Green Gable and the Gable Girdle from Seathwaite

It is difficult not to extol the qualities of Great Gable, as the fell offers the fell walker, scrambler and hardened rock climber well-rounded entertainment and many thrilling situations. So it is no wonder that a tour can be undertaken that gives the walker tentative entry into the world of the scrambler and rock climber without setting foot on tough rock nor even venturing to the summit, though obviously one may do so.

In seeking the base of the cliffs the Gable girdle route traverses rough but accessible ground, slinking under Gable Crag and angling down beneath the magnificent southern facade of the Great Napes. The anti-clockwise orientation of the route will be understood when you climb the one double-move bad-step (it is much easier to climb it than to tackle it in descent). Hence the walk begins with the cascades of Sourmilk Gill and rises through Gillercomb onto Green Gable, bringing the walker handsomely onto the climbers' path at Windy Gap. The route then departs from the girdle at Sty Head and troops back into the beautifully wild depths of upper Borrowdale to end a quite memorable mountain adventure.