Carlisle & District Rambling & Fellwalking Club

Walk & Event Reports

Sunday 30th October 2016

A Walk

Great Gable

9 Miles Grade 1scr

Leader: Peter Flynn

Report by Peter Flynn

Photos by Lauren Sarasini, Peter Flynn & Malcolm Iredale

Some days – all too rare but they do happen – have everything.  An hour extra in bed;  T-shirt and shorts weather on the mountain tops; a lovely group and the most amazing cloud inversion I have seen for several years. I trust that the photos will illustrate this amply.  In temperatures found normally in June to August,  nine of us set off from Seathwaite,  including, for her first A walk since the nasty injury she sustained on a walk to Pillar,  Christina. We started off up the side of SourmilkGhyll and then along the valley and up the steep climb to Green Gable. The suggestion of a 5 minute break was refused in favour of getting the rest of the way to the summit of Great Gable which we reached half an hour later. We caught a glimpse of what was to come on Green Gable, and on its taller neighbour it was wonderful,  the cloud inversion. The summits of the “biggies” stood out from a sea of pure white cloud.  We could see Skiddaw in the far distance, not Helvellyn for some strange reason, but a wonderful view of the hills opposite – Great End,  Ill Crag and Broad Crag,  Scafell Pike and Scafell. The cloud looked so solid it was almost as though we could walk across the valley and settle down on them. We then headed down the path to Styhead Tarn and on to Seathwaite and from there to a welcome cup of tea and a cake in Grange.Both of the Tea Shops were busy, doing an excellent trade on such a beautiful day. Thanks for all who turned up to make it a very enjoyable outing.

Peter