Perched Boulder and Crag summits - no photos today
This is the first time I have visited Seathwaite since February, the last time I attempted this walk. On that occasion I struggled through the snow down to Windy Gap from Green Gable and decided that I wasn’t going to make it to Great Gable that day. The visibility at lower level is better than in February but there are angry looking clouds on the higher tops, the weather is dry but it has been raining recently.
Sour Milk Gill is in full spate and looks magnificent from ground level but it is awesome when you are standing next to it. The falls at its widest point and at the top where they spill over the ledge from Gillercomb are much bigger than they look from down below.
The path along Gillercomb bottom soon passes a couple of rocky outcrops and a path of sorts seems to head between them. On the two occasions I have climbed Base Brown from this direction I haven’t found a footpath, there are some signs of previous walkers having passed this way. There a number of grassy rakes between the slippery boulders to take you up towards the cliff face directly above where you meet a path that passes below the crags.
Turning left along the path the Perched Boulder looks to be firmly in place, but as you get to the other side it looks as though forces other than gravity must be at work here. The path disappears at times as you step over wet outcrops of rock but can be located again as it leads over the wet fellside to the summit cairn that is an excellent viewpoint.
Over to Green Gable, the wind is increasingly strong as I walk up the ridge to its summit, this in fact is the place where I once abandoned a walk because I couldn’t stand up because of the strength of the wind. Over the summit and descend down to Windy Gap living up to its name with gusts that have to be taken seriously.
Up the interesting ascent to the summit of Great Gable that is full of people in spite of the misty, windy conditions. Down the easy descent of the Breast Route to Sty Head and over to the Corridor route as far as the path up to Broad Crag col
As I get near to the col, the skyline towards Scafell Pike is full of people, most of them probably think they are climbing Scafell. I take the left turn up to Broad Crag and for the first time I make the extra effort to scramble up to the summit where I get a tantalising, brief view of Great Gable. Then over to Ill Crag, my first visit to its summit tells me why most people don’t bother, it doesn’t offer anything for the curious visitor, especially on a misty day
Down to Esk Hause and then the final descent down Grains Gill back to Seathwaite.
Andy Wallace 6th October 2001