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A Seatoller Round - Glaramara to Grey Knotts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 12:38 am
by Alteknacker
Day 2 of our Lake District outing. We had various possible rounds as options, but a deciding factor was the fact that we had to change accommodation to somewhere further afield - the place we were at was fully booked - so we needed to do something not too long (and Dr Frank was adamant about not rising too early :roll: ) :D .

So this is what we opted for. If we were making especially quick progress, there would always be the possibility of extending the walk to include Seathwaite Fell and/or Base Brown.


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Leaving Keswick, the weather seemed most auspicious! This looking west.
Image20190914-090112-3

Image20190914-092730-2. At Seatoller we were surrounded by a quite surreal green - and more to the point: clear tops.

Image20190914-095413-2.
There are a couple of paths up from the car park that lead up to Glaramara. We took the one on the west side of Combe Gill (which initially rises a little less steeply) for a kilometre or so, and then cut south directly up the slope since we wanted to visit Tarn at Leaves (who could resist a water body with such a romantic name???). There were a few walkers visible - looking in all directions, perhaps 20 - but not as many as we'd expected, given the fine day.

Image20190914-104757-2. Looking ahead southwards up The Combe towards Glaramara as we approached the crest of the ridge.

Image20190914-111032-2. Tarn of Leaves?? More like: Tarn of rushes!
Our route led alongside the tarn and then up to the right.

Image20190914-113439. Dr Frank on the highest point of Rosthwaite Fell - it's a fine rough and gruff landscape up here.

Image20190914-113420-2. And looking back more or less north towards Tarn of Leaves.

Image20190914-113952-2. And looking ahead SSW towards Glaramara, really showing off the roughy topography again. To the extreme left there's just a glimpse of the extensive bog that has to be traversed before one gets properly on to the ascent of Glaramara.

Image Looking roughly South towards (I think) the Langdale Pikes. Wonderful views in all directions actually.

Image20190914-115746-2. Looking SW towards Glaramara.

Image20190914-115759-2. Later as we approached the base of Glaramara, there was a fine view looking back towards Rosthwaite Fell.

Image20190914-120845-2. Just as we got to the base of Glaramara we were treated to this superb view looking all the way down Borrowdale to Derwent Water, and beyond these, Skiddaw and Blencathra.

Image20190914-121042-2. We'd purposely aimed for a section of the ascent to Glaramara that looked as if it had some good scrambling....

Image20190914-122010. .... and we played around on it for quarter of an hour or so. Wonderful :D .

Image20190914-122925. Once up on the summit plateau, we had to top Glaramara.

Image20190914-131534.

Image20190914-135136. On the way to Allen Crags we again spotted the Langdale Pikes to the South West.

Image20190914-142329. The descent from Allen Crags.

Image20190914-143340-2. Looking back the way we've just come...

Image20190914-145457. Next target: Green Gable - just out of the mist. Sprinkling Tarn on the right. We decided to give Seathwaite Fell a miss, given the time.

Image20190914-150333-2. There was a heck of a breeze now, that was strong enough to break up the waterfall on the beck that runs down into Styhead Tarn.

Image20190914-151156-2. Down in Sty Head, looking back at Great End and the Scafell Pike group.
From here it was northwards down the Seathwaite path, until we got to Aaron Slack, up which we then turned to tackle Green Gable.

Image20190914-155923. Over half way up, pausing to admire the view back towards Styhead Tarn. Slow work when the ticker isn't ticking very efficiently!!!
Mist is threatening once we get closer to the summit.

Image20190914-163352-2. Dr Frank on Green Gable summit, looking back towards Great Gable.

Image20190914-163600-2. Summit of Green Gable. This is not what it looks like - honestly!
Again, for time reasons, we give Base Brown a miss.

Image20190914-165048. On the descent we came across this gate which we couldn't get properly open - so we reluctantly had to go around it...

Image20190914-165101-2. Ahead easy walking to Brandreth.

Image20190914-170107. Brandreth summit.

Image20190914-170454-2. Looking NNW towards the final summit of the day, Grey Knotts.

Image20190914-170703-2. And the view to the West.

Image20190914-171701-2. Grey Knotts summit.

Image20190914-171723-2. View to the NW, towards Buttermere and Crummock Water.

Image20190914-172817. Looking down the watershed along the route back to Seatoller. No path, but easy walking...

Image20190914-174009. ...leaving Grey Knotts behind us.

Image20190914-174530. As we descend, Fleetwith Pike presents a dramatic spectacle.

Image20190914-174530. Zoomed.

Unfortunately there is no establishment of cultural, historical and architectural distinction in Seatoller ... however, we were staying in just such a place in Cockermouth, so we perforce controlled our need to replace minerals lost through perspiration during the walk until we got there...

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Re: A Seatoller Round - Glaramara to Grey Knotts

PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:34 pm
by johnkaysleftleg
Some fine fells and a good walk over much rough ground. Shame you missed out on the view down Ennerdale from Green Gable because it's a beauty.

Re: A Seatoller Round - Glaramara to Grey Knotts

PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 6:43 pm
by dav2930
That looks a really good round, AK - and one I've never done. Just shows how many permutations there are for fell combinations. Some nice shots too; the views north from Glaramara are very fine, aren't they? "Rough and gruff" is a great description of that tangled 'ridge' from Bessyboot to Combe Door; tortuous going but plenty scrambling options to choose from. Nice one! :D

Re: A Seatoller Round - Glaramara to Grey Knotts

PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:48 pm
by trailmasher
Another fine walk and report AK :clap: just a shame about the non view from Green Gable as the views along Ennerdale - as JK says - are amazing 8) Aye, and the bit between Tarn at Leaves to Glaramara is a bit rough for sure :?

Re: A Seatoller Round - Glaramara to Grey Knotts

PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:36 am
by Alteknacker
johnkaysleftleg wrote:Some fine fells and a good walk over much rough ground. Shame you missed out on the view down Ennerdale from Green Gable because it's a beauty.


Indeed it was a shame - I'd got some distant memory that it was something special... Still, we had a great day!

dav2930 wrote:.... the views north from Glaramara are very fine, aren't they? ...:D


They sure are!!!

dav2930 wrote:."Rough and gruff" is a great description of that tangled 'ridge' from Bessyboot to Combe Door; tortuous going but plenty scrambling options to choose from....


Absolutely! That was a powerfull attraction when looking over the area on the map. :-)

trailmasher wrote:Another fine walk and report AK ....


Thanks TM.