Great Gable and Kirk Fell Route Information

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Great Gable & Kirk Fell

Quick Facts

This is the summed total of all the climbing within a route and is a good indicator of the strenuousness of a route.

Total Ascent

980 m

An estimate of the time taken based on a derivation of Naismiths rules. Our calculation is based on the horizontal and ascent components of a climb, we do not make a reduction for descent.

Registered users can customise these walking times by specifying their own walking and ascending speeds. They can also add a fixed time period for stoppages.

Route Time

4.5 hrs

The horizontal distance of the route.

Route Distance

11.65 km

The UK is covered by 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 scale maps. Maps numbered 1 to 86 cover Scotland but for the highest mountains (Munros) only 23 maps are required. The name given roughly describes the area covered by the map.

You can click on the map name to purchase the map for £6.29 including postage which is one of the cheapest prices we have found.

OS Landranger Maps Required

89	West Cumbria, Cockermouth & Wast Water
90	Penrith & Keswick, Ambleside

Only £6.29 (£13.49 Laminated) from

A brief summary of this route.

Our summary will always contain one of easy, moderate or hard to indicate the severity of the route.

Notes

A circular route from Wasdale mostly on good paths, involving minor scrambling on and off both mountains. Either may be done singly using the Moses Trod path between Wasdale and Beck Head col.

Here we provide the nearest town to the start of the route where you will find basic services.

We then give directions from that location to the route start. Your approach route may differ.

Travel Information

Head to: Egremont

From Egremont drive 10km SE along A595 and turn off into Gosforth. In the village bear left on minor road for Nether Wasdale and Wasdale. Drive 14km, passing Wast Water, and park at the end of the road at Wasdale Head.

Route Waypoint Map

The total ascent is 980 metres. Allow 4.5 hours to complete this 11.65 km route.

Usually the shortest way to climb the mountain, making best use of tracks and paths to gain altitude. Route navigation requires map reading skills and an ability to navigate with a compass.

The information given here will enable you to annotate your map and plan your route. We do not give anecdotal descriptions on where to find the paths, worn by the feet of previous mountaineers.

Where the access routes are few or the ridge is narrow, paths are generally obvious. On open ground, following paths without using your compass may get you lost in poor visibility.

Route Information

Waypoint Detail

	Park on car park at Wasdale Head.
		NY18680853	Distance	Altitude 77 m

1	Walk N to Inn and join path beside East bank of Mosedale Beck
		NY18630878	Distance 0.26 km	Altitude 80 m

2	Continue NNE onto hillside over a stile
		NY18780912	Distance 0.38 km	Altitude 105 m

3	Follow path NNW above wall up Mosedale.
		NY18251018	Distance 1.28 km	Altitude 150 m

4	Branch right on well trodden path ascending NNE
		NY18381101	Distance 0.94 km	Altitude 326 m

5	Continue ENE to the summit of Black Sail Pass
		NY19161144	Distance 0.96 km	Altitude 544 m

6	Turn right and scramble up ridge, then continue beside fence SSE to summit of Kirk Fell (2500ft+)
		NY19431056	Distance 1.00 km	Altitude 802 m

7	Follow fence NE to 787m top
		NY19941077	Distance 0.66 km	Altitude 765 m

8	Scramble E down ridge to col.
		NY20541070	Distance 0.55 km	Altitude 633 m

9	Walk E around bog and ascend onto base of ridge
		NY20781075	Distance 0.32 km	Altitude 660 m

10	Ascend SE (some scrambling) to summit of Great Gable (2500ft+)
		NY21111034	Distance 0.55 km	Altitude 899 m

11	Descend SE (some scrambling) on eroded path to confluence of paths at Sty Head Pass.
		NY21850944	Distance 1.22 km	Altitude 450 m

12	Descend W across slope on good bridleway
		NY20730947	Distance 1.19 km	Altitude 260 m

13	Continue descent WSW to Burnthwaite farm.
		NY19350912	Distance 1.45 km	Altitude 105 m

14	Return to car park along walled road.
		NY18680853	Distance 0.90 km	Altitude 77 m

A selection of weather forecasts local to this route.

Weather

Cumbrian Fells
by MWIS (PDF format)

Lake District
by Met Office

Scafell Pike
by Metcheck

Images of Great Gable & Kirk Fell

Great Gable from Sprinkling Tarn; May 1970.

Image by Roger Vander Steen

Great Gable (left) and Great End (right) appear through a cloud inversion on 21 May 2010, seen from the upper slopes of Scafell Pike.

Image by Michael Hill

Great Gable from Sprinkling Tarn; January 1971.

Image by Roger Vander Steen

Great Gable seen from Wasdale on a bright and frosty February morning.

Image by David S Brown

Route Area Map

Legend

Munro

Corbett

Graham

English/Welsh Top

Accommodation

A selection of local accommodation options who advertise with Munromagic.com.

Where to Stay

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sponsored accommodation listings for this area.

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Disclaimer. The details provided above are an aid to planning an expedition, but all distances, altitudes and bearings must be considered approximate. You must navigate with the appropriate map, a compass, your navigation skills and common sense, MunroMagic.com accept no responsibility for your interpretation of our route information.

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