Climbers traverse - Great Gable

Was over there last weekend. Didn't find it difficult at all, although
another party (of pensioners) thought it quite tough! The hardest bit is the
route finding at the far end of the traverse after Little Hell Gate. The
path becomes indistinct and you really just have to go where you fancy. The
rest of it is very low level scrambling; some limited use of 5 points of
contact.
Try threading the needle if the climbers are few in number, otherwise you'll
only get in their way. If you've done Striding Edge/Jack's Rake this will
seem like a gentle stroll. For novices with anything about them they should
enjoy it.
The main concern I found was what to do at the end of it. If you have come
up from Wasdale then you can go back down Gavel Neese, but a return to other
bases needs a bit of planning. A good suggestion is to do the full circuit
of the mountain. Carry on to Back Head, go under Gable Crags, and then back
to Sty Head. Read it up in Wainwright.

"Pennineway" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm planning a trip to the lakes shortly with a couple of fairly novice
walkers, the idea being to do a few classis routes.

I haven't done the climbers traverse for 10-12 years (maybe even 15 - time
flies!) and wonder if anyone has any recent experience of it.

I seem to remember a fairly tricky bit just after the dress circle before
the traverse across towards the Sphinx.

Is it as difficult as I remember or has it become more difficult (the rock
had been worn smooth if my memory serves me well) ? I dont want to take
inexperienced walkers on it if it is likely to be too difficult.

Any advice appreciated, as always!

Thanks for that - planning to start at Seathwaite and return via Green Gable
and Sourmilk Gill.

Done Striding Edge and Sharp Edge many times, but I still seem to recall
the climbers traverse on Gable being
a bit more than a gentle stroll, particularly after the Dress Circle.

Maybe I went 'off route' a little!

"Admiral Benbow" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Was over there last weekend. Didn't find it difficult at all, although
another party (of pensioners) thought it quite tough! The hardest bit is
the route finding at the far end of the traverse after Little Hell Gate.
The path becomes indistinct and you really just have to go where you
fancy. The rest of it is very low level scrambling; some limited use of 5
points of contact.
Try threading the needle if the climbers are few in number, otherwise
you'll only get in their way. If you've done Striding Edge/Jack's Rake
this will seem like a gentle stroll. For novices with anything about them
they should enjoy it.
The main concern I found was what to do at the end of it. If you have come
up from Wasdale then you can go back down Gavel Neese, but a return to
other bases needs a bit of planning. A good suggestion is to do the full
circuit of the mountain. Carry on to Back Head, go under Gable Crags, and
then back to Sty Head. Read it up in Wainwright.

"Pennineway" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm planning a trip to the lakes shortly with a couple of fairly novice
walkers, the idea being to do a few classis routes.

I haven't done the climbers traverse for 10-12 years (maybe even 15 -
time flies!) and wonder if anyone has any recent experience of it.

I seem to remember a fairly tricky bit just after the dress circle before
the traverse across towards the Sphinx.

Is it as difficult as I remember or has it become more difficult (the
rock had been worn smooth if my memory serves me well) ? I dont want to
take inexperienced walkers on it if it is likely to be too difficult.

Any advice appreciated, as always!

"pennineway" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for that - planning to start at Seathwaite and return via Green
Gable and Sourmilk Gill.

Done Striding Edge and Sharp Edge many times, but I still seem to recall
the climbers traverse on Gable being
a bit more than a gentle stroll, particularly after the Dress Circle.

Maybe I went 'off route' a little!

If you do the Gable Girdle clockwise you can continue the path after
crossing Needle gully if your fellowwalkers feel inconvenient. Going up
Needle gully and continuing towards The Sphinx after the Dress Circle will
be more demanding for inexperienced people, especially in wet conditions.

www.theosphotos.fotopic.net/p16768932.html
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net/p16730046.html

--
Theo
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

Thanks, Theo.

Great pictures.

"theo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"pennineway" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for that - planning to start at Seathwaite and return via Green
Gable and Sourmilk Gill.

Done Striding Edge and Sharp Edge many times, but I still seem to recall
the climbers traverse on Gable being
a bit more than a gentle stroll, particularly after the Dress Circle.

