Great Gable

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899 mWainwright — Western Fells+4 bonus Birketts within 3 km Severe in cloud

Great Gable at 899m (2,949ft) is perhaps the most beloved mountain in Lakeland — its profile appears on the badge of the Lake District National Park, and its summit is the site of an annual Remembrance Sunday service by the Fell and Rock Climbing Club.

Summit conditions on Great Gable

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 9° to 4°C, gusts to 64 mph, 7.1 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

77 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 52 mph times our exposure factor of 1.48. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 64 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS (opens in new tab) describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

7.1 mm of rain over the whole day, midnight to midnight

The same figure as the summit line above and the 7-day forecast.

The line Our line: 6 mm in the day, where our scorer counts a day as soaking. We read rainfall, never river levels: becks in spate.

Open-Meteo’s forecast. It says nothing about rain already in the ground.

Also checked cold: feels like −2 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 33 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Routes up Great Gable

Choose the way up before the car park: these two routes start from two places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

Compared	Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine	Great Gable & Kirk Fell
Starts from	Honister Slate Mine	Lake Head, Wasdale (NT, paid)
Distance and climb	9.61 km, 721 m of climb	14.12 km, 1,146 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~3–4¼ h	~4½–6½ h
Scrambling	Hands for a few steps: the north-west ridge from Beck Head, up to Great Gable's top (about km 5.3). Some easy hands-on ground on the north-west ridge above Beck Head; the bigger danger on Gable is navigational.	Hands for a few steps: Kirk Fell's east flank from Beck Head (km 5.2–7.2). From the col, immediately face the relentless, hands-on-knees pull straight up the eastern flank of Kirk Fell, scrambling over minor rock bands to reach the broad, twin-topped summit plateau.
Exposure	Moderate	Hard
Navigation	Severe	Hard
Steepest stretch	Climb of about 45% at 5.0 km (Severe)	Descent of about 51% at 5.6 km (Severe)
After the summit	Over Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts	Over Kirk Fell
Walked or planned	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Honister (NT, paid)	Lake Head, Wasdale (NT, paid)
Bus to the start	77 at the start. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day.	Not measured

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

How hard is Great Gable, really?

Short version: Great Gable is a hard mountain day with no scrambling on the walkers’ line — and the thing that catches people is navigation, not exposure. We grade its exposure only Moderate, while terrain and navigation both grade harder. Rough, bouldery going over Brandreth and Green Gable, and a steep stony pull to a summit that is a broad, featureless plateau ringed by crags. In cloud that plateau is the whole problem: there is no obvious line off it, and the wrong bearing takes you toward the crags. Know your bearing off the top before you need it.

Can a beginner do it? Conditionally — a fit walker on a clear day, yes, and the start from Honister is much the kindest way, beginning around 350 m up and saving you the worst of the climb. Not a first mountain in cloud or winter, though: this is a fell where poor visibility changes the job entirely. Our grading of that route is not yet personally walked.

Against Scafell Pike? Comparable days out, differing on closely matched on every axis we grade. Neither is a walk in the park, and the choice should come down to conditions and your navigation rather than a league table.

And the Napes? Worth knowing what they are, because people see them named and wonder whether they are on the way: they are not. The Napes are the steep rock buttresses on Gable’s south face — climbers’ ground, not a walking route. Admire them from Wasdale and leave them to people with ropes.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 899 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

9° / 4°

64 mph

7.1 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

7° / 4°

44 mph

12.0 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

7° / 5°

25 mph

0.3 mm (67%)

Fri 30 Oct

6° / 4°

26 mph

0.3 mm (12%)

Sat 31 Oct

6° / 0°

4 mph

4.5 mm (8%)

Sun 1 Nov

6° / -1°

13 mph

0.0 mm (2%)

Mon 2 Nov

4° / -3°

9 mph

0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 20:59 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Great Gable

Parking

Where do you park for Great Gable?

The three usual starting points each have parking nearby:

Honister Pass — the slate mine pay & display at the top of the pass (the highest, gentlest start).
Seathwaite, Borrowdale — roadside verge parking at the end of the lane (arrive very early; it fills fast).
Wasdale Head — the National Trust car park, for the steep direct ascent.

