Great Gable Route Information

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Great Gable

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

750 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

3 hrs

The horizontal distance of the route.

Route Distance

8.37 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

Commencing in Borrowdale, this route provides a wide mix of terrain, with steep ascent and descent beside waterfalls, gentle walking in a hanging valley, some scrambling to reach the summit and some scree descent.

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: Keswick

From Keswick take B5289 Borrowdale road for 11km. About 200m before Seatoller turn left on minor road for Seathwaite, where the road ends. In Summer a grass field is used as a car park.

Route Waypoint Map

The total ascent is 750 metres. Allow 3 hours to complete this 8.37 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 in grass field (seasonal) at Seathwaite; or on road before hamlet.
		NY23611242	Distance	Altitude 124 m

1	Walk SSW on minor road into Seathwaite
		NY23531215	Distance 0.29 km	Altitude 146 m

2	Head W through archway in farm buildings, and cross bridge.
		NY23311220	Distance 0.22 km	Altitude 130 m

3	Ascend W up steep path S of Sour Milk Gill to Gillercomb hanging valley.
		NY22791216	Distance 0.55 km	Altitude 377 m

4	Continue SW on path
		NY22101164	Distance 0.89 km	Altitude 500 m

5	Ascend path S onto ridge
		NY22021110	Distance 0.55 km	Altitude 618 m

6	Follow track SW up valley and ascend ascend SW to summit of Green Gable (801m).
		NY21491073	Distance 0.66 km	Altitude 801 m

7	Follow winding path SSW to Windy Gap
		NY21431053	Distance 0.24 km	Altitude 720 m

8	Now scramble SW to summit of Great Gable (2500ft+)
		NY21111033	Distance 0.42 km	Altitude 899 m

9	Return NE to Windy Gap
		NY21431053	Distance 0.42 km	Altitude 720 m

10	Descend SE down Aaron Slack screes to Styhead Tarn
		NY22140999	Distance 0.92 km	Altitude 445 m

11	Walk NE on path and remain on the W side of stream
		NY22421046	Distance 0.56 km	Altitude 424 m

12	Descend NE beside stream passing Taylorgill Force waterfall.
		NY23101108	Distance 0.93 km	Altitude 211 m

13	Follow descent path NNE across slope
		NY23321158	Distance 0.56 km	Altitude 148 m

14	Continue N rejoining ascent route at bridge and return to start
		NY23641240	Distance 1.17 km	Altitude 124 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

Great Gable from the NW, taken from Seat.

Image by David S Brown

Great Gable from Sprinkling Tarn; January 1971.

Image by Roger Vander Steen

Great Gable from SSE: taken from Symonds Knott (Sca Fell), showing the Napes Ridge rock-climbing area. The lower top of Lingmell is in line in this angle.

Image by David S Brown

Taylorgill Force waterfall which is passed on one of the routes to or from Great Gable.

Image by David S Brown

Route Area Map

Legend

Munro

Corbett

Graham

English/Welsh Top

Accommodation

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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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