Date & Time: Tues 30th May 2006. 11.30 am start for the walk. ( NY 225 135 )

Location of Start : Honister National Trust car park adjacent to the Honister Mines, Cumbria, Uk.

Places visited : Grey Knotts, Brandreth, Green Gable and Great Gable, returning via Moses Trod.

Walk details : 5.36 mls, 2,350 ft of ascent , 5 hrs.

Walked with : Cathy and Richard, Jack, Matthew, Sam and the two dogs.

Weather : Sunny with a slight cool breeze, particularly on the top. High Clouds and great visibility.

Starting point ~ Honister Mines.

 

Cathy and Richard, my daughter and son in law, wanted to take their boys up onto the high fells on a great day like today.

Chance to enjoy the hills, to exercise them, and hopefully to tire them out.

We chose a walk to Great Gable from Honister - including a nice series of high fells, but not too much climbing due to the slightly higher start point of Honister Hause.

This was our fist summit, Grey Knotts. The large fell behind is Pillar with High Crag to the right.

An uneventful crossing of Grey Knotts and Brandreth, no-one fell in the peaty bog by the Brandreth Fence, so we reached Green Gable about lunchtime.

There were plenty of people about, so we grabbed a sandwich on a patch of grass slightly below the summit. The slight breeze, combined with the temporary lack of warming sun, caused us to add an extra layer of clothing while we had a bite to eat.

The boys had been desparate to leave the track and try a little scrambling along the way.

 

Here on the Gable ascent, however, there was no need to leave the path.

 

The way becomes steeper and there is plenty of opportunity to scramble without venturing sideways.

 

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With only a slight breeze, Windy Gap was also considerably less windy than when I was here a few weeks ago with Helmut !(Check out the link at the end )

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Gable Summit, Cathy seems happy to be there,.

and Richard is taking the opportunity to take a photo of Sam who is sitting next to the summit cairn.

A second lunch, two'ses rather than elevenses I think.

 

   
The Gable Summit FRCC Memorial - a few poppies left.
Jack at Westmorland Cairn, looking down on Wasdale.

 

A more unusual view of Westmorland Cairn, from the side this time,

with the path to Esk Hause as it climb under Great End showing behind.

Time to go, and so we follow the cairns down towards Beck Head.

Beyond is the view north over Crummock Water and Low Fell, with the Solway and Scotland in the distance.

   
Lower down, nearly at Beck Head.
A sideways look at the magnificent Gable Crags.

 

Gable Crags from Moses Trod.

 

Looking back we get a broad view of Gable Crags.

Sam and Harry stop to admire the view.

Jack and Sam further along Moses Trod,

with Dale Head and Hindscarth behind.

On the home straight now.

 

We make our way down the Dram Road

 

back to the mine shop and the car.

 

Stand aside as the new Honister Mine bus hits the road

full of people booked on the 3.30 pm Honister Mine Tour.

   
The Big Mountain Mine Tour
Off in a cloud of dust

They were on an excursion deep into the mines of Honister Crags.

I wonder if they ever returned ?

I've no doubt we will, as today had been another great visit to the evocative summit of Great Gable.

 

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Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon IXUS 400 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed . . .with a large Buttermere Ice Cream afterwards.

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Other recent photos - 25th May 2006 Cathy and Paula in Loweswater

Previous walk - 26th May 2006 Mellbreak with Al and Richard, and the boys

Previous time up Gable - 8th May 2006 Helmut's Windy Day on Windy Gap