All fill quickly on fine weekends, so start early. See the parking section on this page for the nearest spots, distances and facilities.

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Honister (NT, paid) — 0.1 km from the start of Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine (straight line)

Walking base for Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts — the 'Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine' route starts 61 m away. Also serves 'Haystacks'. Paid National Trust car park - the prices we used to show here came from an aggregator rather than the Trust, so we no longer publish a figure; check the machine on arrival, and members should bring their card (National Trust car-park list, checked August 2026). The machine takes cards, and National Trust members park free on production of their membership card (Lee McCoy, local observation, recorded 12 August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

Lake Head, Wasdale (NT, paid) — at the start of Great Gable & Kirk Fell

Walking base for Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Scafell Pike — the 'Great Gable & Kirk Fell' route starts 10 m away. Also serves 'Scafell Pike from Wasdale, by Lingmell Col'. National Trust's access statement records a pay-and-display machine here (National Trust, January 2024) but does not say which payment methods it takes; the same document notes mobile reception is poor across Wasdale, so carry coins as well as a card. Compacted surface (OSM-tagged). Toilets on site. National Trust, pay & display (free for members). The classic base for Scafell Pike, Great Gable, Kirk Fell, Yewbarrow. Fills very early. Fees: £7 up to 2 hours; £8.50 up to 4 hours; £10 all day. Charges apply at all times (NT, checked August 2026). Free for NT members (checked August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Overbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, paid) (1.8 km, 110 m up); Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free) (4.9 km, 197 m up)

Wasdale Head Inn

Wasdale Head village green car park (free) — 3.0 km from summit (straight line)

At Wasdale Head, about 0.3 km south of the Wasdale Head Inn; the National Trust's Pillar trail starts here and calls it the Wasdale Head Village Green car park (grid ref NY 1868 0852, read 17 October 2026). The 'Round Kirk Fell from Wasdale Head' and 'Extended Mosedale Horseshoe' routes start here; the Great Gable and Scafell Pike routes start at Lake Head, 1.3 km on foot. Added from the 5 August 2026 OSM candidate review.

Directions Something changed here?

4 more places to park near Great Gable

Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (farm field, paid) — 3.1 km from summit (straight line)

The farm’s own field, signed off the lane — £5 all day, £10 overnight, no booking needed (the farm’s own page, read 21 September 2026; its notice is still headed 2025). A different place from the free verge on the same lane, and the reason not to race for a verge space. The farm opened it to ease the parking problems in the busy period.

Directions Something changed here?

Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)

Free verge parking on the Seathwaite lane — the honeypot start for the Scafells, Great Gable and Glaramara. It fills early; the farm’s own field just down the lane takes the pressure off, and the lane needs to stay clear for residents, farm traffic and emergency vehicles.

Typically full before 09:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 9 August 2026.

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Honister Pass (paid, slate mine) (1.8 km); Seatoller (NT, paid) (2.0 km); Rosthwaite (NT, paid) (3.8 km)

Public toilets (~188 m straight line) — Free

Thornythwaite Fell (layby) — 3.3 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Allen Crags, High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags), Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) and Looking Steads (Glaramara) — the 'Allan Crags & Glaramara' route starts 135 m away. Also serves 'Scafell Pike via the Corridor Route'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Thornythwaite Fell, north-west (layby) — 3.5 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Allen Crags, High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags), Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) and Looking Steads (Glaramara) — the 'Allan Crags & Glaramara' route starts 255 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 77 stops at Honister Youth Hostel (near), a 140 m walk from the start of Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: steepness and navigation). Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. It returns on 22 March 2027. Confirmed with the operator: its last day on 29 August 2026, its return on 16 October 2026. The last bus is 18:33 towards Keswick (77), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”

Keswick – Portinscale – Hawes End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)

Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)

Seasonal (Summer 2026 timetable: 23 March to 1 November 2026). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Great Gable

Hazard & Incident Information for Great Gable

Checked by Lee McCoy, 13 June 2026. Draws on published material from Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: High

A steep-sided mountain that is rocky on every flank, with a boulder-strewn summit that is genuinely hard to navigate off in cloud. Most incidents involve walkers losing the line on the descent into dangerous ground, or slipping on the steep, loose scree paths. The Napes on the south face are climbing terrain, not for walkers.

