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~A Great Walk~

9th April 2011

I planned a walk to include an ascent of Great End to the summit which I've visited twice previously, but only as a detour on the way off the Scafell Range. How could we make a day of it and do something other than the expected high-level up and down march to England's highest mountain? David Hall and Neil Haslewood joined me and we bumped into an eminent Lakeland cartographer!

Great End

Great End

Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk....

Seathwaite

Facilities at Seathwaite

We met for a 07:30 start and despite me only having a mile or so to travel, I was last on the scene. Seathwaite campsite has been renowned for having limited facilities, but a bath is a welcome addition for tired legs. A little privacy would be appreciated.

Stockley Bridge

Stockley Bridge

We intend to walk up the usual path to Styhead Tarn and maybe we'll include Seathwaite Fell at some point. Sunlight just brightening the higher reaches of the fell.

Erosion

Erosion

The footpath on the right will have to be re-routed one day. The eroding morraine is unstable and the cove nearer to the camera is also growing. I hope good money is not wasted trying to hold back the forces of nature, let's just move the footpath.

Base Brown

Base Brown

Base Brown is another fell on our list for today, are you beginning to work out our route?

Great End

Great End and Styhead Tarn

Stretcher Box

The Stretcher Box

I have always wondered if there is actually a stretcher in the box.

Sprinkling Tarn

Sprinkling Tarn

We reached this point and then picked a route to take us up to the top of The Band, not quite a route you'll see on the maps.

Seathwaite Fell

Seathwaite Fell

The lumps and bumps that make up Seathwaite Fell top are clear to see.

Great Gable

Great Gable

You could have a picnic up here and what a view! Soon enough the gradient eased and our first 2,500ft of ascent (approx) was achieved.

Fellwalkers

The Three Summiteers

Having seen next to nobody so far, imagine our dismay to hit the top at exactly the same time as three chaps from a different direction. Anyway they didn't linger and kindly took this photo of our group.

Great End

Ill Crag, Scafell Pike and Broad Crag from Great End Summit

Two minutes later we were on our way back to Sprinkling Tarn, picking up the Esk Hause path.

Allen Crags

Allen Crags

We took the short cut, avoiding the shelter at Esk Hause and decided to include Seathwaite Fell on our round.

Sprinkling Tarn

The Band from Sprinkling Tarn

Seathwaite Fell

Shattered Crag, Seathwaite Fell

Seathwaite Fell

Seathwaite Fell Summit

David gets a shot at Great Gable behind the cairn. The summit as defined in Wainwright's Book Four is not the highest point on the fell, that's some distance further to the south.

Seathwaite Fell

Seathwaite Fell Crags

This short valley is on the South-West corner of the fell and the next photo shows the broken rockface with all the debris littered around the foot of the crag.

Seathwaite Fell

The plan is to revisit Styhead and then climb Great Gable, crossing the watershed and the boundary between the Southern and Western Fells as defined by Wainwright.

Styhead Tarn

Styhead Tarn

Most of the water entering Styhead Tarn comes from Sprinkling Tarn and you can see the expanding delta on the northern (right) edge. We are on our way up the steep and almost fully repaired path to the summit. The damage to the original path was down to clumsy, bad walkers; we are good walkers and place our feet carefully, Mr.W.

Great Gable

Great Gable Summit

Ummm, some folk questioned my proposals in "Crowded Hause" - loiterers need to get in and get out quickly, let's all have the chance of a good photo of this big favourite of many.

Kirk Fell

Kirk Fell

Looking across the rocky summit area of Great Gable, you can see Kirk Fell (flat top) and Pillar is in the centre behind KF.

Green Gable

"Red" Gable from Great Gable

The plan is to descend to Windy Gap and then up to Green Gable summit.

Ennerdale

Ennerdale

Ennerdale

Green Gable Summit & Ennerdale

Base Brown

Base Brown

Next up is Base Brown, we are aware of fellwalker Peter Burgess approaching from Seathwaite, so we will walk to BB's top and then back to walk down Gillercombe.

Base Brown

Base Brown and Glaramara

Grey Knotts

Grey Knotts & Gillercombe

Gillercombe is a high-level, infertile hanging valley.

Map Man

Peter Burgess

Peter is the creator of the Tubular Fells map of Lakeland. He has rushed up here to sell me a map, but I've left my money in the car. He shows us the map and where we are at the moment.

Peter Burgess

You Are Here!

Grey Knotts

Grey Knotts

I've been wondering if a fellwalker could make a route up there. Probably not. Boulders litter the lower slopes, some rock climbers were higher up, not visible in this photo.

Seathwaite Slabs

Seathwaite Slabs

Peter rejoins us, he has been up to the top of Base Brown and back down in 30 mins. The slabs are an interesting feature of this area at the top of Sour Milk Gill, but they also in evidence further down.

Seathwaite

Seathwaite

The descent is a fairly steep one, but on a well made, mainly repaired path. Parked cars extend beyond the bridge towards Seatoller.

Seathwaite

Seathwaite Farm

The end is in sight. What a great walk! A new route for us, not one you might have expected, but well worth the effort.

Sheep

Lofty Sheep

Walkers: David Hall, Neil Haslewood and me. Peter Burgess joined us for the descent back to the cars.

Time taken: 9hrs over a distance of 12 miles and a total ascent (Neil's GPS) of 5,750ft.

Route: Seathwaite, Styhead Tarn, Great End via The Band (ish), Esk Hause (close to), Seathwaite Fell, Styhead Tarn, Great Gable, Green Gable, Base Brown, Gillercombe, Sour Milk Gill, Seathwaite.

Weather and conditions: Sunny with variable breeze, not really a problem, but noticeable.

Greetings Count: The three on top of Great End and then a steady stream of walkers heading for Scafell Pike. Seathwaite Fell was quiet as was Styhead. Loads coming off Great Gable and plenty on top. Only a couple of large groups, principle behavioural issue was the crowding on Great Gable summit.

Richard's Refreshment Review: We retired to the Scafell Hotel in Rosthwaite for drinks. Very welcome.

Box Set

All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2011 ©

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