Wainwright’s - Base Brown and Green Gable

Both of us had climbed Green Gable on numerous occasions, but Base Brown was yet another of the “only one of us had climbed it variety”. 

Parking at Seathwaite we headed up the side of Sourmilk Gill. 

The steep path up the side of the gill meant height was gained quite quickly and the views soon opened out.

Looking back along along Seathwaite from just above the intake wall.

At the top of the gill we carried on along the main path until it flattened out and then struck diagonally east up the hillside towards the hanging stone, a large boulder that juts precariously out over the crag guarding the northern approach to Base Brown.

The Hanging Stone

The view along Seathwate towards the Helvellyn range from just below the Hanging Stone

Passing under the crag we were still in deep shadow and it was cold, but as we traversed around to the east side to outflank it we came out into bright sunshine.

Easy walking took us to the summit, but despite the sunshine a cold wind meant we had to huddle behind a rock in the shade for our coffee.   Ahead the way onto Green Gable was clear and we could see a few people making their way towards its summit.

The summit of Base Brown

Green Gable with Great Gable just peeing over its top. Viewed from the summit area of Base Brown

The view back towards Base Brown from the Green Gable path

We were making good time so we decided to head off route to a rocky top just above the Gillercombe Head path, which gives good view down into Ennerdale.  I am glad we did because the views were stunning.

The view down Ennerdale towards the coast with Pillar on the left and Haystacks, High Crag and High Stile on the right. The hills, center right in the far distance may possibly be Great Borne and Herdus? 

Dragging ourselves away we soon found ourselves on the Summit of Green Gable; again the views down Ennerdale were stunning. 

The valley of Ennerdale (center), with the lakes of Buttermere and Crummock Water (right)

We only had a short break before moving off to pay our respects to two airmen who lost their lives as a result of an accident here during the 2nd World War on the 9th of August 1943.

The aircraft, an Avro Anson Mk1 (Serial No DL222/A2) flew into the hillside in bad weather while on a night-time navigation exercise (three others also crashed that night)!  Three of the aircrew survived, but sadly Sgt W Panasik (Polish Air Force) and Sgt E. A. Loppe (Royal Canadian Air Force) did not.  

We found the crash site quite easily and like many of these places there is no memorial. In fact there wasn’t even a poppy, which surprised us given that Remembrance Sunday was only last week.  I suppose that may be due to the fact that the memorial on Great Gable is usually the main focus.

Crash site with the summit of Green Gable behind

Moving on we made our way down to Windy Gap and then steeply down the screes of Aaron Slack to Styhead Tarn.  From here it was a nice wander down to Stockley Bridge.  

Stockley Bridge with the sun just going down behind Seathwaite Fell.

From Stockley Bridge it was a gentle wander along the track to Seathwaite and our start point.

139 of 214 completed, 75 to go.