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Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike [W] GradeGradeGradeGrade
REX    May 10, 2026 Honister, Green Gable, Windy Gap, Great Gable, Moses Trod, Hay Stacks peaks, Innnominate Tarn, Blackbeck Tarn, Dubs, Fleetwith Pike, Black Star   
Distance 14.81 km, Time 5.52 h, Total Ascent 1,083 m     Imperial | Metric

At last a clear sunny morning is forecast. I've been saving this, one of my favourite circuits, for just such a day.
There is a slight complication - today is the day of the famous Fred Whitton challenge. Thousands of bicycles will be clogging up the narrow Lake District roads for much of the morning. Yesterday I rang the ever-friendly staff at Honister Slate Mine who advised me to be out of the valley by 7:30 latest.
This is what finds us at Honister for 7am on this bitterly cold, sunny Sunday morning.

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 2, May 10, 2026

A quick stop in the valley for pics of these newborn lambs in the deep frost

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 3, May 10, 2026

After leaving a note on the windscreen, off we go. The vans and other people are first aid & support for the cyclists

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 4, May 10, 2026

Inevitable shadow from a low rising sun as we start up the old tramway route

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 5, May 10, 2026

There is deep frost, but that sun is most welcome after the last week

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 6, May 10, 2026

I can never resist a pic of Buttermere & Crummock Water

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 7, May 10, 2026

The mighty Great Gable in view as we make our way towards Gillercomb Head

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 8, May 10, 2026

In a sheepfold at Green Gable summit, first quick break. Layered up but no woolly hat required today!

Panorama. Click on the image to start / stop rotation.

360° view from Green Gable

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 9, May 10, 2026

As we start the ascent to Great Gable, a glance down towards Styhead Tarn and a barely visible Sprinkling Tarn beyond.
Great visibility today - in the distance a clear view of the Langdale Pikes

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 10, May 10, 2026

This is the bottom section of the path up Great Gable...

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 11, May 10, 2026

some clambering but nothing too technical

At the summit of Great Gable I meet one person (the first today). He had climbed from Wasdale. We had the entire area to ourselves

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 12, May 10, 2026

We have good views from Great Gable today. This is Wastwater

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 13, May 10, 2026

Scafell Pike close up

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 14, May 10, 2026

Looking towards Hay Stacks (front centre) which looks flattish from this angle. We can clearly see drop at Scarth Gap and the High Stile ridge

Panorama. Click on the image to start / stop rotation.

360° view from Great Gable

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 15, May 10, 2026

Rex looking serene at the monument

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 16, May 10, 2026

We make our way to Moses Trod from Windy Gap

Of note:
This descent from Windy Gap is nothing but loose rocks. When I descended it with Indy, I slipped over twice. Today just once. I found the alternative route off Great Gable to the W to be worse. Another time I would seriously consider a retrace up Green Gable to join Moses Trod further North

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 17, May 10, 2026

Looking back up this path to Windy Gap

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 18, May 10, 2026

Now on Moses Trod where the going is much easier

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 19, May 10, 2026

Hay Stacks and the High Stile ridge in full view, the visible tarn is Blackbeck Tarn.
Ennerdale Water is on the left, Buttermere & Crummock to the right

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 20, May 10, 2026

We stop on the SW side of Hay Stacks with Great Gable in full view.
Green Gable (to its left) looks insignificant in comparison

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 21, May 10, 2026

It is around 11am and we have made good progress.
Time for a snack, some water and a well-deserved rest

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 22, May 10, 2026

He'd probably deny it, but Rex fell asleep. Now, at 11:25, he says Come on!

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 23, May 10, 2026

Rounding the side of Hay Stacks, Ennerdale water in view

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 24, May 10, 2026

This is the unnamed (but not innominate!) tarn directly to the NW of Hay Stacks

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 25, May 10, 2026

Rex at one of the Hay Stacks summits

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 1, May 10, 2026

Wandering off to the N for this ideal picture spot

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 26, May 10, 2026

From here we are directly across from Fleetwith Pike, but we have to divert via Dubs to get there

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 27, May 10, 2026

Now at Innominate Tarn with Great Gable behind

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 28, May 10, 2026

Innominate Tarn

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 29, May 10, 2026
Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 30, May 10, 2026

Near Blackbeck Tarn, where Rex has to negotiate a group of people who have spread out all over the place to have their picnic. Loads of rustling noises!

Warnscale Beck

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 31, May 10, 2026

Crossing Warnscale Beck and making our way

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 32, May 10, 2026

up past Dubs Hut to Fleetwith Pike

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 33, May 10, 2026

A straightforward climb to the summit, it's now 13:30

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 34, May 10, 2026

Rex at the summit - this is the view that we were hoping for here

Panorama. Click on the image to start / stop rotation.

360° view from Fleetwith Pike

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 35, May 10, 2026

We make our way towards Black Star

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 36, May 10, 2026

and then down to the quarry

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 37, May 10, 2026

Where huge pieces of slate

Great Gable, Fleetwith Pike - Image 38, May 10, 2026

decorate the road back to Honister


Start: Honister

1) "Honister rambler" bus from Keswick to Honister
2) All day car parking, toilets and café at Honister Slate Mine [NY 22414 13561]

Route

Honister, Green Gable, Windy Gap, Great Gable, Moses Trod, Hay Stacks peaks, Innnominate Tarn, Blackbeck Tarn, Dubs, Fleetwith Pike, Black Star
Distance 14.81 km, Time 5.52 h, Total Ascent 1,083 m
Wainwright Pictorial Guide: The Western Fells

Please do your own research to verify current routes and information on car parking, bus services and so on
Route maps from Ordnance Survey are scaled 1:25000 unless otherwise indicated.
Distance, Hike Time and Total Ascent as supplied by OS. Image shows planned route.

Distance 14.81 km, Time 5.52 h, Total Ascent 1,083 m
Route Map and Details


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