Height: 697 metres / 2287 feet Grid reference: NY 21731 12567 Category: The Western Fells
Base Brown and Green Gable from the eastern – and recognised – summit of Grey Knotts
Brandreth and Grey Knotts across Gillercomb
Pillar and High Stile across an un-named tarn on Grey Knotts
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.
Start point: Car Park at the head of Honister Pass (NY 225 135)
Honister Hause – Bell Crags – Black Star (440) – Fleetwith Pike (441) – Moses Trod – Beck Head – Great Gable – Green Gable (442) – Gillercomb Head – Brandreth (443) – Grey Knotts (444) – Honister Hause
Distance: 8.75 miles Total Ascent: 1159 metres Time Taken: 4 hours
Weather: Grey and overcast. 5ºC.
Today the weather was a lot duller than yesterday for a walk up to Great Gable from the Honister Pass. It did look promising at the start, but after the ascent of Great Gable I never got out of the clouds until reaching Grey Knotts. It was very quiet up there today and I had every summit to myself, which must be a record for Great Gable I think!
The track from Honister Pass looking down to the slate mine - the only slate mine in England.
Hindscarth from Black Star, the highest point of Honister Crag.
Yewbarrow through the gap between Kirk Fell and Pillar.
The Buttermere Valley from Fleetwith Pike. The nearest water is Buttermere with Crummock Water behind and a glimpse of Loweswater in the distance.
High Crag and High Stile from Fleetwith Pike.
The summit of Grasmoor obscured by clouds.
Haystacks in the foreground with Pillar behind, across Ennerdale.
Angus is back! - on Fleetwith Pike.
High Crag.
Fleetwith Pike to the left of the ridge with Black Star along the same ridge to the right. Much evidence of continuing mining operations here.
Kirk Fell appears fleetingly from the cloud cover.
...as does Green Gable.
A panoramic view of Ennerdale and Buttermere. Select on the image to see a large annotated version.
Angus.
The Ennerdale Valley from the rising of the River Liza which runs all the way to Ennerdale Water.
A glimpse in to Wasdale and a view of Wast Water from Beck Head. Now it was up to Great Gable and up into the clouds.
The Fell and Rock Climbing Club plaque on Great Gable summit with poppies remaining from the Remembrance Sunday service.
The mist clears at Windy Gap to show Styhead Tarn.
A puddle shows how cold it is up on Grey Knotts.
Tarn on Grey Knotts.
Base Brown from the summit of Grey Knotts.
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.