Walk : Great
Gable (2,949ft) from Seathwaite via Sprinkling Tarn
Date :
19th July 2023
Weather :
Variable cloud @ 17ºC dry
Distance :
7.5 miles
Difficulty :
4 to a 5
(1=easy
5=hard)
Which area of Lakeland
is this walk situated?
Terrain Overview
Walk Overview
A
very special walk for Sue & I as it marks the completion of our quest to
summit all 214 Wainwright listed
Lakeland
fells, the end of a journey that started around 2011.
A
majestic but physically challenging walk from Seathwaite
Farm that takes in what I personally
consider
to be the finest view in Lakeland (and there are many) that of Sprinkling Tarn
surrounded by
the
towering Great End and Gable itself. If people who read this wish to short cut
the route and go direct
to
Styhead tarn, then follow the line of the “Return
Journey”. This blog describes the route that ascends using
the
path that runs parallel with Grains Gill
From
Keswick take the B5289 that journeys through the beautiful Borrowdale Valley
and follow the signs
for
the tiny hamlet of Seathwaite. Here is the usual
scramble for parking spaces at the side of the road
leading
to the farm. This is the start point for this walk
Follow
the path down to the Farm entrance
Just
at the entrance through the Farm, a plaque denoting the early origins of this
Hamlet
Take
the path that leads straight through the farm yard (do not go under the
archway)
Within
a minute or so the track leads to a gate which opens out to the main path up
towards Stockley Bridge
A
second hand gate is passed through
In
to the walk proper now and the route ahead can be clearly seen as it journeys
up towards the Col at
the
foot of Great End. This is good walking on a good track and navigation is
straightforward
Passing
by the impressive Taylorgill Force
Up
to now fairly level walking as we approach Stockley Bridge, after which the
track becomes more
stony
and slightly steeper
Over
the bridge and through the hand gate turn immediately left (if the intention is
to keep on the
Grains
Gill track. Veer right if you wish to follow the path to Styhead
Tarn directly
Starting
out on the Grains Gill path
The
track is thankfully stepped so as to assist with the steepness
Higher
on now and the first sight of the imposing Great End
Whilst
you may be all wrapped up in the slog upwards, just remember to occasionally
take a breather
and
stop to admire the wonderful scenery. Here looking back to over Derwent Water in
Keswick and the
Skiddaw
range beyond
As
we get ever nearer to the top of the Gill a view on the right appears which is
the first sighting of
Great
Gable. Yes – it’s a monster
At
the uppermost part of the track now and the path indicated is the main track
between Styhead Tarn
and
Esk Hause. We turn right at
this juncture to head towards Sprinkling Tarn and Styhead
All
that is required is to pick what you consider to be the best point to cross the
Gill before turning right
Ste
sets off down the path towards Sprinkling Tarn
The
path is cairned to assist navigation
And
then …. It appears – Sprinkling Tarn being flanked by Great Gable. Its my
personal opinion that
this
must rank in the top ten greatest views in Lakeland
Along
the shoreline of the Tarn and revealed in all its glory – the majestic site of
the “Breast Route”
track
up to Great Gable summit
Carry
along the track past the Tarn and follow it down to the Stretcher Box at Styhead
The
Stretcher Box as deployed by the Keswick MRT, now the REAL climbing starts!!!
The
path looks ominous but is stepped through the scree run to assist with the
climb, whilst it is
arduous
it is not in any way dangerous and there are no difficulties in navigation. Styhead Tarn below
The
boulders become bigger, however the path can still be easily followed
One
of many pauses for breath, here looking over Sprinkling Tarn and Allen Crags to
the Langdale Pikes
The
massive gorge of Piers Gill that runs up to Lingmell
Col and the start of the “Tourist” path up to
Scafell
Pike (slightly shrouded in cloud)
Looking
down the length of Wast Water in Wasdale
As
we approach the summit a bank of cloud descends and quickly blots out our view
down
the
Ennerdale Valley
And
in the opposite direction looking over Haystacks and Crummock
Water
And
then for Sue and I …. The realization of a 12-year ambition!!!
At
Great Gable summit and the memorial tablet of the Fell and Rock Climbing Club
dedicated to
those
who paid the ultimate price in World War 1 for the freedoms we enjoy today
But
for “Team Marsh” the culmination of 12 years blood, sweat and tears!!!
A
360-degree view from the summit of Great Gable
As
we have done throughout our quest …. The completion of Book Seven, The Western
Fells
Some Personal Notes in Conclusion
“You may leave the Lake District,
but once you have been, it will never leave you”
Once
said a wise old sage – My God was he right.
In
younger years my only experience of the Lake District was an Outward Bound
course for a week in Hammerbank,
Windermere
as an Apprentice and the various Pubs around. It was some years after the birth
of our son Steven did
I
first glimpse the beauty of Derwent Water and its surrounding fells
It
was some while after that, we attempted our first Fell … Latrigg, to see if we
were of the mind to
attempt
the 214 challenge.
