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

Peakify lists 3 measured routes up Green Gable, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Green 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.

Green 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 Green Gable route

Honister Pass via Brandreth

Climb over Grey Knotts and Brandreth on a clear path, then cross a stony col to Green Gable. It starts from Honister Pass car park (Honister Slate Mine). 3.4 km one way with 500 m of ascent. About 1h 30m to the summit and 2h 10m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Seathwaite via Gillercomb

Climb the rocky path beside Sourmilk Gill into Gillercomb and follow it up to the ridge and the summit. It starts from Seathwaite (roadside parking, Borrowdale). 4.8 km one way with 552 m of ascent. About 1h 55m to the summit and 2h 50m 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. 7.6 km one way with 720 m of ascent. About 2h 45m to the summit and 4h 15m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Green Gable route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and Windy Gap. 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 Green Gable today and the Green Gable 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Green 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 Green 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 Green Gable

What is the easiest route up Green Gable?

Start at Honister Pass and follow the path over Grey Knotts and Brandreth, which begins high and avoids the steepest climbing.

How much time does each Green Gable route take?

Honister Pass via Brandreth: about 1h 30m up and 2h 10m there and back. Seathwaite via Gillercomb: about 1h 55m up and 2h 50m there and back. Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and Windy Gap: about 2h 45m up and 4h 15m 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 Green Gable route?

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