Author Topic: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....  (Read 17734 times)

watto

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Hello,
 
I'm off to "do" Great Gable from Wasdale Head next week and would like to know how tough the route up from Wasdale is?
 
Cheers
Thanks, Watto

andybeck

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #1 on: 22:00:15, 05/05/11 »
Hi Watto,
"Tough" depends on your fitness and ability but any reasonable walker should be able to do it ok as there are good paths from Wasdale to the summit.
You could either take the Sty Head path and the "Breast Route" to the top 2750' and just over 3 miles or you could head up Gavel Neese to Beck Head and up the shoulder to the top. To make ian interesting day you could go up one way and down the other.
Hope this helps.
Andy

watto

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #2 on: 22:07:53, 05/05/11 »
Hi Watto,
"Tough" depends on your fitness and ability but any reasonable walker should be able to do it ok as there are good paths from Wasdale to the summit.
Hope this helps.
Andy

Thanks Andy - this helps no-end! - What is the route like for exposure? - Is there a lot of knee trembling or is the route pretty much straight forward?
Thanks, Watto

Addacomb

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #3 on: 23:10:03, 05/05/11 »
No exposure on that route.
I would say that you should go up the valley to Sty Head and not the path that goes up the side of Gable to Sty Head as it's very tough work with lots of rubble in it. The valley route is also veruy picturesque and there's a significant degree of grass to walk on. It is much nicer in every way. Once you reach Sty Head, the breast route, as Andy suggested, is a dull slog but takes you to the top via a pitched path and very hard work it is too.
If you actually want exposure, and I get the feeling you don't, then go along the Climber's Traverse along the bottom of the Napes and possibly go up Little Hell Gate

dibble

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #4 on: 08:25:47, 06/05/11 »
Hi Watto, there are many routes up Gable from Wasdale.
 
It is a lovely walk up to Sty Head Tarn, and from there you have a choice of
a few routes...
 
1.   Up via Aaron Slack, which is the route in between Gable and Green Gable, and
whilst there you could nip up Green Gable.   From Aaron slack to Great Gable there
is a scrambly bit and the actual Aaron Slack path is quite rough and bouldery at times.
 
2.  UP via Beck Head, which is inbetween Gable and Kirk Fell.   From Beck Head there
is a very scrambly bit up to the top, and one time in Novemeber I had to turn back because
of the very coldness and slipperyness of the rocks.  I don't like this way tbh.
 
3.  Via the Climber's traverse... which is a very difficult path to find sometimes tbh.  I have
met many people who have not been successful with this one, due to the feeling of
exposure and the route finding difficulties.   The first time I did this I was successful because I followed someone who had been there before.
 
4.   UP via the tourist route from the Stretcher box at Sty head tarn.  It is a bit of a slog, but it
is my favourite way up, because of the feeling you get when you are getting higher and higher,
you can feel it happening, at each step up and  the views are just marvellous!
 
Just recently I went up via the tourist route and descended via the Aaron Slack route.  The Aaron slack path has a lot of rubble and is quite rough, but when I could I trotted alongside a stream on the right, which was better going for my dog's feet.
I use the tourist route in winter as the fastest form of ascent for the Remembrance Day service.
 
Great Gable is a lovely fell to climb, but some of the paths are very eroded now.  I hope you get fab weather, and in my opinion it's one to be enjoyed and savoured in good weather both for the aaspects of slipperyness and the views.
“A star falls from the sky and into your hands. Then it seeps through your veins and swims inside your blood and becomes every part of you." JN.Harris

botty

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #5 on: 20:54:36, 05/07/11 »
Quote

4.   UP via the tourist route from the Stretcher box at Sty head tarn.  It is a bit of a slog, but it
is my favourite way up, because of the feeling you get when you are getting higher and higher,
you can feel it happening, at each step up and  the views are just marvellous!
 


Can someone explain this route please. Do you park as Wasdale Head, and what route do you take to Sty Head Tarn and then which route up Great Gable - there seems to be loads of ROW's in the area.