Summit plateau in cloud: A featureless boulder dome; walkers regularly set off down the wrong side into steep ground. A compass and the ability to hold a bearing are essential.
Descents to Sty Head and Beck Head: Steep, loose and stony — a frequent spot for slips and turned ankles. Descend slowly and deliberately.
The Napes / Napes Needle: Famous rock-climbing buttresses on the south face. Not a walking route — the walkers' path keeps below them.

Who should attempt this fell: Hugely popular, but a serious mountain in poor visibility — the summit is one of the trickiest in the Lakes to leave on the right bearing. Strong navigation is essential; if you are not confident with map and compass, save it for a clear day.

What to watch for: Navigation errors off the summit in cloud · Slips on steep, loose ground · Benightment on a longer-than-expected day

Local Mountain Rescue: Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Safety: Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information (opens in new tab)

Navigating in cloud

Severe

Of the three things our terrain model measures, the highest reading here is the amount of steep ground within half a kilometre of the summit. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.

From walking it — not from the terrain model

What catches people out: The summit dome is a boulder maze where the Westmorland Cairn side drops to crags and the tracks between shelters look like paths off.

The line to take: Find the summit cairn first, then the start of the path you planned to come down, on the map, before you leave it; the tracks between the shelters are not paths off.

First-hand knowledge of this top, written by Lee. It adds to the computed grade above — it never changes it, and its absence on another fell means only that it has not been written yet.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Great Gable compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (opens in new tab) (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Great Gable

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

1.2 km WNWKirk Fell East Top (Kirk Fell North Top)787 m · Western

1.7 km ESESeathwaite Fell (Great Slack)631 m · Southern

2.9 km SSEBroad Crag935 m · Southern

2.9 km WNWLooking Stead (Pillar)628 m · Western

Routes over Great Gable

Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine

Summits: Great GableGreen Gable Brandreth Grey Knotts

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: The summit plateau in cloud. Gable’s top is a broad sea of boulders with crags on several sides and no handrails. Take a bearing off the summit and follow it precisely — this is where the callouts start. Do not drift towards the Napes. The southern face is a climbers’ playground of crags and gullies, not a walkers’ descent. The Windy Gap descent is loose and steep. Take it slowly, especially in the wet. The route rounds the top of Gable Crag, with steep ground falling away on the Ennerdale/north side. Keep back from the edge, particularly in cloud or wind.

Route guide: Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine →

Great Gable & Kirk Fell

Summits: Great GableKirk Fell

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: Great Gable: A featureless boulder dome; walkers regularly set off down the wrong side into steep ground. A compass and the ability to hold a bearing are essential.

From the hazard notes for Great Gable, each with its sources.

Route guide: Great Gable & Kirk Fell →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Great Gable

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine route:

Honister Youth Hostel / Slate Quarry (E) (88 m from the start, straight line) bus stop (91 m from the start, straight line) Honister Pass YHA (39 m from the start, straight line)

On the Great Gable & Kirk Fell route:

possible water source (2 m off the line) possible water source (24 m off the line) possible water source (39 m off the line) Campsite toilet (32 m off the line) Wasdale Campsite (114 m from the start, straight line)

Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is not proof the water is drinkable, so carry your own or use a supply you know is safe. Never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock upstream and leave you seriously ill. Use a treatment method suited to what might be in the water, and follow the device’s own instructions. Boiling and ordinary filters do not make water with dissolved metals or chemicals safe: where that is possible, choose another source.

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

About Great Gable

Great Gable, a Lake District fell — Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wainwright was passionate about it, noting the incomparable view from the Westmorland Cairn looking south to Wasdale Head and its surrounding ring of fells. The ascent from Wasdale via Sty Head is a classic Lakeland mountain day. The summit gives outstanding views in every direction, particularly north to the Ennerdale fells and south across Wast Water.

Classifications & hill data

Is Great Gable a Wainwright?

