Great Gable from Honister via Moses' Trod
A big-mountain day from a high start: out along the old smugglers' track of Moses' Trod to Beck Head, up Great Gable, and home over Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts.
- Distance
- 9.7 km
- 6.0 miles
- Ascent
- 822 m
- High point 894 m
- Time
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- Walking time, no stops
- Grade
- Hard
- Circular
Take this walk with you
Google Maps does not know most fell paths, so use it to get to the start, then follow the GPX in an app like OS Maps, Komoot or AllTrails. To see the line in Google Maps, open Google My Maps, create a map, choose Import and pick the KML file. It then appears in the Google Maps app under Saved, Maps.
Weather on this walk
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Starting at Honister Hause means the slate mine has done a fair share of the climbing before you leave the car. Moses' Trod, an old packhorse line between Honister and Wasdale, then contours round the flanks of Brandreth and Green Gable with remarkably little effort, and the views down Ennerdale grow with every step.
The work comes at the end: a steep, rough climb from Beck Head onto the dome of Great Gable. The summit carries the Fell and Rock Climbing Club's war memorial, and a short walk south brings you to the Westmorland Cairn, built to mark what its builders thought was the finest view in the district, straight down into Wasdale.
The return over Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts is a proper ridge walk with Ennerdale on one side and Buttermere on the other. It is a strong choice for walkers who want Gable without the long walk in from Seathwaite or Wasdale.
The route
- 1
Honister to Moses' Trod
From the slate mine car park follow the good track west that marks the start of Moses' Trod. After an initial climb it settles into a long, gentle traverse south-west across the slopes of Brandreth.
- 2
Along the trod
The path contours below Brandreth and Green Gable, gaining height gently, with the head of Ennerdale opening up on your right. Keep to the trod as it passes beneath the dark cliffs of Gable Crag.
- 3
Beck Head
The trod reaches Beck Head, the col between Great Gable and Kirk Fell. Turn left here onto Gable's north-west ridge.
- 4
Up Great Gable
Climb the steep, rocky path up the north-west ridge. It is a hard pull with some loose ground, and the path fades on the bouldery summit dome, where cairns mark the way to the memorial plaque on the summit rocks. The Westmorland Cairn is a few minutes to the south.
- 5
Windy Gap and Green Gable
Leave the summit north-east down the rough, rocky path to Windy Gap, then climb the short, red, eroded slope to Green Gable for the view along Ennerdale.
- 6
Brandreth and Grey Knotts
Follow the line of the old boundary fence north past Gillercomb Head to Brandreth, then carry on over the broad grassy ridge, past a few small tarns, to Grey Knotts. A steep path beside the fence, with one short rocky step, drops back down to Honister.
Questions people ask
Can you walk up Great Gable from Honister?
Yes. Honister Hause is one of the most popular starts, as it begins at a good height. This circuit goes out along Moses' Trod and back over Green Gable and Brandreth.
How long is Great Gable from Honister?
Mud and Routes gives 10.43 km and about five hours for the circuit via Moses' Trod and Brandreth.
What is Moses' Trod?
An old track between Honister and Wasdale Head said to have carried slate between the valleys. Local legend ties its name to a smuggler, Moses Rigg, though little evidence of him survives.
Where do you park at Honister?
At Honister Slate Mine on the top of the pass. Mud and Routes also mentions a National Trust car park tucked behind the youth hostel.
More walks nearby
Borrowdale valley loop: Seatoller, Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite
Easy, 7.6 km, 199 m up, about 2 hours
A low-level ramble through the heart of Borrowdale: Johnny Wood, the River Derwent, Rosthwaite and the quiet side valley to Stonethwaite.
Haystacks from Gatesgarth
Hard, 7.7 km, 529 m up, about 2 hours 30 minutes
A small fell with a big character: from Gatesgarth over Scarth Gap to the craggy top of Haystacks, past Innominate Tarn and down Warnscale.
Castle Crag from Grange
Moderate, 6.2 km, 279 m up, about 1 hour 30 minutes
The smallest Wainwright with the biggest personality: up through old slate workings to Castle Crag's summit memorial, then down past Millican Dalton's cave.
Food, drink and beds near the start
Honister Slate Mine
Adventure, Honister Pass, ££
England's last working slate mine offers underground tours, via ferrata and infinity bridge experiences high above Buttermere valley.
The Langstrath
Country Inn, Stonethwaite, ££
Tucked into Borrowdale's quietest corner, this tiny country inn is the perfect post-walk pint stop with genuine warmth.
Borrowdale Gates Hotel
Country House Hotel, Borrowdale, £££, dogs welcome
A tranquil retreat in Borrowdale's green heart, with fell views from every room and a kitchen that champions Cumbrian produce.
The Wasdale Head Inn
Traditional, Wasdale, ££
England's most dramatically located pub, ringed by the highest fells and steeped in climbing history.