Ridge Walker

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #6 on: 09:57:01, 07/07/11 »

Can someone explain this route please. Do you park as Wasdale Head, and what route do you take to Sty Head Tarn and then which route up Great Gable - there seems to be loads of ROW's in the area.
Hey up botty. The route from wasdale is easy to follow.  It's the widest path up to styhead tarn. Just follow everone else.  ;D

Then it's turn left up the steep accent of Great Gable. Total distance to summit around 3 miles and around 2900 ft accent  :)
 

The easiest and best way for better views IMOH is from the Honister pass Youth Hostle car park. Because you are starting from a height of around 1100ft you have less climbing to do do.
About 2.5 miles with around 2200 ft of accent. This way on a clear day you have great views towards Buttermere, Haystacks and Enerdale not to forget Pillar and Kirk fell. Also great views into Borrowdale towards Keswick  O0

The route starts with a steep accent of Grey Knotts. Then fairly level walking to Brandreth. Green Gable. Then theres a drop down into windy gap and finaly up onto Great Gable

Haystacks!  Wainwrights fav mountain  is an easy walk from the top of Honister pass about 2.5 mile and around 1000ft of accent. You can spend hours wondering around Haystacks.  Wonderfull  :smitten:

Also it's worth a visit to Honister Slate mine. It has a visiters centre.

Enjoy you week in the lake and hope the weathers fine for you  O0
 
« Last Edit: 10:05:06, 07/07/11 by Ridge Walker »

botty

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #7 on: 11:08:19, 07/07/11 »
Many thanks Ridge Walker.

footix2

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #8 on: 18:03:00, 07/07/11 »
I'm going to do this route on Saturday after seeing this thread. http://www.leaney.org/lake_district_walk.php?walk_id=982&thumb=Y

basically from Honister Pass as was suggested.
82/214

Ridge Walker

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #9 on: 18:33:14, 07/07/11 »
I'm going to do this route on Saturday after seeing this thread. http://www.leaney.org/lake_district_walk.php?walk_id=982&thumb=Y

basically from Honister Pass as was suggested.

Excellent link & Pics  O0

Personaly I would do  it in the opposite direction and go up Grey Knotts or go round to the right and follow the path on to Brandreth
I would definitly do a detour to Haystacks come back pass the bothy following the old Tramway back to Honister car park  :)

Then it makes a brill day out  O0

footix2

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #10 on: 18:48:45, 07/07/11 »
I'm saving Haystacks to be my 214th :D

I may well do it in reverse to save Great Gable for last though.
82/214

Ridge Walker

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #11 on: 19:05:11, 07/07/11 »
I'm saving Haystacks to be my 214th :D

I may well do it in reverse to save Great Gable for last though.

Don't know how many you have left to do!  I completed the wainrights a few years ago and enjoyed every minute.  O0
 
When I was younger at fitter. Me and a mate  Came up Grey Knotts way on to Gable then went onto Kirk Fell then Pillar dropped down to Pillar Rock followed the High Level route back. Dropped down into Ennerdale to check out the youth hostel for future reference. Up on to Haystacks and came back following the old Tramway to Honister. We did quite a few rounds like that.  :)
Ah Memories  ;) 
 
« Last Edit: 19:09:56, 07/07/11 by Ridge Walker »

footix2

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #12 on: 19:10:42, 07/07/11 »
I have exactly 200 left. :D

Building up my mountain fitness at the moment. But lots of huge rounds already being eyed up.
82/214

Ridge Walker

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Re: Great Gable from Wasdale Head - Route Advice please....
« Reply #13 on: 19:47:22, 07/07/11 »
I have exactly 200 left. :D

Building up my mountain fitness at the moment. But lots of huge rounds already being eyed up.

Good Luck  O0  Plenty to go yet  ::)
We never set out to comlpete the wainrights it just happened. When we first stated comming to the lakes due to commitments we could oly come up for 1 days walking. Our First walk was Blencathra by sharp edge and down halls fell ridge set off at 8am back at the car for 11 30am thinking now what. So we came up with the idea doing rounds like you suggested. We set off from Barnsley around 11pm get to where wanted to be and set off walking at daybreak. We saw some spectacular sunrises :smitten:
 
First one we did we called it the Langdale round. Pavey Ark by Jacks Rake, The Pikes. Round to Bowfell, Crinkle Craggs. Pike Of  Blisco and back to carpark At Dungen Gill Hotel. Comming off the hill around 1pm. Brill  O0 
 
We always walked the Wainright way. Stop often and look round  :)

 

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