Great Gable routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 5 measured routes up Great Gable, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Great Gable routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Great Gable route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Great Gable route

Honister Pass via Green Gable

You follow the fence-post line over Grey Knotts and Brandreth to Green Gable, drop to Windy Gap, then climb a steep boulder path to the summit. It starts from Honister Pass (slate mine car park). 4.1 km one way with 621 m of ascent. About 1h 50m to the summit and 2h 40m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Wasdale Head via Sty Head

A valley path climbs to the stretcher box at Sty Head, then the Breast Route goes up loose, eroded ground on the south-east side. It starts from Wasdale Head (National Trust car park). 5.6 km one way with 828 m of ascent. About 2h 30m to the summit and 3h 35m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn

You walk up Grains Gill side by Stockley Bridge to Styhead Tarn and Sty Head, then join the Breast Route for the final climb. It starts from Seathwaite, Borrowdale. 4.6 km one way with 765 m of ascent. About 2h 10m to the summit and 3h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and Windy Gap

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Seatoller National Trust car park. It starts from Seatoller National Trust car park. 7.9 km one way with 810 m of ascent. About 2h 55m to the summit and 4h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Wasdale via Beck Head

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Lake Head National Trust car park, Wasdale. It starts from Lake Head National Trust car park, Wasdale. 5.4 km one way with 840 m of ascent. About 2h 30m to the summit and 3h 35m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Great Gable route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and Windy Gap, Wasdale via Beck Head. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.

Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Great Gable today and the Great Gable 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Great Gable routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Great Gable, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Great Gable

What is the easiest route up Great Gable?

The route from Honister Pass over Green Gable starts at a high car park and follows a clear path to Windy Gap. The last section to the summit is steep and bouldery.

How much time does each Great Gable route take?

Honister Pass via Green Gable: about 1h 50m up and 2h 40m there and back. Wasdale Head via Sty Head: about 2h 30m up and 3h 35m there and back. Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn: about 2h 10m up and 3h 5m there and back. Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and Windy Gap: about 2h 55m up and 4h 30m there and back. Wasdale via Beck Head: about 2h 30m up and 3h 35m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Great Gable route?

Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.