Great gable via needle ridge and westmorlands crag. The ridges of england, wales and ireland scrambles and climbs by dan bailey published by cicerone this is the companion to dan baileys scotlands mountain ridges a guide to scrambles and climbs. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Viewranger great gable via napes needle hiking route. Dec 14, 2001 napes is the equivalent of the word no. One of the earliest climbs in britain and quite ahead of its time for a daring solo ascent in nailed boots. Johnston has a superhuman gift for watching and listening to the world and rendering, on the page, its beauty and savagery with such detail and. Guided rock climbing on napes needle adventure hunter. The westmorland cairn near the summit was erected by two brothers in 1876 to mark what they beleived to be the best view in the lake district.
I descended great gable by way of the westmorland cairn and down to the rough and rocky great napes descending great hell gate and traversing to napes needle and sphinx rock. Early morning a glimmer of light and very cold on this steep way up to kirk fell. Nov 21, 2016 a family trip to climb the classic napes needle in the lake district by tom, jack, cathy and ben. Francis frith the uks leading publisher of local photographs since 1860. For walkers attempting great gable this means one thing.
Across to green gable under base brown and back down to seathwaite. Descent tells the story of a yearslong bender that exposes the brutal truth of his life as a professional cyclist. Napes needle is a 30 foot spire of rock, rising from half way up great gable, a mountain in the lake district. Although it is well within the grasp of many climbers, many opt for a guided ascent of napes needle because of the difficulties in getting back down safely. It is one of the most popular of the lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit. Fancy climbing the needle but have heard that the descent can be dodgy and theres a specific. A classic route from wasdale head to great gable via the great napes. Napes needle is perhaps the most recognized piece of rock in the uk, and the.
Walks in the lake district gable traverse, great napes. It is named for its appearance as a pyramid from wasdale, though it is domeshaped from most other directions. The easiest route up the needle is via the arete, which along with the wasdale crack are graded hard severe. There are now about seven routes and variations on this relatively small pinnacle of rock from 5. Great gable and the napes is the spiritual birthplace of traditional rock climbing here in the uk and holds a special place in many climbers hearts, including mine. Tim and i climb great gable and search for the iconic napes needle. Unlike most books that fall into the category of page turner, this one also falls in the category of writing so good you cant even believe it. Google map, bing map, os map and openstreet map of the mountain at napes needle.
Napes needle is perhaps the most recognized piece of rock in the uk, and the most photograpthed. First climbed as an aid route by 50s lakes legend, paul ross and then called the great buttress. Must do lake district mountain good scramble alongside napes needle views down 4 lakeland valleys great gable is a climbers mountain, possibly the best and probably the most famous in the lake district. Owen glynne jones climb of kern knotts crack, great gable in. Site homepage site guide recommended books guestbook walk time calculator. Please submit any useful information about climbing napes needle that may be useful to other climbers. After lunch, giddons offer to help lisa with the dishes was met by a raised eyebrow from sarah. Filmed by myself, ali keech, dom bush and martin campbell for cumbria tourism napes needle with leo houlding on vimeo. I had intentionally based myself in eskdale so i could cover some of the western fells. To scramble the steep polished groove between the crag to get to the starting point of needle ridge is called, threading the needle which is probably seen a little better in the photo below.
Nice pictures cozza napes needle and the great gable climbers traverse is on my to do list next year wasdale meet in june but had a go at this on my own earlier on in the year from borrowdale followed the scree path fine up to napes needle but thought the little hell gate route looked unclimbable to much loose scree and big drops and is the. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of napes needle. Walks in the lake district gable traverse, great napes and great. One can protect the leaders descent by having the rope over the back of the. Now cross a chossy gully and go left to an exposed ledge called the dress circle, with a classic view of napes needle there are usually climbers insitu. With all of the reports and initiatives, hollywood looks to build upon the progress in 2019 and move the needle more than just a smidge with a barrage of inclusive films and tv projects for 2020. Technically, its a climb rather than a scramble but needle ridge never strays. The needle gully has two separate branchesleading to the crest of the napes, neither of themparti rockclimbing in the english lake district. Consider things such as access and accommodation at the base of napes needle, as. Walklakes recognises that hill walking, or walking in the mountains, is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death. I was staying in the lake district for four days on a late summer walking break and had chosen four walks to some of my favourite lakeland mountains using routes i had never walked before. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions. Napes needle is considered the birthplace of british rock climbing, i read about this avidly in my teens in a crowded study at school so time has clouded my memory as far as dates and names, but i believe the history is on display in the wasdale head. Back on the climbers path a fairly steady descent continues on with some great views to be had.