We
were well and truly smitten. Within months we had purchased the
four OS maps of the region,
all of the Wainwright Guide books, some fairly cheap
walking boots, rucksack and poles. The approach
to climbing the fells was pretty scattergun, we did
not follow the pattern of Book 1 then Book 2 etc etc.
We tended to go for walks with connecting ridges so as
to increase the fell count
“Why does a man climb mountains? …. On the
face of it the thing doesn’t make sense. Yet more and more
people are turning to the hills; they find
something in these wild places that can be found nowhere else”
We
became totally engrossed the sheer beauty of rugged mountain scenery, the
solitude and the
sense
of achievement on bagging a tough and difficult climb, of which there were
many.
Here
on Blencathra, which we climbed in total fog, that
typically only cleared once we got back down
One
of those red-letter days on top of Brae Fell, cloudless skies and views for miles
and miles
Landmark
summits like our 100th on Bannerdale Crags
Very
often we would start a climb in summer like conditions only to end up in an
Arctic whiteout
on
the summit
Then
there would be those absolute “scorchio” days like the
time we did the Coniston Round …
Here
on Brim Fell
I
also have to mention the story of Sue, who during the course of her 214 journey
has had initially a
half
knee replacement, which disintegrated coming down off Bowfell
in 2022 to be followed by a total
knee
replacement in December of that year. For her now, the higher fells have been
retired in favour
of
flat walks, in order to protect what is now a good functioning knee. Her grit
and determination through
the
pain endured on those long descents was amazing
You
are an absolute StormTrooper
As
each Book was completed, the greater the anticipation of 214 completion grew
I
also cannot forget to mention, our love for Ambleside, and a certain hostelry
known as The Lily on Lake Road.
We
have had and continue to have some of the most memorable nights in there
Memorable
events encountered during the completion of the 214 …
·
Ste and I getting stuck in a storm on Calf
Crag. Scary
·
Sue breaking her Fibula on Great Borne, then going
on to complete 2 more Fells
·
Meeting a 75 year old gent who was testing out
his new hip replacement on the Kentmere Horseshoe
·
Visiting “Buttison
Water” on Loughrigg Fell (only Sue & Ste will
understand that)
·
Swimming in Watendlath
·
Climbing High Street in knee deep snow
·
A complete drenching coming down off Green
Gable to Honister
·
Fabulous post walk days and nights in The Lily
·
The descent of Causey Pike and the sheer terror
in Sues voice
In truth, too many to
mention
My
favourite mountains (in no particular order) …
·
Kirk Fell
·
Esk Pike
·
Helvellyn
·
Great Gable
·
Blencathra
·
Coniston Old man
·
Skiddaw
My
favourite Horseshoe walks …
·
The Fairfield Horseshoe
·
The Mosedale
Horseshoe
·
The Coniston Round
·
The Coledale Horseshoe
·
The Kentmere Horseshoe
·
The Newlands Round
·
The Fusedale
Horseshow
My
favourite Lakes …
·
Wast Water
·
Ullswater
·
Derwent Water
·
Buttermere
·
Haweswater
·
Ennerdale Water
·
Loweswater
My
favourite Pubs …
·
The Lily (Ambleside) – of course
·
The Ship Inn (Bowness)
·
The Black Bull (Coniston)
·
The Old Dungeon Ghyll
(Langdale)
·
The Anglers Arms (Haverthwaite)
·
The Dog and Gun (Keswick)
·
Wainwrights’ Inn (Chapel Stile)
Above
all, throughout our 214 journey we took the greatest of care to avoid becoming
a statistic of the various
Mountain
Rescue Teams incident logs. These truly wonderful bunch of people cannot be
praised highly enough,
so
to make life easier for them PLEASE do the following when venturing out on the
fells …
·
Plan your route read carefully about the pros
and cons BEFORE climbing
·
Take a navigation device (there are plenty out
there). Back this up with OS Maps
·
Wear suitable clothing and prepare for 4
seasons in one day
·
Assess your physical capabilities before
climbing
·
Make others aware of the route you are taking
and your ETA of completion
·
Take plenty of fluids
·
Check the weather before you climb (MWIS is a
good port of call)
·
Respect the Fells – don’t take risks. Always be
prepared to turn around
“The fleeting hour of life of
those who love the hills is quickly spent, but the hills are eternal. Always
there will the lonely ridge,
the dancing beck, the silent
forest; always there will be the exhilaration of the summits. These are for the
seeking, and those who
seek and find while there is still
time will be blessed both in mind and body”
The
final word must go to Alfred Wainwright, a genius of a man who produced the
wonderful guide books without the aid of
modern
technology, equipment and using only public transport. His 7 Book “love letter”
to the Lakeland Fells has brought so
much
joy to millions of people and a massive commercial benefit to the Lake District
as a whole.
Without
his unbelievable attention to detail and meticulous recordings of the walks,
could us mere mortals experience the
opportunity
of seeing what he saw. He was a visionary and born in an era where things had
done properly if they were worth
doing
at all. Its unlikely the same can be said of this generation were any old tat
will do. I like millions of others owe him a great
debt
of gratitude
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