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Base Brown, Green Gable & Seathwaite Fell

Base Brown, Green Gable & Seathwaite Fell


Postby Phooooey » Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:53 pm

Wainwrights included on this walk: Base Brown, Green Gable, Seathwaite Fell

Hewitts included on this walk: Base Brown, Green Gable, Seathwaite Fell

Date walked: 08/06/2013

Time taken: 6

Distance: 15 km

Ascent: 1070m

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Seathwaite - Base Brown - Green Gable - Aaron Slack - Styhead Tarn - Sprinkling Tarn - Seathwaite Fell - Styhead Tarn - Stockley Bridge - Seathwaite

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With a forecast for sun all the way today, we set off at 8 from Barrow and got to Seathwaite after a long drive through central Lakeland following candidates for the worlds worst drivers. One young lad going down Borrowdale actually thought the best time to overtake was on blind bends over the crest of small rises (we know this because he did it twice between Ashburn Bridge and Rosthwaite and nearly went into the front of a VW Van to many Ooooohs & Aaaargghs from John and I :crazy: (Not sure what Damson was saying :lol: ))

Anyway ! The road before Seathwaite Farm was nearly at capacity by the time we arrived and donned our boots.
We headed down to the farm with the Scafell crowds before taking the right turn through the centre of the farm buildings to pick up the base of Sour Milk Ghyll. John's knee was still in a bad way after last weeks 9 hour yomp and we decided to make today as easy as possible for him by taking it slowly and restricting as much scrambling and rock clambering as possible.

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Base of Sour Milk Ghyll
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John takes a break to look back down Seathwaite valley

The steps up Sour Milk didn't cause any real problems and on reaching the wall we made our way to the top of the waterfall on the right rather than going up over the nose of Base Brown. Having seen someone elses waterfall piccies, I let John walk ahead to get the photo from below the falls before the quick hop up to join him.

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John pushes on to top of waterfall
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John at top of waterfall
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Zoom view
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Is he going to jump ?? :wink:

We followed the track up the valley between Seathwaite Fell and Grey Knotts / Brandreth before climbing to the col between Base Brown's summit and the push up to Green Gable. Base Brown was first with the obligatory summit photos and a chat with a couple of fellow walkers before heading off to Green Gable.

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Looking back down valley
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Pushing up the steps to col at Base Brown
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John's normal pose on Base Brown
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John forgot to remind me that my cap was on backwards after taking previous photographs :?

Link below is to interactive Base Brown 360 panorama
http://www.dermandar.com/p/aPDweS/base-brown-360

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Path to Green and Great Gable from Base Brown
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View to Great End from Base Brown
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Hazy panorama centred on Haystacks from Green Gable ascent
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Glaramara from Green Gable ascent

Green Gable was very busy with a WaterAid200 group all getting there at the same time as ourselves so after a quick pitstop on its grassy shoulder we quickly made our way down to Windy Gap.

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Damson back on Green Gable (Great Gable behind)
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Kirk Fell & Pillar from Green Gable
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Haystacks & Buttermere Ridge from Green Gable
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Me on Green Gable
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And finally John !
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Another view of Haystacks
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John takes a rest on Green Gable (path to be taken behind up below Great End)
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Allen Crags, Esk Pike & Great End from Green Gable
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View back to Base Brown from Green Gable
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Down to Windy Gap from Green Gable

With John's knee giving him some grief and the painkillers not yet fully kicked in, we gave Great Gable a miss and went left down Aaron Slack, making our way down the very steep scree flanks down to Styhead Tarn.

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John at head of Aaron Slack
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My knee is about this big !!?! :(
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LOng way down to Styhead Tarn
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Approaching Styhead
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John on final steps down Aaron Slack

After a very warm morning, we dunked our heads in the stream towards the bottom of the lower steps and let Damson cool off in a small pool. This little dunk must have revived her as she seemed to wake up and spent the rest of the walk actively hunting out tarns and streams to have a swim in.
First was Styhead itself, and off she went, flying down the hill and straight into the water to the side of a few picnicers (is this a proper word ?? :? ).
There were a number of tents dotted around the shore line and quite a number of people heading off in all directions.

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Looking back at Green Gable and Base Brown
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Scafell Pike from Styhead

Our route took us around the right hand side of Styhead to pick up the path climbing up to Esk Hause and under the base of last weeks walk up Great End. We climbed to Sprinkling Tarn (at which Damson again jumped in and shocked a school of fish), before clambering all over Seathwaite Fell, initially picking up the far lump overlooking Seathwaite (as this was my GPS highlighted summit) before making our way back over every high lump to ensure we got the two tops somewhere on the route.

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Damson on Seathwaite Fell summit overlooking Seathwaite
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Is this Wainwright summit for Seathwaite Fell ??
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Me on a Seathwaite Fell summit
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Looking back over Seathwaite Fell (which lumps are regarded as summits??)
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Seathwaite & Borrowdale from Seathwaite Fell
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Another summit cairn !!
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Altimeter says this is highest point on fell (Just)
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View to Lingmell & Yewbarrow over Styhead
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Is that another summit ??
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Great & Green Gable from Seathwaite Fell
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Aaron Slack from Seathwaite Fell (wow !!)

Again, to save John's knee from too much extra grief, we made our way back by our ascent route back to Styhead Tarn (rather than the planned descent directly off Seathwaite Fell behind Aaron Crags) before heading back down to the car following a nice path past Taylorgill Force and over Stockley Bridge and out through Seathwaite Farm.

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Looking back to Seathwaite Fell from Styhead Tarn on descent.
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Heading back down to Stockley Bridge
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Drop down to Taylorgill Force

We grabbed a couple of ice cold cans of Coke from the tuck shop before getting back to the car.

An accident, road works and masses of traffic in Keswick caused a huge traffic jam which we joined whilst still on the shores of Derwent forcing us to turn round and head home back down Honister and Buttermere valley and down the west coast roads. We got back home rather later than planned yet again but a few pints of cider helped cool me down and a roast pork dinner was waiting so all was well.

Only 7 to go but my weekends are now being taken up by summer and family events. Lets see how it goes.
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Phooooey
 
Posts: 244
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Location: Dalton -In-Furness

Re: Base Brown, Green Gable & Seathwaite Fell

Postby SusieThePensioner » Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:11 pm

Another trip down memory lane for me, Craig! Well, you're certainly clocking up the numbers now and such wonderful weather :D
Enjoyed your report very much and some fantastic photos :thumbup:
I never did like Aaron Slack and found it very difficult to make any progress going down :lol:
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SusieThePensioner
 
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Location: County Durham

Re: Base Brown, Green Gable & Seathwaite Fell

Postby Phooooey » Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:34 pm

Hi Susie,
To be honest I really enjoyed this walk especially Aaron slack as I didn't have to feel guilty about going a bit slower than normal and taking in everything around us. We actually spent a bit of time on summits instead of pushing on straight away. Although it was very hot to begin with until a light breeze caught up with us.
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Phooooey
 
Posts: 244
Hewitts:111
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Apr 4, 2010
Location: Dalton -In-Furness

Re: Base Brown, Green Gable & Seathwaite Fell

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:09 pm

A fine wander and some some stunning pics as always. We also have to knock off two of those so I expect we'll be doing a variation on that route at some time.
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johnkaysleftleg
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Location: County Durham

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