Difficulty: Moderate-Difficult
Wainwright Guide: Book Seven – The Western Fells
Easily recognisable on the skyline at the Northern end of Wastwater, Great Gable is one of the most popular summits in the Lake District. As Wainwright so elegantly conveyed in his guide books, it is highly satisfying to complete the ascent of this fell. As the 7th highest peak in Lakeland it is a worthy goal to aim for! Views from the top are second to none and the possibilities of connecting to other fells are many.
You’ll be used to me saying this by now but make sure you come prepared for all weather conditions and possibilities. Using a combination of OS maps and the Wainwright guidebooks is my preferred method of navigation.
I did this hike at around 5 months pregnant and boy did it wear me out! Luckily I had the support of my university squad, godmother Kays amazing hiking dog Nellie, and of course Jonny! Not my fastest hike but we made it safe and sound.
Where to Start?
We began our ascent of this grand fell from the car park at Wasdale Head. We took the path to the right, past Lingmell House, keeping in our sights the journey ahead. The path continues past Burnthwaite B & B and runs alongside Lingmell Beck. Once you have crossed a bridge over one of the tributaries to the beck, the path forks. Heading to the left will begin your ascent of this great fell. Heading right will take you towards Sty Head.
The route itself is pretty straightforward. The first part is a fairly steep grassy ascent, but the rewards come quickly with fantastic views of Wastwater almost immediately upon gaining some height. The surrounding fells are beautifully displayed on either side of the lake and there is a lovely carpet of green fields immediately at the base of the fell.
Continuing on the ascent becomes slightly less steep as the path becomes stony and snakes left around the Western side of the fell.
This eventually plateaus out at Beck Head where you will find a cairn, small tarns and an incredible viewpoint of the surrounding area. Not only can you see into the Wastwater Valley, but the Ennerdale Valley also comes into view.
From this point onwards it’s a bit of a scramble to the summit. Traversing an almost vertical selection of rocks, you will eventually reach the summit plateau. During this final ascent the clouds came over the valley and our group and the summit of Great Gable became shrouded in mist. We could see approximately 10 feet in front of us, meaning that we missed out on incredible panoramic views upon completing our climb!
The Summit
The summit of Great Gable boasts both a summit cairn and Westmorland Cairn on the southern edge overlooking Wastwater. At the summit cairn a War Memorial is embedded into the rocks. It is famously the site of a Remembrance Day service each year. You’ll have to take my word for it that we were at the top of Great Gable. I so wish I could have seen the views that many hikers rave about. A good excuse to go back for more though!
Other Features
Other prominent features of Great Gable include stunning rock formations. Sphinx Rock and Napes Needle can be found underneath the Great Napes, along the southern traverse. The Great Napes is a haven for rock climbers and many are drawn to this magnificent fell for these opportunities rather than the satisfaction of summiting it. When I next ascend the fell, hopefully in better weather, I will be heading via the southern traverse to see these fantastic rock formations.
Descent
Our descent of Great Gable was via a different route to the one we ascended by. In my opinion this makes the walk all the more interesting and you should endeavour to do this on every fell!
You can head in many directions from the summit. Down into Windy Gap, Ennerdale, Borrowdale, Honister Slate Mine or Buttermere.
We headed down into the Windy Gap where we managed to just about see Green Gable peeking through the mist. This is where you can bag an extra Wainwright or two. Green Gable is a straight forward ascent from Windy Gap.
Turning left towards the North will take you towards Ennerdale. We headed south towards Styhead Tarn. The descent here was pretty steep and the unstable rocky path made great entertainment for the boys, jumping and sliding down the slopes. The rest of us took our time descending further out of the mist towards great views of the tarn below.
Upon reaching Styhead Tarn there are further possibilities. Turning left takes you towards Borrowdale. Turning right takes you back towards Wasdale Head. Along the righthand path you can fork off to the left to head over towards the Scafell Range should you wish to. Our group opted to head back towards the pub!
Notably there is a stretched box marking the beginning of the final descent. This path gradually descends via the southern slope and ends up meeting up with the path alongside Lingmell Beck pointed out earlier. Following the path back to the Wasdale Head carpark is easy from here. All you need to do is retrace your steps past the Burnthwaite B & B and Lingmell House.
Celebratory Pint
The Wasdale Head Inn is easily seen from the car park and not only offers cool and refreshing pints, but also fantastic food! Make sure to drop in after your walk for some much needed re-energising.
Great Gable is one of the most famous fells in the Lake District and it is easy to see why. A sense of achievement can be gained from reaching the summit and the views encountered on the climb are incredible. A must do for Lakeland walkers!
Have you climbed Great Gable yet? Let me know in the comments!
1 Comment
The Langdale Pikes - The Young Rambler · April 23, 2021 at 2:36 pm
[…] Pikes, as well as High Raise and Seargent Man further afield. In the other direction the summits of Great Gable and the Scafell range were clearly […]
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