Great Gable is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list, the Marilyn list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

899 m

Height

2,949 ft

In feet

NY 2109 1032

Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Great Gable

The 360° skyline from Great Gable

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys

The skyline as a list, by direction

North: Crag Hill (10 km), Grasmoor (11 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (18 km), Skiddaw Little Man (18 km), Skiddaw South Top (19 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (19 km), Skiddaw (19 km)
North-east: White Side (14 km), Raise (15 km), Stybarrow Dodd (16 km), Green Side (16 km), Great Dodd (17 km), Knowe Crags (20 km), Gategill Fell Top (20 km), Blencathra (21 km), Atkinson Pike (21 km)
East: Helvellyn Lower Man (14 km), High Crag (14 km), Nethermost Pike (14 km), Dollywaggon Pike (14 km), Helvellyn (14 km), Fairfield (15 km), Cofa Pike (15 km), Hart Crag (16 km), St Sunday Crag (16 km), Dove Crag (16 km), High Street (23 km), High Raise (24 km)
South-east: Great End (2 km), Esk Pike (4 km), Bowfell (5 km), Swirl How (12 km)
South: Scafell Pike (3 km), Scafell (4 km)
West: Red Pike (5 km), Black Crag (5 km), Scoat Fell (5 km), Steeple (6 km), Haycock (7 km)
North-west: Pillar (4 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (167 km, Wales), Slieve Donard (179 km, Ireland), Carnedd Llewelyn (155 km, Wales), Merrick (109 km, Scotland), Aran Fawddwy (191 km, Wales), Broad Law (113 km, Scotland), Snaefell (84 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (164 km, Wales).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Great Gable

Great Gable catches the sun before the valley does. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does this summit wait for first light — the eastern horizon falls away rather than standing over you, and at midsummer the light reaches it 6 minutes before almanac sunrise.

Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.

Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
	First light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:32 BST ±5.0 min	04:38	-6 min
Equinox	06:14 GMT ±5.0 min	06:16	-2 min
Midwinter	08:27 GMT ±5.0 min	08:33	-6 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.55°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Great Gable

Great Gable holds the light. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does the sun leave this summit before almanac sunset — the ground falls away westward rather than standing over you, and at midsummer it is still in the sun 5 minutes after the valley has lost it.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
	Last light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:58 BST ±5.0 min	21:53	+5 min
Equinox	18:33 GMT ±5.0 min	18:27	+6 min
Midwinter	15:58 GMT ±5.0 min	15:50	+8 min

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

What you can see from Great Gable

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

113Wainwrights in view+12 marginal

184 kmFurthest sightlineSlieve Binnian · possible under favourable refraction

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.

Far horizons

Slieve Binnian Northern IrelandW · 184 km clear
Slieve Donard Northern IrelandW · 179 km clear
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 167 km clear
Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 152 km clear
Merrick ScotlandNW · 110 km clear
Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 85 km clear
Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 65 km clear
Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 60 km clear
Criffel ScotlandNNW · 58 km clear
Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 53 km clear
Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 47 km in view
Irish Sea open waterWNW · 32 km in view

All 113 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Green Gable, Kirk Fell, Brandreth, Base Brown, Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit), Lingmell, Grey Knotts, Great End, Scafell Pike, Allen Crags, Haystacks (Buttermere), Glaramara, Esk Pike, Scafell, Fleetwith Pike, Yewbarrow, Pillar, Red Pike (Wasdale), High Crag (Buttermere), Bowfell, Dale Head, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Steeple, High Stile, Hindscarth, High Spy, Haycock, Robinson, Eagle Crag, Illgill Head, Middle Fell, Castle Crag, High Raise (High White Stones), Pike of Stickle, Thunacar Knott, Seatallan, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Loft Crag, Sergeant Man, Harrison Stickle, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Ullscarf, Maiden Moor, Starling Dodd, Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Rannerdale Knotts, Whiteless Pike, Ard Crags, Wandope, Sail, High Tove, Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top), Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Scar Crags, Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Causey Pike, Great Borne, Grasmoor, High Seat, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Swirl How, Bleaberry Fell, Grisedale Pike, Gavel Fell, Raven Crag, Walla Crag, Seat Sandal, Blake Fell, Dollywaggon Pike, Helvellyn, White Side, Low Fell, Great Rigg, Fairfield, Raise, Watson's Dodd, Black Fell, Hart Crag, Stybarrow Dodd, Latrigg, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, St Sunday Crag, Lord's Seat, Dove Crag, High Pike (Scandale), Barf, Great Dodd, Clough Head, Dodd (Skiddaw), Skiddaw Little Man, Carl Side, Lonscale Fell, Long Side, Red Screes, Ullock Pike, Skiddaw, Baystones (Wansfell), Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Thornthwaite Crag, Great Calva, Rest Dodd, Ill Bell, Sour Howes, Yoke, Sallows, High Raise (High Street), Knott, Binsey, Kentmere Pike, Carrock Fell, High Pike (Caldbeck)

