Start/Finish : Seatoller
Wainwrights : Glaramara, Allen Crags, Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth, Grey Knotts
Distance : 10.5 Miles
Height Gained : 4400 feet
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| The route : anticlockwise from Seatoller |
This is a great circular route which weaves its way around some of the most impressive Lakeland scenery before culminating at Great Gable (2949 feet), the ultimate vantage point from which to survey the very best of the Cumbrian fells.
The walks starts at Seatoller, a small village at the head of the Borrowdale valley and the foot of the Honister Pass. The route heads up Glaramara along a good path which reveals ever more impressive views with every step towards the summit.
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| Views back over the Borrowdale Valley |
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| The glacial hanging valley at Combe Head |
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| Looking over Base Brown to Fleetwith Pike & Dale Head |
The summit of Glaramara is a long rocky plateau with a few small tarns dotted along the wide ridge. It occupies a great position overlooking the Seathwaite and Langstrath valleys with spectacular views east towards the Langdale Pikes, west to Great Gable and south towards Bowfell & Great End.
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| Glaramara summit panorama west |
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| Glaramara summit panorama east |
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| Lincomb Tarn with Bowfell and Esk Pike behind |
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| Great Gable & Green Gable |
Glaramara then morphs into Allen Crags which is really just a rocky pimple between Glaramara itself and Esk Hause. It is one of those fells which has questionable merits to justify its inclusion into the 214 although it does undoubtedly occupy prime position from where to admire Great End.
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| The aptly named 'Great End' from Allen Crags |
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| Esk Hause |
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| Great Gable and Sprinkling Tarn complete with wild campers |
As usual, there was the usual smattering of tents beside Sprinkling Tarn. These folk obviously forgot about the wild camping etiquette of 'pitching only when the last of the day hikers are off the fells and pack up before they return'.
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| The mighty Great Gable |
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| Piers Gill and Lingmell from Sty Head |
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| Broad Crag and Scafell Pike from Sty Head |
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| Styhead Tarn from the ascent path up Great Gable |
The path up to Great Gable is a steep slog but the effort is well worth it. Great Gable summit views are just stunning in all directions.
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| Great Gable summit panorama east |
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| Great Gable summit panorama west |
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| Kirk Fell & Pillar from Great Gable |
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| The Scafells from Great Gable |
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| Haystacks, High Crag and Crummock Water from Great Gable |
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| Allen Crags over Sprinkling Tarn from Great Gable |
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| Views down to Wastwater from the Westmoreland Cairn |
After spending 45 minutes exploring the summit it was time to move on. The steep decent to Windy Gap is an awkward affair on loose stone. There is a path of sorts but it is in poor condition and is no doubt on the radar of the 'fix the fells' team.
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| Green Gable summit panorama west |
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| Green Gable summit panorama east |
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| Great Gable from Green Gable |
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| The Ennerdale valley from Green Gable |
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| Buttermere & Crummock Water over Haystacks, from Green Gable |
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| Pillar & glimpses of Ennerdale Water from Brandreth |
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| Grey Knotts summit panorama west |
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| Grey Knotts summit panorama east |
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| Final look back at Great Gable before descending to the Honister Slate Quarry |
