Bow Fell and Great Gable

Wednesday 4th September 2013

On this fabulous day in the Lakes I left the Elterwater Youth Hostel first thing in the morning under misty conditions that didn’t take long to clear and reveal a scorchingly sunny day. A brisk cold wind at the top of the fells kept the temperature agreeable and guaranteed perfect weather conditions in the best place in the world for a walk and I made full advantage of the weather to do a scintillating walk over some of the greatest fells in the Lake District. At the start of the day I simply walked along the length of Langdale from Elterwater back to Dungeon Ghyll along the same route that I had taken last year via Baysbrown, but different to the route that I’d taken the previous evening when I came to Elterwater via Chapel Stile. This is a nice varied route, parts of which provoked many memories of having taken this route numerous times over the years.

After crossing various sheep-filled fields I passed through Stool End Farm and began to climb the popular path that ascends the Band on my way to Bow Fell. The only time I had ever previously been on this route was over ten years ago when I came off Bow Fell along this ridge following a walk around Oxendale in very hot weather. I wasn’t impressed with the route now as the ridge is too wide to be exciting and the path is heavily manufactured to cope with the thousands of people who traipse along it every summer. The best way to do this path is in descent with the awesome views along the length of Langdale ahead of you all the way down. When the path started to veer left towards Three Tarns I came off the path to keep to the top of the ridge on a boggy path that went up towards the climber’s traverse. This fabulous terrace path traces a narrow route high above the valley floor of Mickledon and just below the awesome rocks of Flat Crags. This was my second ever visit to the excellent rock-scenery on this path and it was just as breath-taking now as in 2007.

I love terrace paths, perched high above the valley with a sheer drop on just one side and a towering cliff on the other. At the foot of Cambridge Crag I stopped for a couple of minutes to take in the awe-inspiring surroundings and then started to climb a river of boulders that lies along the south side of Cambridge Crag. This led me up to the summit of Bow Fell where I paused briefly before heading across the boulder strewn terrain past Easy Gully to the top of Bowfell Buttress. The views in the perfect weather were sensational and emphasised just how fortunate I was to be at the top of these fells on such a day as this. From this vantage point the true structure of Bow Fell could be seen, including the climber’s traverse that I’d just walked along. Following the top of the ridge, rather than the path, I made my way across to Ore Gap and then up to the top of Esk Pike where I had my lunch sheltered from the cold winds by the summit rock.

Esk Pike tends to be ignored by fellwalkers due to its illustrious company, but I love it as it doesn’t shout about itself and quietly sits in the centre of the best fells in the Lakes, which affords it with stunning views of all of them. Making my way along a fabulous little terrace path, I made my way down to Esk Hause and thence down to Sty Head along familiar paths that seemed more pleasant to walk along than I’d remembered. After passing Sty Head I made my way onto another climber’s traverse: the South Traverse of Great Gable. After negotiating rocks and crossing scree slopes with tremendous views down Wasdale, I reached the awesome crags of the Great Napes. These crags are very popular with rock climbers with notable attention paid to the Napes Needle, including some climbers who were on the pinnacle while I passed far below. I was happy with my distant vantage point as rock climbing is not something that I am remotely interested in doing.

Just after passing the peculiarly shaped Sphinx Rock I reached Little Hell Gate, a stone chute that I hoped would provide me with a route up to the top of Great Gable. Keeping to the side of the loose, slippery stones that fill the steep gully, I slowly climbed Little Hell Gate and eventually, after much effort, reached the top of Great Napes. This is an incredible place to stand, usually the preserve of rock climbers, that affords one with great views of the surrounding crags and where a short, narrow ridge links to the main bulk of Great Gable and a delicious path that leads around the Westmorland Crag to the top of the fell. In 2004 I did the whole south traverse without climbing Great Gable, while in 2006 I walked along the traverse in the opposite direction before climbing White Napes on the opposite side of Little Hell Gate. Now that I was up close with Great Napes I completed the climb of Great Gable in awe of the towering pinnacles and enormous crags.

From the top of Great Gable I made my way across horrible shifting stones down to the Windy Gap and from there up to Green Gable, which I’d visited just last Easter when it was still covered in winter snow. My planned route of descent was over Base Brown, but that was the route I had used in 2006 after climbing Great Gable via White Napes, so I felt compelled to do something different now. While planning I’d contemplated a route of ascent over Grey Knotts, and now I suddenly thought about using it in descent where it would be more appreciated.  I was concerned that this route would take too long so I rushed across Gillercombe Head and up to Brandreth, and from there across to Grey Knotts. I had a thoroughly exciting descent from Grey Knotts along a pathless, grassy ridge that took me all the way down to Borrowdale as I took every advantage of the good weather. This was a perfect day in the Lakes over great mountains; it is the memory of days like this that keep you coming back to the Lakes.