Start point: Wasdale Head (NY 186 084)
Wasdale Head – Moses Trod – Gavel Neese – Beck Head – Great Gable – Westmorland Cairn – Sty Head – South Traverse – Napes Needle – Sphinx Rock – Moses Trod – Wasdale Head
Distance: 5.8 miles Total Ascent: 1000 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 15 minutes Start Time: 09:50
Weather: Bright spells, misty high tops. 6°C
I fancied going west to Wasdale today and decided to climb Great Gable. I drove through sunshine and blue skies to get to a rather misty Wasdale Head but I had high hopes that things would improve as the day went on. I was sort of right as the summit itself was a bit gloomy and frozen but the walk along the south traverse was excellent and there were sunny intervals during this section.
![28.02.11-002 28.02.11-002](https://www.stridingedge.net/wp-content/gallery/2011-02-28-gable-girdle/cache/28.02.11-002.jpg-nggid0512742-ngg0dyn-0x0x85-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg)
It didn't look too great heading for Great Gable but I was hopeful it would clear as there was good weather behind me.
![28.02.11-057 28.02.11-057](https://www.stridingedge.net/wp-content/gallery/2011-02-28-gable-girdle/cache/28.02.11-057.jpg-nggid0512748-ngg0dyn-0x0x85-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg)
Heading for a water stop at Beck Head. There was a really icy wind blowing across here now and it felt like winter once more.
![28.02.11-084 28.02.11-084](https://www.stridingedge.net/wp-content/gallery/2011-02-28-gable-girdle/cache/28.02.11-084.jpg-nggid0512750-ngg0dyn-0x0x85-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg)
Someone has drawn a line under the cloud at 700m looking across Ennerdale to High Stile. Lower Haystacks remains cloud free.
[…] on Earth, climbers high on Great Gable, a mountain in Cumbria, UK, often look out for Cat Rock, otherwise known as Sphinx Rock. Seen from […]