Great gable walk from seathwaite in the borrowdale valley. Needlebook definition of needlebook by the free dictionary. The feeble fingers were never idle, and one of her pleasures was to make little things for the school children daily passing to and fro, to drop a pair of mittens from her window for a pair of purple hands, a needlebook for some small mother of many dolls, penwipers for young penmen toiling through forests of pothooks, scrapbooks for pictureloving eyes, and all manner of pleasant devices. Licensed to youtube by newstateentltd on behalf of new state music. After a misty but moving moment on the summit and a tricky descent into ennerdale, we arrive at black sail youth hostel in time for mexican night and a very entertaining evening. The final moves onto the summit block are the most trying, although manufacturing an adequate belay and descending in safety requires considerably more.
Napes needle great gable crag grade hard severe length 21m pitches 2 quality 3 star approach 1 112 hours ascent time less than 2 hours start point wasdale or seathwaite, borrowdale descent lead down the needle ascend gully to top guide book pillar and gable first ascent 1886 walter parry haskettsmith leos approach. Loop from seathwaite, threading napes needle, up the sphinx ridge and up to great gable. This remarkable solo first ascent of napes needle took place on either the 27th or 30th june 1886 and is generally reckoned to mark the foundation of rockclimbing as a sport in its own right, ie distinct from mountaineering. After a bit of ingenuity you will descend from napes needle, from where you will be at the start point of needle ridge. Great range of guidebooks, dvds, books, calendars and maps. Climb the very polished slab above the gap to a short shallow chimney that trends to a block belay on the edge of the ridge below a steep wall.
We chose the arete hs as a route to the tiny summit. Buy products related to hypodermic needle products and see what customers say about hypodermic needle products on free delivery possible on eligible purchases. It is also possible to start from honister pass car park or the old dungeon ghyll, langdale car park though these will add another 30mins or so to the walk. Napes needle was first ascended in 1886 by walter parry haskett smith. This route from wasdale head to great gable begins with an easy ascent to sty head on the moses trod path. Located near keswick, england napes needle is part of the lake district w range and has a maximum elevation of 680. Climbers on the napes often use it as a descent route, but it is worthwhile in its own right too.
The napes is quite unique with its classic ridge climbs and the famous pinnacle of napes needle. Those wishing to climb napes needle should be warned that a safe descent is far more difficult than the ascent as there are no permanent anchors or bolts to abseil from. Napes needle is made of the volcanic rock rhyolite and as it keeps the sun until late in the day is quick drying. Browns slabs arete little chamonix napes needle central. One of the brothers best known images features a climb of napes needle and steve persuaded members of the fell and rock climbing club to recreate the picture. Words oli reed photographs ben winston 48 september 20 trail 49 go. Ny2089909993 sphinx ridge the climbers traverse continues west to meet the gavel neese path up great gable, but you dont have to take this optout. My epic fall from cycling superstardom to doping dead end, dekker reveals a sordid way of life full of blood bags, drugs, prostitutes, and money.
This will likely not ever be perfect, but any insight it can offer us is a gain. Leo houlding climbing what is arguably one of the most famous rock climbs in the uk. Napes needle and needle ridge, great gable are route in. Those wishing to climb napes needle should be warned that a safe descent is far more difficult than the ascent as there are no permanent anchors or bolts from which to abseil. A blind descent into the deepest caves on earth think of mount everest, and now think of it in reverse. Rock climb napes needle, united kingdom mountain project. A classic route amongst the best mountain scenery in the lakes, which provides a fine contrast between an open ridge and a buttress close to the summit. Consider things such as access and accommodation at the base of napes needle, as well as the logistics of climbing to the summit. The napes crags can be best approached from seathwaite car park in about 1h 15m or wasdale head car park, camp site in about 1h. Traverse left onto the face and climb directly to the top. After a number of visits to the napes for other climbs, today it was the climb we were here for, napes needle.
Great gables most famous ridge climb makes for an epic day out particularly if youre brave enough to tackle napes needle itself as part of the ascent. Perhaps one of the most striking rock climbing challenges in the lake district napes needle is not for the faint hearted. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Napes needle photos, maps, books, memories francis frith. Most climbers will avoid the needle all together and simply start the ridge from the notch behind napes needle. One of the reasons wed chosen great gable was mainly down to the fine weather, a stark contrast to the last time we were up at the summit. Climb the very polished chimneygroove on the right side of napes needle with some difficulty, then descend the shorter but equally steep and polished west side. Napes needle great gable the hard way an inaccessible valley, an isolated hostel, a. May 02, 2010 sat avin a rest on a little ledge at the bottom of napes needle in the lake district. Located high up great gable the napes needle is one of three main rock climbing areas, westmorland crags, the napes and kern knotts.
