Great Gable December 2004 - Photo Gallery

Yet again there was a very wet drive up the motorway and not much hope of the snow that had been promised. Until I got to Ambleside and briefly through the mist there was a glimpse of the hills dressed in white. I parked at Seathwaite and as I was getting changed the wind got up and the sleet came in so I set off through the farmyard in full winter clothing complete with waterproofs.

I walked up the steep path beside Sour Milk Gill and with there being so much water coming off the hills the waterfalls were at their most spectacular. By the time I got to the rocky scramble near the lower and larger of the waterfalls it had stopped raining and a layer of waterproof clothing had to come off. As with all scrambles they become more interesting in the wet and you have to make sure you keep hold of something as you make your way upwards.

Above the scramble as you reach the intake wall there is a large rock platform that makes a splendid viewpoint, the green of the valley slowly changing to white as Grains Gill makes its way up towards Great End. As you get to this point you can see Base Brown rising up on the right hand side of the path, it looks forbidding and without a way up from this direction.

For now you continue to follow the constructed path until you reach the upper waterfall, looking its dangerous best as a torrent of white water thundered down it. As you get to the top of the constructed path you reach the hanging valley of Gillercombe and allegedly somewhere along the valley path there is the standard route to Base Brown. I have never come across any sort of path so I just head straight up the ridge, initially over very wet ground and then up through the bouldery grass at an increasing gradient.

I headed up towards the crags, there seems to be a large boulder at the top of a gully slanting up from the bottom right hand side of the rock wall to the boulder in the centre of the crag. Climbing up the steepening grassy slope keeping between the boulders you suddenly come across an unexpected path, you can turn left and find a way up very steep grass or straight ahead is the gully.

The steepness and wetness of the rocks is a bit intimidating but at the right hand side of the gully is a narrow rocky channel that provides a reasonable way up the initial difficult section. I love these places where you are in the middle of steep cliffs, there is nothing to compare with a wall of rock to frame your views of distant hills and valleys. The views upwards and downwards are quite interesting too as the next stage of the climb is grassier, its a good job the grass is well rooted.

As I approached the top of the gully there were fragments of snow and as I climbed onto the ridge the final ascent of Base Brown looked white and intimidating. From a distance you can see the line of the path going up through the snow but when you get there you just can't see it even in the good visibility. Well I know where the summit is so it's just a case of keep climbing through the snow and the boulders and you will eventually get to the top.

The snow was deep enough to make footprints at the summit but mine were the only ones, the view behind was clear down to the valley, the view ahead was clear to the col, it was going to be a misty walk from now on. The walk towards Green Gable is easy enough and even through the mist the line of the broad path upwards was visible in the snow. This path is far too big to lose, as long as you keep your eyes open for the cairns anyway.

There is something therapeutic about walking through virgin snow, a feeling of no one else having been there before, the feeling of being the only person on a big mountain. The mist was now quite dense, it is quite eerie feeling that you are the only living thing in the quiet wilderness, it is a fascinating thought that fills your head and without realising you have forgotten whatever it was you wanted to forget. This walk up to Green Gable can be quite a slog but it seems so much easier when you have to concentrate on finding your way through the snow.

Eventually you reach the summit, it was still misty but I had one or two intriguing glimpses of blue sky on my way up. The snow at the summit is really nice, ankle deep and soft with deeper drifts in places and an interesting steep walk down to Windy Gap. By the time I got to Windy Gap the mist was definitely lifting and there was a good view down to Styhead Tarn with the Langdale Pikes visible in the distance.

I started to walk up towards Great Gable but knowing that there is a steep scramble ahead I decided to put my crampons on just in case. I really must practise with my crampons, it took at least fifteen minutes to get them so they were a snug fit, you don't want them coming loose at the wrong time. However, they were on and I was glad to be able to practise using them anyway and they gave me some added security on the steep path at the start of the climb.

When I got to the rocky scramble the snow was quite deep and so loose and powdery that the crampons were useless, there was nothing to kick into as the snow just fell away. I had to make do with hauling myself up over the first slabs in an undignified and over-equipped manner. After the initial awkward step up it was easy enough walking up through the snow covered boulders, again keeping an eye out for the substantial cairns, the mist came in again and Great Gable is big enough to get lost on the top.

By the time I reached the summit plateau the mist had cleared again and there was a fantastic view towards the summit and there were people there too, the first I had seen since Seathwaite. The summit of Great Gable is a special place for me and the conditions were perfect but I eventually had to make my way down, I must remember the day will be short and not to try any clever routes. The Breast Route is the quickest and easiest way down, ignoring the path it was good to walk down through the snow wearing my crampons.

By the time I got down to Styhead Pass the snow had all but gone and all that was left was an easy walk back down to Seathwaite getting back to the car just as it was going dark.

Andy Wallace 18th December 2004