Maybe I went 'off route' a little!

If you do the Gable Girdle clockwise you can continue the path after
crossing Needle gully if your fellowwalkers feel inconvenient. Going up
Needle gully and continuing towards The Sphinx after the Dress Circle will
be more demanding for inexperienced people, especially in wet conditions.

www.theosphotos.fotopic.net/p16768932.html
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net/p16730046.html

--
Theo
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

pennineway wrote on Mon, 1 Aug 2005 16:04:11 +0000 (UTC)....

Quoted message said:

Thanks for that - planning to start at Seathwaite and return via Green Gable
and Sourmilk Gill.

You have several alternatives to get from the end of the climbers'
traverse to Green Gable. One is via Beck Head, as Admiral Benbow
suggests. You then need to climb a bit to get onto the traverse path
under Gable Crag, to take you to Windy Gap. Be careful to get the right
path - if you don't climb far enough you'll end up on Moses' Trod, which
goes underneath Green Gable.

Alternatively, there are a couple of scrambles up from the climbers'
traverse to the top of Great Gable. I've only done the one up Sphinx
Gully (just before Sphinx Rock) and then onto Sphinx Ridge. This is not
difficult. You could go beyond Sphinx Rock and ascend Little Hell Gate,
but that is unpleasant.

Quoted message said:

Done Striding Edge and Sharp Edge many times, but I still seem to recall
the climbers traverse on Gable being
a bit more than a gentle stroll, particularly after the Dress Circle.

There's a sloping slab you have to traverse just after the Dress Circle.
This has a couple of good cracks that you can get your boots into.
Then, further on, there's a small wall you have to down-climb and
traverse - good footholds but you have to look for them. IIRC, this is
just after the prominent flake that you have to go behind.

Neither of these is particularly difficult if you are used to
scrambling. But there is some slight exposure and you may have to guide
the novices in your party.

I'd disagree with Admiral Benbow's assessment that threading Nape's
Needle is a gentle stroll compared to Striding Edge or Jack's Rake. This
is the most awkward bit of the traverse, especially for novice
scramblers, but you can avoid it by scrambling up Needle Gully on the
other side of the Needle instead.

--
Tim Jackson
[email hidden]
(Change '.invalid' to '.co.uk' to reply direct)
Absurd patents: visit http://www.patent.freeserve.co.uk

"Admiral Benbow" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Was over there last weekend. Didn't find it difficult at all, although
another party (of pensioners) thought it quite tough! The hardest bit is
the route finding at the far end of the traverse after Little Hell Gate.
The path becomes indistinct and you really just have to go where you
fancy. The rest of it is very low level scrambling; some limited use of 5
points of contact.
Try threading the needle if the climbers are few in number, otherwise
you'll only get in their way. If you've done Striding Edge/Jack's Rake
this will seem like a gentle stroll. For novices with anything about them
they should enjoy it.

IMHO threading the needle is more difficult than anything Striding Edge or
Jacks Rake has to offer, mainly because having climbed up to the notch you
are suddenly faced with a difficult drop. After that there is a short
section on sloping holds just past the Dress Circle which could also test
the novice.

Graham

Thanks Tim and Graham -

thats more the way I remember it. I did it twice back in the depths of time.

Both times I ascended via Little Hell Gate.

It was more the immediate exit from the Dress Circle that has stuck in my
mind.

Thanks for the advice - we can avoid -threading the needle' if they dont
feel comfortable but
still get the atmosphere of the place.

David

"Pennineway" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm planning a trip to the lakes shortly with a couple of fairly novice
walkers, the idea being to do a few classis routes.

I haven't done the climbers traverse for 10-12 years (maybe even 15 - time
flies!) and wonder if anyone has any recent experience of it.

I seem to remember a fairly tricky bit just after the dress circle before
the traverse across towards the Sphinx.

Is it as difficult as I remember or has it become more difficult (the rock
had been worn smooth if my memory serves me well) ? I dont want to take
inexperienced walkers on it if it is likely to be too difficult.

Any advice appreciated, as always!