The Lake District Mountains |
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Previous Walk | ||
13 06 2006 - Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts with Paul D |
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The day was fine and warm but hazy and so photographs were not as good as I had hoped. However, it's always satisfying to start a walk from Honister Pass. At a height of 1,176 ft it feels as if your head is in the clouds even before you begin. Nevertheless, the steep climb up the route of the old tramway to the remains of the Drum House soon knocks the wind out of you. The path then turns left (south) to skirt around Grey Knotts and Brandreth. The footpath here is reputed to be an old smugglers' route known as Moses' Trod. On the left the path up to Windy Gap and Green Gable is passed as height is gradually gained towards Beck Head. From here there is now a rocky scramble through several hundred feet of ascent to the summit of Great Gable. On a clear day the views are superb in every direction and there is a very definite feeling of being at a mountain summit. From the summit the descent to Windy Gap is rough and steep but Green Gable is then achieved without much difficulty. The path to Honister Pass returns via the tops of Brandreth and Grey Knotts and then descends steeply back to the car park behind the youth hostel. |
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Honister Crag and the path to the old drum house climbing up to the left
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Looking towards Buttermere
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Great Gable looms ahead
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Windy Gap
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Wast Water
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Kirk Fell from above Beck Head
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Looking into Ennerdale from the steep final scramble to the summit
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The summit
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Wast Water from the summit
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Piers Ghyll from Great Gable summit
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The Scafells
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Green Gable with Base Brown beyond
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Styhead Tarn
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The rough and rocky path off Great Gable
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Green Gable summit looking towards Pillar
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and looking south
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Brandreth from the path off Green Gable
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Pillar from Brandreth
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Brandreth summit looking towards Ennerdale
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Grey Knotts from Brandreth
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Grey Knotts summit
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Towards Buttermere from Grey Knotts
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And the summit again (Photo Paul D)