlooking Seathwaite spanning all the way to Keswick and Skiddaw. 4 of 4 Wainwrights complete !
30) Turn left from the rocky summit outcrop, past the tarns on a step of plateau to your right, ahead some resemblance of path may be found.
31) Nearing the edge any hint of path disappears although the way down passing grassy knolls and the occasional outcrop beside the gully can at last be seen.
32) Descend the grass carefully. Occasional glimpses of path may be found but they soon peter out.
Eventually arriving at the bottom of the slope, and the Sty Head path, turn right.
33) Follow along this clear stone pitched path, to the woodland by Taylor Gill Force, which can be heard but not seen.
34) Bearing right, drop down through a gate, and on to Stockley Bridge. Cross the bridge and turn left to follow the track back through a number of gates to Seathwaite Farm parking area.