This was a great walk to celebrate my 65th birthday despite involving an early start to avoid the holiday traffic driving through the Lakes to our start at Seathwaite. Our route was the same as we had done a couple of times previously, many years ago, but for some reason the scrambling sections especially by Sourmilk Gill , seemed to pose more of a problem. Must be our advancing years.
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| Sourmilk Gill |
It was a glorious day sunny but not too hot. The waterfalls still impressive despite the recent dry weather.
At the top of Sourmilk Gill I toyed with the idea of heading straight up Base Brown but was persuaded against, having just negotiated the slabs of the initial ascent. So it was a steady, walk up the hanging valley of Gillercomb, skirting Base Brown then a turn to the north over slightly boggy ground up to it's summit.
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| Gillercomb |
Great Gable next, we knew involved a slight scramble but first we had to negotiate the loose stone path off Green Gable to Windy Gap. The rocky section up to the summit was easily dealt with and soon we were reading the memorial on the summit cairn. Typically for the Lake District the top was now in mist and as someone commented, it must be the only place in the country in cloud on such a glorious day.
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| Scafell from Great Gable |
The descent was a significant improvement compared to the last time we were here, now properly laid paths and none of the loose stones which I remembered. A nice break on the banks of Styhead tarn in the late afternoon sunshine before the final descent by Taylor Force Waterfall, over Stockley Bridge and back to the farm.
Time 8hrs
Grade Excellent
Memories
- Slow initial ascent because of scrambling section
- Summit of Gable in mist despite the glorious weather
- View over to the Scafells through the mist in the the valleys
Completed 201 To go 13
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