Seathwaite - Great Gable - Gillercomb - Seathwaite

Seathwaite - Styhead Tarn - Great Gable - Green Gable - Gillercomb - Seathwaite

Great Gable stands at 899m (2,949ft), is the highest peak in the Western Fells and is the seventh highest peak in the Lake District and England. This walk summits this grand mountain and its smaller brother Green Gable from Seathwaite. The start of the walk stays low in the valley right at the end of Borrowdale. From this low position all the surrounding peaks appear to stand at great heights (which some of them do!) The first main feature along the route is Taylorgill Force, which is a beautiful waterfall tucked away from the main paths leading up to Esk Hause. After an exciting scramble the route heads up to the lovely Styhead Tarn. These mountain tarns are a common feature in the Lake District, this one less so because its not tucked in a cove like most others, but sits in a small depression near the top of Styhead Pass. From the top of the pass there is still over 400m left to ascend and it's steep all the way to the top. The view of the Scafells from this footpath is excellent, which is often a good reason to stop for a minute to admire. Also just across the pass are two deep ravines: Piers Gill and Skew Gill. Both are rare in the Lake District because of their depth and sheer size. The summit of the fell is a rocky outcrop with a war memorial just below the top. About 100m south-west of the summit is an ancient cairn known as the Westmorland Cairn. This is well worth walking to as it offers some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in the Lakes. The cairn sits on the edge of a great cliff that plunges hundreds of metres down to Great Napes and Great Hell Gate. The view of Wastwater and the screes plunging into it is also mesmerizing. From the summit the next stretch of the walk heads down to Windy Gap; as the name suggests, it can get very windy here. After that it's a quick summit of Green Gable for superb views down Ennerdale before starting the last leg of the walk, a stroll through the hanging valley of Gillercomb. The descent from Gillercomb follows a path alongside Sourmilk Gill with some beautiful cascades and waterfalls along the way.

England - North England - Cumbria - Lake District - North West

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Walk id: 6182

Walk grade

Mountain Challenge

Length

6.8 Miles

Height gain

950 Metres

Duration

4 Hours 20 Mins

Average rating

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