Parking
Use the roadside access at the end of the public road by Seathwaite Farm. Spaces are limited; park considerately and keep the farm entrance, field entrances and emergency access clear.
Overview
About Base Brown, Green Gable, Great Gable and Seathwaite Fell
A circular loop from Seathwaite Farm, 7.3 miles (11.7 km) for the complete circuit with about 1,014 m of ascent. Allow around 6.5 hours for planning; strong parties moving well have done it in just over 4 hours. This is a hard, expert-level mountain day rather than a walk to fit around other plans.
Why go
- Four summits and varied mountain scenery
- Great Gable summit and tarns
Heads up
- Long, rough day with navigation and scrambling
- Limited parking and awkward for dogs
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation126–881 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active Lake District alerts
- ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
- ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake District Tour Guide
Your drive to Base Brown, Green Gable, Great Gable and Seathwaite Fell, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Seathwaite and the Corridor Route0:00 / 1:01
“You're approaching Seathwaite, the starting point for the Corridor Route up Scafell Pike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Honister: Inside the Slate Mountain
- Seatoller: Castle Crag or Waterfall Walk
- Stonethwaite: Galleny Force and Black Moss Pot
- Rosthwaite: Dock Tarn and Great Crag
- 298 audio storiesacross Lake District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Eurasian Otter, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 265 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Base Brown, Green Gable, Great Gable and Seathwaite Fell
Sequence and payoffThe climb starts beside the cascades of Sour Milk Gill, then works up to Base Brown before the…
The climb starts beside the cascades of Sour Milk Gill, then works up to Base Brown before the steady pull to Green Gable. From there the route drops to Windy Gap and climbs the final rocky section to the summit of Great Gable, the high point of the day. The descent runs down to Sty Head, past Sprinkling Tarn, over the Seathwaite Fell Wainwright summit, then back down to Stockley Bridge and the valley road.
Difficulty and footingExpect loose rock, blocky steps and hands-on minor scrambling on Great Gable, plus an exposed…
Expect loose rock, blocky steps and hands-on minor scrambling on Great Gable, plus an exposed terraced path where a slip would matter. The ground above Sty Head is often boggy, and the descent from Seathwaite Fell is faint to pathless across rough grass, so you need to hold a line by map and compass. There is a stream crossing that can be awkward. Carry water from the valley, since sources high on the route are limited.
SceneryThe waterfalls low down give way to wide fell panoramas from Base Brown and Green Gable.
The waterfalls low down give way to wide fell panoramas from Base Brown and Green Gable. Great Gable brings the crags of the Great Napes and the summit memorial plaque, and the return leg passes Styhead Tarn and Sprinkling Tarn with open views back toward Seathwaite and out in the direction of Keswick.
GeologyUnderfoot the mountain is rough blocky rock with long runs of loose scree on the steeper…
Underfoot the mountain is rough blocky rock with long runs of loose scree on the steeper flanks, while the tops of Base Brown and Seathwaite Fell are grassier and more rounded. That contrast explains the sudden change in walking speed between the rocky central section and the soft, uneven ground on the way down.
Access, parking and crowdsParking is limited roadside at the end of the Seathwaite road and fills quickly at weekends and…
Parking is limited roadside at the end of the Seathwaite road and fills quickly at weekends and on holidays. Park considerately and never block the farm entrance or emergency access. The Great Gable and Sty Head sections are popular, while Base Brown and Seathwaite Fell see far fewer people.
Dogs and hazardsDogs are legally allowed on this public access route, but it is a difficult outing for them:…
Dogs are legally allowed on this public access route, but it is a difficult outing for them: scrambling steps, rock obstacles and a tricky stream crossing all need lifting or a detour. Consider a shorter valley walk instead. If you want another big day from the same valley, Scafell Pike from Seathwaite is a separate nearby option.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake District
81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
