Eagle’s Nest Gully to Arrowhead Ridge Great Gable

This classic ridge delivers on both atmosphere and setting.

T he Napes on Great Gables west face is widely regarded as the birthplace of rock climbing. The complex array of ridges, pinnacles and buttresses attracted early pioneers based at Wasdale Head who found the terrain similar to the mountaineering terrain of the Alps. Some of Britain’s earliest routes are located on its rocks and there is an outstanding selection of climbs from easy to extreme. As might be expected with such an expansive crag, there is also ground that provides good scrambles.

The most popular scramble is the Climbers’ Traverse and ‘Threading The Needle’; it’s a fine outing and a good introduction to the place but as it doesn’t lead directly to the top it somehow feels a bit weak as a route choice. A much stronger route selection would be one of the ridges that divide the crags from top to bottom. Of these, scramblers have a couple of choices – either Sphinx Ridge or Arrowhead Ridge. Sphinx Ridge is good, but Arrowhead Ridge – being at the centre of The Napes – has the edge both on atmosphere and setting. The lower half of Arrowhead Ridge is a rock climb and comes in at a fairly solid V.Diff grade, however the adjacent Eagle’s Nest Gully provides a handy scramble that bypasses the climbing bit and installs you on the upper scrambling section.

The Napes, and its gullies in particular, has a fair bit of loose rock so a helmet is a sensible option, particularly on busy days when other parties may dislodge stones above you. Jeremy Ashcroft mountaineering editor