Is this the best walk in the Lake District that doesn’t reach a mountain summit? Quite possibly. The Gable Girdle is a high-level circumnavigation of Great Gable that combines the classic north and south traverses.
It offers a more intimate and dramatic interaction with the mountain than the usual slog for the top. You won’t need a helmet, ropes or carabiners – but there’s still the chance to enter a world that is usually the preserve of expert rock climbers.
Your hands will touch bare, cold rock. You’ll get up close and personal with the 20m-high teetering spike of Napes Needle – the birthplace of British climbing; and the iconic, much-photographed Sphinx Rock.
Your feet will slide on rivers of scree and your heart will race during adrenaline-inducing scrambles. The Gable Girdle can be walked in either direction – but this is an anticlockwise route, leaving the excitement of the Great Napes towards the end.
Great Gable is unquestionably one of the great Lakeland fells. It’s a towering, rugged mass of rock, crags and cliffs. It’s captivating to look at – an unbroken, devilish pyramid from the south, the dome of a sleeping, curled-up giant from the north.
The Gable Girdle lets you experience it all.
How hard is walking the Great Gable Girdle?
DIFFICULTY: Medium | DISTANCE: 10.7km (6¾ miles)| TIME: 6 hours | TOTAL ASCENT: 1200m
FITNESS: This is a fairly strenuous day of thumping along rugged mountain terrain. There's a chunky amount of ascent at 1200m too, so don't underestimate it.
TERRAIN: Good paths from Seathwaite to Great Gable; narrow, faint tracks over rocky ground on the Gable Girdle; tricky scrambling (exposed in parts) around the Great Napes.
NAVIGATION: Route finding would be very difficult in poor visibility, so you need to know what you're doing in terms of mountain navigation. Printed map and compass skills are essential!
Where is the start of the walk?
Seathwaite, Borrowdale. Parking is limited and there is a working farm near the start of the walk, so get there early and park respectfully. The nearest town is Keswick.
What's the best map for the Great Gable Girdle?
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CLICK HERE to view and download our digital route guide in OS Maps
Great Gable Girdle | Step-by-step route guide
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Opposite the farmhouse in Seathwaite, go under an archway through the farm buildings leading to a walled lane. Cross the River Derwent at a footbridge and turn left briefly before climbing sharply, in a westerly direction, alongside Sour Milk Gill. The path emerges at a wide green basin, close to the Hanging Stone.
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Continue south-west and then south, climbing to the saddle between Base Brown and Green Gable. Enjoy the 360-degree panoramas of Ennerdale Forest, Buttermere and the Langdale Pikes as you take the main ridge towards the 801m top of Green Gable. Skirt slightly south of the summit cairn (today is not about peak bagging) and descend on steep, red scree to Windy Gap.
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This is where the action starts. Ignore the main path up Great Gable and instead veer off west to pick up a faint track running along the base of the dominating, shattered cliffs of Gable Crag. Continue due west for 600m, taking care to stick to the faded path. Descend the north-west ridge on loose scree before turning west and arriving at the tarndotted col at Beck Head.
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Head due south along the western slopes of Great Gable on a thin trod that contours the scree before arriving below the rocky tower of the White Napes. Continue east to reach the scree channel of Little Hell Gate, which marks the start of the Great Napes –a castle-like crag famed for its epic climbing routes. This is a good time to reach for the detailed descriptions and pictures of your guidebook, if you have one.
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The section between Little Hell Gate and Great Hell Gate can be confusing. The easiest option is to continue east and south-east on the main trod, maintaining a steady height about 50m below the base of the crags and negotiating the scree and little buttresses without too much difficulty. Look up to view the rock formations, including Napes Needle, from a safe distance and then exit the Great Napes at the scree chute of Great Hell Gate.
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For those inclined for more adventurous exploration, scramble up the shifting stones of Needle Gully to the base of the pinnacle, before scrambling yet again to Dress Circle, the perfect spot to watch climbers on Napes Needle. This section is exposed and tricky – extreme caution should be taken.
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From the rocky ledge of Dress Circle, a higher traverse can be made west to visit (and take a compulsory photograph of) Sphinx Rock, the bizarre outcrop that bears a remarkable resemblance to a human face.
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From Great Hell Gate the going seems easier. Continue south-east towards Raven Crag and Kern Knotts, negotiating scree slopes and skirting around boulders, before finally battling through a large boulderfield and arriving, gratefully, at the undulating, grassy slopes of Sty Head. Veer north-east and aim for the tarn, where Wainwright suggests “nagging wives should be left to paddle their feet”!
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Walk for 130m beyond the north-west tip of the tarn. Turn left on an obvious track, known as Aaron Slack, and plod uphill back towards Windy Gap alongside a stream. It is a tedious slog, but the thought of nearly completing a full circumnavigation of Great Gable is motivation enough. At Windy Gap, retrace your steps towards Green Gable, the Base Brown spur, Sour Milk Gill and, ultimately, back to your original starting point at Seathwaite.
What walking gear do I need for this route?
Here's a selection of the best walking gear selected by LFTO's testing team: Walking boots | Hiking daypack | Waterproof jacket | Walking trousers | Walking poles | Walking mid-layers | Base layers
Where can I eat and drink?
The Langstrath Country Inn, Stonethwaite, thelangstrath.co.uk
Where's the best place to stay?
Camping, yurts and camping barns at Seathwaite Farm; plus ample accommodation is also available in Borrowdale Valley (we love Borrowdale YHA) and Keswick.
About the author
James Forrest writes regular features and route guides for Trail magazine and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.
This route originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of Trail magazine. CLICK HERE to become a Trail magazine subscriber and get 50% off a whole year of digital OS Maps