Great Gable Remembrance Day 2013

nearing the summit - hazy

We had a combination of a walk, remembrance service and a fell run today.  I was hoping to take Kirk Fell head on and over to Great Gable but we thought it might be tight with time so we headed up Great Gable via the Gable Beck route from Wasdale.  There were loads of people heading up, as we got higher, we could see a crowd coming over from Green Gable.  The snow was fairly low down but not very thick and didn't really affect the going.  We took our time getting up, not wanting to be at the top too soon and standing around getting cold but also because we were stuck behind other people.

a bit of cloud over Great Gable but doesn't look like too much snow from here

plenty of people heading up

looking back down to Beckhead.  Still lots of people = botlenecks ahead

still misty as we reached the top

At the top, I borrowed Jonathan's phone as it takes panoramic pictures.  I took a few and then walked around the summit a few times taking pictures.  It really would have been a good idea to decide on a place to meet after the ceremony as there were probably a few hundred people there.

I bumped into Tania who oversees the Fix the Fells project and also Billy, a mate I have been on a walk with.

After a bit of wandering around, Paul and Jonathan were about ten feet away from me and we got the map and compass out and plotted our way off the summit.  Standing around had made me a bit cold but not too bad really.

We headed down the way we came up and took the Boat How path along the side of Kirk Fell.  We then climbed up to Black Sail Pass and on to Pillar.

Once over Pillar, we headed down to Wind Gap and ran down the scree to the bottom of the valley, eventually picking up the Black Sail Pass path back to Wasdale Head.

looking down Ennerdale

little Brocken Spectre in the middle here

and again

Kirk Fell - one of my favourites

Kirk Fell on the left with the path we are about to take going left to right into Ennerdale valley

now on the path, looking back to Great Gable with Paul and Jonathan catching up

last push to the top! Great Gable on the left

 

top of Pillar - sunshine, no wind and quite a bit of snow

 

Pillar Rock below

 

looking down from the top of the scree - it was a good half mile or so of carnage! 

looking back up from the bottom

9.5 miles - 4200ft of elevation