Lakes Weekend 2019, Great Gable from Buttermere, Sunday 5th May

Reporter: Reporter Brian Beardsall

Our day started with a very pleasant drive through the stunning scenery of the Honister Pass driving from Braithwaite to the start of the walk at Gatesgarth Farm car park. The weather forecast had been non too promising but in the event there was no rain and the sun even managed to break through the clouds on occasions.

Ten of us, Dave and Vanessa, Paul and Liz, Steve, Nigel, Dave Shepherd, Andrew, Brian and Catherine and Brian Richardson assembled in the car park, accompanied by Peddar and Jim. Dave Shepherd and Brian Richardson were in training for their forthcoming trip to the Pyrenees, Dave carrying a full camping pack and Brian an extra 15 litres of water!

We set off along Warnscale Bottom on a gentlegradient andthen turnedeast steeply up Fleetwith Pike until we reached the old slate mine workings. Here we met up with four middle aged mountain bikers all on state of the art machines. From there we descended, following the old tramway and then turned south to walk on past Grey Knotts and then up on to Brandreth. While taking a break here we could sit and look over to Green Gablewith Great Gable looming up behind. Continuing on we went down and then up on to Great Gable and lunch in the shelter where Steve, as usual, kindly supplied everyone with Eccles cakes to finish off lunch.

Coming off Great Gable we passed Windy Gap and then had a fairly challenging descent before going on to Gillercomb Head. A long stretch down over Gillercomb Head followed leading over Moses’ Trod and eventually to Blackbeck Tarn and a welcome tea break.The path continued westwards, steeply up on to Haystacks and then steeply down until we reached Scarth Gap and a long gentle walk down towards Peggy’s Bridge and from there a short walk to the car park. The fell side at the end of the walk was a mass of Bluebells.

Thanks are due to Dave and Vanessa for organising, recceing and leading the walk. It was advertised as being ‘challenging’ and proved to be a very pleasant walk that lived up to its billing.