Footless crow was a breakthrough climb which at the time was the hardest climb in the lakes at e56c us 5a. Walter parry haskett smiths ascent of the detached pinnacle of napes needle in june 1886 now graded hard severe is thought by many who. Alternatively, from seathwaite via sty head tarn, great gable, green gable, base brown and back to seathwaite. Of several possible bases the obvious two are wasdale and borrowdale. The famous napes needle on the crags of great gable was one of the first recorded rock climbs in britain, climbed solo by wp heskett smith in 1886 prior to this climb the needle ridgebehind the needle was climbed in 1884 again by wp heskett smith.
From sty head the going gets tougher with a traverse walk to the great napes on the airy gable traverse path which is sometimes difficult to follow as it climbs over boulder fields, scree slopes and jutting outcrops. A bolt at the top would mean that you could enjoy the climb and then get on with something else. Napes synonyms, napes pronunciation, napes translation, english dictionary definition of napes. Visitors to the library can read accounts of early benchmarks in the history of rock climbing in the lake district, such as the following. After a bit of ingenuity you will descend from napes needle, from where you will be at the start point of. For a proper look at napes needle youll need to take a detour scrambling uphill over loose scree, more often than not there will be climbers about if youre struggling to find it. From there, a descent to beck head before the airy climbers traverse to visit lake district climbing mecca, the great napes. As i sat in the gully to gear up, looking up at the needle i tried to imagine what haskettsmith must have been thinking before and during his 1st ascent back in 1886. See more ideas about needle book, sewing accessories and sewing.
Haskett smith the task of finding anything either new or interesting to say on the subject of the napes needle is one which is vastly easier for a lighthearted editor to set than for an. Climbing photos at napes needle uploaded by users of. Its relatively easy access and fine climbs has resulted in this being a popular stomping ground for the lower grade climber and beginner, but also provides some high quality testpieces. The easiest route up the needle is via the arete, which along with the wasdale crack are graded hard severe hs.
The lakes have such an immense concentration of outstanding classic routes that simply cry out to be climbed. But haskett smith did not make the first ascent of napes needle. Rock climbing in the napes,great gable, united kingdom. Haskettsmiths first ascent of napes needle, climbing free solo without a rope in 1886. Walks in the lake district gable traverse, great napes and. How to get down off napes needle needle sports ltd. From here, you can either do a 12metre pitch which takes you up a polished slab into a leftleaning groove that finishes at a stance overlooking needle gully, or you can tackle a whopping 27metre pitch which brings you to a nice big stance further up with plenty of. Haskett smith in 1886, which is thought to be the origins of rock climbing becoming a sport in its own right. Now the charity is appealing for daredevils to come forward to make the event the biggest abseil ever conducted in north wales. Rock climbing in the lake district conjures up inspirational names such as botterills slab, overhanging bastion, praying mantis and napes needle. Napes needle was first climbed solo by walter parry haskett smith in june 1886, an ascent considered by many authorities to mark the birth of rock climbing as a. In his new book, blind descent, author james tabor.
Follow the path carefully and descend into the large red scree run below. Guided rock climbing on napes needle although it is well within the grasp of many climbers, many opt for a guided ascent of napes needle because of the difficulties in getting back down safely. Downclimbing is the only way to get from the summit to the shoulder and gear on this second pitch sparse to say the least. All the walking routes up great gable lake district. Napes needle great gable the hard way an inaccessible valley, an isolated hostel, a topsecret ridgeline and an icon of british.
The archies are all the mountains of scotland with a summit of m or more also having a. Threading napes needle today weve enjoyed a mountaineering day of the highest quality. The napes are important in the history of english rock climbing. Great gable is a mountain in the lake district, united kingdom. The outside face of the napes is cut by the needle gully,the eagles nest gully, and the arrowhead gully,taken in order from east to west. Private guiding with the lake district walker limited. Napes needle is a right faff to get down from and very frustrating to any parties waiting to come up. Approach as per main page for the napes needle climb route description this is an easier route than the main climb on the needle itself and gives general mountaineers to play in an area that you might think is traditionally only for climbers. Threading napes needle, great gable mountain journeys. Haskett smith made the first ascent of napes needle, solo, and left his white handkerchief on top fluttering in the breeze, an event widely. The wasdale approach is more direct, but as borrowdale is easier to get to for most people it is described below. After a misty but moving moment on the summit and a tricky descent into ennerdale, we arrive at black sail. A family trip to climb the classic napes needle in the lake district by tom, jack, cathy and ben. Napes needle great gable perhaps one of the most striking rock climbing challenges in the lake district napes needle is not for the faint hearted.
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