Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn up Great Gable: route map, distance and time

899 m · Lake District

Great Gable is a rocky dome at the head of Wasdale, climbed for its summit views down the valley and its paths from Honister, Borrowdale and Wasdale Head.

You walk up Grains Gill side by Stockley Bridge to Styhead Tarn and Sty Head, then join the Breast Route for the final climb.

Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn at a glance

Distance	4.6 km one way, to the top
Ascent	765 m
Time up	2h 10m by Naismith's rule
There and back	3h 5m, down the same way
Grade	Moderate
Start	Seathwaite, Borrowdale
Start grid reference	NY 234 121
Summit grid reference	NY 210 103

Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn map

The start (green) and the summit (blue). Peakify has no GPX track for this route yet, so follow the description and your map.

Height profile and getting to the start

Start grid ref NY 234 121 · Driving directions · By bus or train

Near the start

From OpenStreetMap, within 2 km. Check opening times before you rely on them.

How long Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn takes

Pace	To the top	There and back
Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up	1h 45m	2h 35m
Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up	2h 10m	3h 5m
Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up	2h 40m	3h 50m

Times leave out stops. Coming down the same way, the table counts the ascent once; steep descents on rough ground can be as slow as the climb.

Today: sunrise 07:47, sunset 18:08. Start by 14:03 to be down before dark, allowing 3h 5m for the walk and an hour for stops.
Tomorrow: sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:06. Start by 14:01 to be down before dark, allowing 3h 5m for the walk and an hour for stops.

Great Gable summit weather for this route

Good Today Sunday 18 October

Partly cloudy, up to 6°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -5°C, summit wind 17 mph gusting 21 mph, 0% chance of rain. Rated Good. Sunrise 07:47, sunset 18:08.
Poor Tomorrow Monday 19 October

Dense drizzle, up to 7°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -3°C, summit wind 42 mph gusting 53 mph, 51% chance of rain. Rated Poor. Sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:06.

Best day of the next seven for Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn: Sunday 18 October, with summit gusts around 21 mph and a 0% chance of rain.

Hour-by-hour Great Gable forecast · 14-day forecast · Is it safe to climb Great Gable?

Before you go, also check: MWIS Lake District forecast · Met Office mountain forecast · Weatherline fell top conditions.

What to take today

An insulated jacket, hat and warm gloves: it feels like -5°C on top.
A waterproof jacket. It can rain on the tops in any forecast.
Microspikes for icy paths. In snow, an ice axe and crampons and the skills to use them.
Map and compass, and the skills to use them. A phone is a backup, not a plan.
A head torch, food, water, a charged phone and a small first aid kit.

About Great Gable

Great Gable is a rocky dome at the head of Wasdale, climbed for its summit views down the valley and its paths from Honister, Borrowdale and Wasdale Head. More about Great Gable, with the live forecast.

On the lists: Wainwright, Hewitt, Nuttall, Marilyn, Birkett.

Extend the walk: tops near the summit

Green Gable (800 m), 0.5 km north-east
Kirk Fell East Top (787 m), 1.2 km west
Kirk Fell (802 m), 1.6 km west
Brandreth (715 m), 1.6 km north
Seathwaite Fell (631 m), 1.7 km east
Base Brown (646 m), 1.8 km north-east

Challenges that include Great Gable

More walks from Seathwaite, Borrowdale

Routes in Peakify's guides that start within 500 m of this one, for another day from the same car park.

Seathwaite via Grains Gill and Esk Hause up Allen Crags
Seathwaite via Sourmilk Gill and Gillercomb up Base Brown
Seathwaite via Grains Gill up Esk Pike
Glaramara and Allen Crags round up Glaramara
Seathwaite via Grains Gill and Esk Hause up Great End
Seathwaite via the Corridor Route up Scafell Pike
Seathwaite via Stockley Bridge up Seathwaite Fell

Other routes up Great Gable

Route	Distance	Ascent	Time up	Grade
Honister Pass via Green Gable	4.1 km one way	621 m	1h 50m	Moderate
Wasdale Head via Sty Head	5.6 km one way	828 m	2h 30m	Moderate
Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and Windy Gap	7.9 km one way	810 m	2h 55m	Hard
Wasdale via Beck Head	5.4 km one way	840 m	2h 30m	Hard

In an emergency

Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (the start is at NY 234 121, the summit at NY 210 103), what happened and how many are in your group. If you have no signal for a call, a text to 999 works once you have registered your phone with emergencySMS: text "register" to 999 before you go.

Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn: questions and answers

How far is Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn?

Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn is 4.6 km one way to the summit of Great Gable, with 765 m of ascent. There and back by the same way is about 9.2 km.

How long does Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn take?

About 2h 10m to the summit of Great Gable and 3h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops. A relaxed group takes nearer 3h 50m for the round trip.

Where do you park for Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn?

Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn starts from Seathwaite, Borrowdale. The grid reference is NY 234 121.

Is Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn suitable for beginners?

Yes, for fit walkers on a clear day. Peakify grades it Moderate: a long climb on a made path, but the top is high, exposed and colder than the start. Turn back if the cloud comes down and you can't navigate.

What time should I start Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn today?

By 14:03 at the latest. Sunset on Great Gable today is 18:08, Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn takes about 3h 5m there and back, and that leaves an hour for stops. Start earlier in winter or if the forecast turns.

Is there a GPX for Seathwaite via Styhead Tarn?

Not yet. The Peakify iPhone app can plan the route and export a GPX (Peakify Pro).