Revering Great Gable as an icon of the Lakes seems to be the done thing, yet most walkers' routes up this big squat lump are undistinguished plods that fail to do it justice. But for anyone willing to get a bit hands-on there is one glaring exception. This exploratory wander over, under and around the hill's complex southern crags gives one of the most exciting and diverse long scrambles in England. The route breaks down into three distinct sections: the famous Climber's Traverse beneath the impressive crags of The Napes, with the option to 'thread' Napes Needle (symbolic birthplace of rock climbing); the ascent of Sphinx Ridge, the westernmost and only scrambler-friendly one of The Napes' big ridge climbs; and as a bargain bonus en route to the top, an unexpected little gem of a ridge on Westmorland's Crag. You can probably do without a rope, but given the nature of the ground on this route a helmet would not be a bad idea.
Detailed description
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Difficulty: SevereDistance: 5.69 miles (9.16 km)
Total ascent: 851m
Steepest Gradient: 60% (1 in 2)
Time: 4 – 6 hours (Walking)
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Additional Information
Start/Finish:Parking on the verge towards the end of the minor road to Seathwaite, NY235122
Nearest town:
Keswick
Terrain:
Clear hill paths to the start of the hands-on stuff. The scrambling comes in short bursts with some steep pitches of grade 2 on polished rock interspersed with lots of easier going. There's some loose ground, particularly at the start of Sphinx Ridge. The best line is generally obvious from signs of previous visitors, but route-finding ability is an advantage on the complex and less-trodden Westmorland's Crag. The descent described from Great Gable is a little loose and rubbly.
Seasonal variations:
Under snow the Climber's Traverse would require careful footing, and it might be best to avoid Threading the Needle. Sphinx Ridge would take on a mountaineering character (I'll say grade I/II but it's a guess).
Weather and Hill Conditions: mwis: Lake District – Met Office: Lake District
Public transport:
Bus from Keswick to Seatoller, then a short road walk to Seathwaite
Guidebooks:
The Ridges of England, Wales and Ireland, Dan Bailey, pb. Cicerone http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/539/title/the-ridges-of-england--wales-and-ireland/refer/ukh
Maps:
OS Explorer OL4 (1:25,000), OS Explorer OL6 (1:25,000), Harvey/BMC Lake District (1:40,000), OS Landranger 89 (1:50,000)
Accommodation:
Campsites at Seathwaite, Seatoller and Stonethwaite Thorneythwaite Farm B&B near Seatoller 017687 77237 Borrowdale YHA 0845 371 9624 More options in Langdale and Wasdale
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Tourist info:
Seatoller (017687 77294); Grasmere (015394 35245); Keswick (017687 72645)
Further Routes
by Dan Bailey UKH
- East Ridge of Beinn a' Chaorainn and Beinn Teallach 21 Jan
- A' Chralaig and Mullach Fraoch-choire 4 Dec, 2023
- Meall na Teanga & Sron a' Choire Ghairbh - The Loch Lochy Munros 6 Nov, 2023
- Bynack More 19 Oct, 2023
- Beinn a' Mhuinidh 4 Oct, 2023