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Andy Beck - On Location

Route details and photographs of areas where Andy has been walking, sketching and gathering references for future work.

This route was part of Andy's fascinating and unique project "The Wainwrights in Colour". Click here

17th April 2009 Great Gable traverse.

As I parked up at Seathwaite the weather wasn't playing along. Low cloud covered all the fell tops. instead of making alternative plans I waited an hour before setting off in the hope that the predicted decent sunny day would develop. My main goal for the day was to tackle the Great Gable Traverse and by beginning at Seathwaite meant that I could get in a couple of other fells in my figure of eight route.

The number of photographs reflect the interest in this route.

Seathwaite Farm.

Falls in Sour Milk Gill.

 

A hazy and dull Borrowdale from the fallen stone on the slopes of Base Brown.

 

The Hanging Stone.

 

Base Brown summit through to Esk Pike with Great End just losing the cloud.

 

The route to Green Gable.

 

Windy Gap, the only thing on view from Green Gable summit.

 

A hazy Ennerdale from Windy Gap as the cloud starts to break.

 

Rising to Great Gable and a now clear top of Green Gable.

 

A bright but windy Great Gable summit.

 

The top of Tophet Bastion from above.

 

Flat topped Kirk Fell with a distant Pillar. From here I descended the Breast Route towards Sty Head.

 

"But I wanted a swim" Zeta in Dry Tarn.

 

Styhead Tarn.

 

Just above the stretcher box i took the path to the right known as The South Traverse. here looking towards Kern Knotts, the path contours below the crags.

 

A short distance after Kern Knotts the impressive bulk of Tophet Bastion comes into view.

 

A view up Great Hell Gate. The two climbers give a sense of scale to the crag.

 

These two........

 

Wasdale through the haze.

 

" You take the photographs and I'll take a nap"

 

Great End and the path we have just followed.

 

Cat Rock under a blue sky. from this point its a bit of a rough ascent to the "Dress Circle" to get the next shot.

 

Napes Needle from the Dress Circle. When planning my days route I knew that I had to get to this point in early afternoon. Before this time the pinnacle has no sun on any of this face.

 

 

Zooming in on the Scafells from the same point.

From this point the re is a direct route towards Sphinx Rock but it does involve a bit of a scramble. The easier option is to return to the South Traverse.

 

Sphinx Rock profile.

 

Looking up Little Hell Gate to the Westmorland Crags. Like Great Hell Gate, I had to ascend this scree slope for a distance to get my required reference before returning to this path.

 

Rounding Gavel Neese, and leaving the South Traverse, I now crossed this scree towards Beck Head. The slopes of Kirk Fell on the left.

 

Walkers descending towards Wasdale from Beck Head.

 

Time for another nap.

 

The start of the North Traverse which follows a route below the crags.

 

Ennerdale from the traverse.

 

Styhead Tarn and Great End as I ascend Green Gable from Windy Gap.

 

Pillar from Green Gable.

 

Leaving Green Gable with Brandreth and Grey Knotts forming my route ahead.

 

Sparkling water at Gillercomb Head. One thing I can't put over in the photographs is how windy it was today but the ripples on the water give a good idea of conditions.

 

Great Gable from Gillercomb Head.

 

Brandreth summit.

 

First swim of the day.

 

Evening light on Grey Knotts. Dale Head and High Spy behind.

 

Esk Pike beyond Base Brown.

 

Zooming in on the ascent route of Base Brown which I took earlier on in the day with the large fallen stone catching the late sun.

 

Me and my walking mate. Some of today's fells behind. A simple descent from here took us via the old mines.

 

Passing John Bankes' memorial stone at the mines as we return to the car after another Great day out.

 

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