Height: 646 metres / 2419 feet Grid reference: NY 22516 11461 Category: The Western Fells
Base Brown looming large over Seathwaite
Borrowdale from the northern slopes of Base Brown
Fallen Stone on Base Brown
The Hanging Stone on Base Brown
Start point: Seathwaite (NY 235 122)
Seathwaite – Hanging Stone – Base Brown – Blackmoor Pols – Green Gable – Windy Gap – Styhead Tarn – Sty Head – Sprinkling Tarn – Great Slack on Seathwaite Fell – Seathwaite Fell – Taylorgill Force – Seathwaite
Distance: 6.2 miles Total Ascent: 925 metres Time Taken: 4 hours Start Time: 07:00
Weather: Changeable, windy. 11oC.
It’s a while since I have done these fells and it was nice to get back there for a visit. The weather was constantly changing and the summits were very windy with the clouds constantly blowing in and off. There was quite a number of dead sheep around today, a grizzly consequence of the heavy snowfall not so long ago.
Base Brown from Seathwaite.
High above Seathwaite Farm.
Seathwaite Fell and Base Brown.
Seathwaite Fell.
Sourmilk Gill.
Borrowdale and fallen branch.
Sunburst over Borrowdale.
Early morning light at the top of Sour Milk Gill.
Base Brown.
Borrowdale from the northern slopes of Base Brown.
The Hanging Stone.
Great and Green Gable from Base Brown.
Heading for Green Gable across Blackmoor Pols - it looks like Dougal has already been!
Looking back to Base Brown.
Ennerdale from Green Gable.
Great from Green.
Great End and Skew Gill from the descent.
Dougal in traditional pose on the stretcher box.
Lingmell and Piers Gill.
Windswept Dougal on Great Slack.
The Wainwright summit of Seathwaite Fell from Great Slack, the highest point.
It was very windy along here but there is blue sky over Keswick way.
The steep descent.
Taylorgill Force.
Start point: Seathwaite (NY 235 122)
Seathwaite – Hanging Stone – Base Brown – Blackmoor Pols – Green Gable – Gillercomb Head – Brandreth – Grey Knotts – Borrowdale Yews – Seathwaite
Distance: 5 miles Total Ascent: 780 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 15 minutes
Weather: Sunny spells. 17C.
I was up at the crack of doom today for a quiet walk around Gillercomb. The weather threatened to clear all the time but the tops remained in cloud mostly, even though further north in Buttermere the sun was shining and it was the same down at valley level too.
Gillercomb Round route map.
Setting off from Seathwaite towards Base Brown it was spotting with rain.
Crossing a pretty dry River Derwent, Seathwaite Fell is prominent.
Clearing sky over Base Brown.
Seathwaite and Borrowdale from the climb.
The view from Sourmilk Gill, Casper hiding amongst the rocks.
The moon setting over Base Brown - Casper seems to know the way!
Borrowdale sunrays.
Fallen Stone, Base Brown.
Hanging Stone - don't sneeze Casper.
The Hanging Stone from the other side.
Wainwright's boulder that has come to rest on a number of small ones.
Seathwaite Fell from he steep climb to the top of Base Brown.
Casper unfurls his tongue as a victory celebration for reaching the top.
Green Gable from Base Brown.
Brandreth and Grey Knotts across Gillercomb, the route of return.
Looking back to Base Brown from the climb to Green Gable.
Ennerdale and Buttermere from Green Gable shortly before I got enveloped in cloud making it pretty cold up here and time to get a jacket on.
Ennerdale.
Green Gable across Gillercomb Head from the climb to Brandreth, Great gable in mist beyond.
The summit of Brandreth. I'm sure that roll of fence posts has been here for years.
Following the fence to Grey Knotts.
Haystacks, High Crag and High Stile in the sunshine.
Pillar and High Stile across an un-named tarn on Grey Knotts.
Looking east over a different tarn towards Glaramara, Combe Head is the prominent point.
At last, a clear view of Haystacks, the High Stile ridge, Buttermere and Crummock Water from the east
Casper has a look too with the Honister mine working visible on Fleetwith Pike.
Base Brown and Green Gable from the eastern - and recognised - summit of Grey Knotts.
Dale Head across Honister.
Base Brown across Gillercomb.
A panoramic view along Gillercomb.
Base Brown and Green Gable.
Seathwaite and the view along Grains Gill.
The John Bankes memorial stone ('John Bankes Esquire 1752' it used to read).
Down at valley level the sunshine was glorious and it was really warm. Casper was in this pool on the River Derwent first, closely followed by me! What better way to spend a few minutes on a Monday morning than having a dip in here?
Start point: Seathwaite (NY 235 122)
eathwaite – Hanging Stone – Base Brown (505) – Blackmoor Pols – Green Gable – Gillercomb Head – Brandreth – Grey Knotts – Borrowdale Yews – Seathwaite
Distance: 5 miles Total Ascent: 780 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Overcast, the tops in cloud. 8°C
The weather returned to being dull and damp after the rather more glamorous conditions of last Thursday. The tops were in cloud until the very end when the sun made a brief appearance. I can hardly believe it is 3 years since I last visited Base Brown, how time flies! I think conditions were similar last time I was there as well; I must visit it in the sunshine one day.
Here's one for the record, something you don't see very often - the road at Seathwaite deserted! For the uninitiated, there are cars as far as the eye can see in summer.
Base Brown from Seathwaite - all looks a bit gloomy today.
Sourmilk Gill.
Borrowdale, Seathwaite bottom right.
The top waterfall, Sourmilk Gill.
The shattered boulders on the north face of Base Brown.
Borrowdale from above the Hanging Stone (bottom).
Seathwaite Fell and Grains Gill. The cloud is low on the tops.
On the summit of Base Brown.
Heading across Blackmoor Pols.
Gillercomb through the mist. The rest of the walk up to Green Gable then back to Brandreth and Grey Knotts was completely under cover of the mist.
All was eerie and quiet on the summit of Grey Knotts.
Suddenly, on the descent from Grey Knotts, the sun appeared.
Base Brown across Gillercomb from Raven Crag.
Looking across Seatoller Fell and into Borrowdale
Raven Crag from below
Looking to the head of Borrowdale with Allen Crags and Great End behind Seathwaite Fell, from the Plumbago mines.
Thornythwaite Fell and Glaramara across Seathwaite.
Base Brown from the Borrowdale Yews.
The River Derwent.
Seathwaite – Hanging Stone – Base Brown (159) – Blackmoor Pols – Green Gable – Gillercomb Head – Brandreth (160) – Grey Knotts (161) – Borrowdale Yews – Seathwaite
A damp day with low lying cloud.
Sourmilk Gill from Seathwaite.
Seathwaite Fell from Seathwaite farm.
Sourmilk Gill from ascent to Gillercomb.
A view of the Borrowdale valley from the ascent of Gillercomb.
Wainwright's Fallen Stone on the way to Base Brown.
The Hanging Stone on Base Brown.
Raven Crag from Base Brown.
A misty Base Brown summit cairn.
Ennerdale appears through the mist from Gillercomb Head.
Tarns on Gillercomb Head.
Brandreth summit with Ennerdale Water just about visible.
Buttermere nearly visible from Grey Knotts summit.
Base Brown from Grey Knotts.
Borrowdale Yews and Seathwaite from the descent of Grey Knotts above the Plumbago mines.
A view up Grains Gill with Glaramara to the left and Seathwaite Fell on the right.