How the view from Great Gable compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Great Gable. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. Corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Places to stay near this fell

Seatoller House (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 2.0 km

Also nearby, but not independent

YHA Wasdale Hall (opens in new tab) hostelabout 4.8 km
YHA Borrowdale (opens in new tab) hostelabout 3.1 km

We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Great Gable

Is Great Gable a scramble?

The normal walkers' routes are not scrambles — they are rough, bouldery paths, but you reach the summit on your feet. However, Great Gable's dramatic south face, the Napes, is serious territory:

Napes Needle and the Napes Ridges are rock climbs, not walks — this is the birthplace of British rock climbing and should only be attempted by experienced climbers.
The Climbers' Traverse beneath the Napes is an exposed path that should not be confused with the ordinary routes.

Stick to the marked paths from Sty Head or Windy Gap unless you are a competent scrambler or climber.

Sources: Wasdale MRT — accident black spots (opens in new tab)

What is the easiest route up Great Gable?

There is no truly easy way up Great Gable, but the least steep approach is from Honister Pass, which starts high and crosses Grey Knotts, Brandreth and Green Gable before the final pull to the summit. It spreads the ascent out and is mostly straightforward walking.

The other popular routes are tougher: from Seathwaite (Borrowdale) via Sty Head and Aaron Slack, and the short but brutally steep direct climb from Wasdale Head up Gavel Neese. Whichever you choose, the last section to the summit is steep and bouldery, and the top is a featureless boulder dome where walkers regularly set off down the wrong side in cloud: a compass and the ability to hold a bearing are essential.

Sources: Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

How long does it take to walk up Great Gable? Answered above: Routes up Great Gable.

Where do you park for Great Gable? Answered above: Parking for Great Gable.

What was Wainwright's favourite fell, and what is Great Gable known for?

Great Gable was one of Alfred Wainwright's best-loved fells, and it holds a special place in Lakeland affection for several reasons:

The war memorial: the summit carries a bronze plaque to members of the Fell & Rock Climbing Club who died in the First World War, and a Remembrance Sunday service is held there every November.
Napes Needle: the iconic rock pinnacle on its south face, whose ascent in 1886 is often called the birth of British rock climbing.
Its shape: the bold pyramid seen from Wasdale is one of the most recognisable mountain profiles in England — it inspired the Lake District National Park's logo.

How do I check conditions before climbing Great Gable?

Great Gable's exposed, rocky summit is a serious place in poor weather, so check a mountain forecast rather than the valley forecast before you set off:

Met Office Lake District mountain forecast.
Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS).

Carry a map and compass — the boulder-strewn top is a known navigation trap in cloud — tell someone your plans, and be prepared to turn back. In an emergency call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Sources: Met Office — Lake District mountain forecast (opens in new tab) · Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) (opens in new tab)

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Great Gable

Summit conditions on Great Gable

Wind on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Great Gable

How hard is Great Gable, really?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Great Gable

Parking

Where do you park for Great Gable?

Buses

Hazards on Great Gable

Hazard & Incident Information for Great Gable

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Great Gable

Routes over Great Gable

On the hill: terrain and water on Great Gable

Water & shelter on the way up

About Great Gable

Classifications & hill data

Is Great Gable a Wainwright?

Selected lists

The view from Great Gable

The 360° skyline from Great Gable

Sunrise and sunset on Great Gable

Last light — when the sun leaves Great Gable

What you can see from Great Gable

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Great Gable

Other fells near Great Gable