Great Gable

Sitting by "Westmorelands Cairn" on a hot June day

We had come up the stony Sty Head path from Wasdale Head

It is a long steep(ish) path

With lots of looks back (breathers)

Down Wastwater lake

To where the land meets the sea

At Sty Head Tarn; two thousand feet Alt

Here is a plateau a junction of ways

To four individual valleys  and

Five or more separate summits

 

We take the track up into Windy Gap

Then back across the side of Great Gable

The track steepens now

Like a steep shelf clinging to the cliff

At three thousand feet it levels off

To less steep rocky slope

 

On the summit cairn north face in a metal plaque

In memory of the climbers who fell in

The Great War To end all wars they said

On the north face where no sun light will shine

Like on the faces of those who never returned

 

On Armistice Sunday a service is held for all climbers lost in all wars

From all quarters they come

To remember the dead

In hail rain snow

Nothing has ever stopped the service 

 

Away to the west is a huge cairn

Built to mark the edge of a vertical drop
the three thousand feet

Into Wasdale Head

No view down Wastwater lake today

The heat haze has hidden the

Line where land meets the sea

And beyond 

Reviews

[Laurierose]

I noticed each time I'd read one of your poems, that I felt very appreciative. Your writing style is more narrative than most I've read and chronicles some form of a story throughout. It's almost as if you've given us a glance into your creative mind. I appreciate that. Great read.

[Wild Rose]

So pleased you enjoy my writing
I am not really given to writing poetry
I was an engineer and retired as lecturer > most of my work was to describe the operation of industrial process control instruments an control systems (things which keep chemical plant working > and machines to build things like cars etc)
So when writing about countryside I like to describe what I see and where we venture

[Laurierose]

Well your experiences has inspired such great work. It was a joy to read.

[Wild Rose]

Thank you > I/we need some inspiration to write these days
That you like my wok is inspiration itself

[Coyote Poetry]

A wonderful photo and amazing words my dear friend. I liked the ancient places with history. Allow us to feel the spirits near and remember. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Wild Rose]

Thank you Coyote
The photos bring back the memory of the walk, on a hot sunny day,
It pleases me to share the day with you. The hot feet - the heat haze tue views

[Coyote Poetry]

A wonderful poem and you are welcome my friend.

[Intothemilkyway]

''Nothing has ever stopped the service '' ; this part shows that it's a continuation and a repeating of what has happened. Love the ending cause it says ''And beyond" and it makes me think of the Toy Story Movie and the character who has this sentence as his pick up line.
It's quite funny and joyful.

[Wild Rose]

Thank you for your comment
Great Gable is like the hob of a wheel. All the Lake Land valley radiate out from it. It is not the highest Lake Land mountain.
It was bought by the Fell and Rock Climber Club and the memorial fixed to the summit cairn following WWI, memorial services have been held there without break; even in severe snow storms
"And beyond", over the coast and sea to th e next land in the USA

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

i like this a lot its almost like im getting an education about names and places I will never probably get to or dream about even. thanks so much for writing this I like it

[Wild Rose]

Thank you
Names and places
The towns you may visit
The pass and path names would only be used by fell walkers now > Not difficult to access but mostly the only take you deeper higher into the fells and remote places with no road access

They could be scary for people unused to wild places

[Joltara]

I felt as though I was there. You have a unique talent for being able to take your reader there through your wonderful imagery. There seems to be a mystique about this place that pulls like a magnet.

[Wild Rose]

Thank you Joltara: wonderful word from you
One of the highest peaks in the "Lake District" about one hours drive from home to begin the climb (could take all morning - depends)
I will go through my files for more

[Joltara]

You are welcome! :)

[sette]

it is picturesque and very beautiful and you were able to capture it in writing good job

[Wild Rose]

Thank you sette: I attempt to take my readers on the journey with us on our journeys
May be one day I will sit by a stream and write about "babbling brooks" and such things - see how it goes

[sette]

and hopefully you can weave great stories out of those beautiful God given things

[emmajoy]

What a trek, and i know part of it.. used to hostel in Cumbria.. gosh, twenty odd years ago!

How yo're wndered the ups and downs, some steeper than steep but those views are hust magi and air fresh if not cold and soetimes leaving a walker gaspig! Love Wastwater,,deep and almost scary at times but.. open to mists as you say.. give an almost ethereal feel or.. perhaps a frightening one.

' We take the track up into Windy Gap - Then back across the side of Great Gable - The track steepens now - Like a steep shelf clinging to the cliff - At three thousand feet it levels off - To less steep rocky slope .. ' Whilst all stanza are as clearly seen, the one prior is so true.. so wondrous. ' Like a steep.. brilliant phrase) Feel when you're writing, you see all of that in front of your eyes.. and pause at times,. to see ore, feel more. Beautifully descriptive - superb writing.

[Wild Rose]

emma joy: Pleased you liked the walk I took you on
As iwas writing this I was actually recalling the journey on that hot June day (helped by the picture) several years ago
"Like a Steep shelf" I was attempting to convey a narrow (one person width) crossing an almost vertical hillside Towering up on the right hand; with a steep drop to the left (sounds more scary in words)
At the time I was a "Voluntary" Warden (in paid - just expenses from home )

[emmajoy]

Your wonderful (truly) post brought back so many memories for me.. i Have a picture only feet away of an old famr entance somewhere in that area.. was for sale.. if only i'd been rich! Thank you so much for posting your walk and, lucky lucky you to do such voluntary work!!

[Wild Rose]

Please to have woken up some memories for you
We live outside the National Park where houses are "affordable" but not so far away to stop you going for an evening walk by a lake should you fancy or by a sea shore
Voluntary work also involved path making, fencing, litter picking > living here i t became a way of life > The Vol Wardens come from all walks of life > gave up to run a small business

[emmajoy]

Life goes in so many directions! Again, many thanks for your glorious words.

[Neville]

You have just created a most marvelous and atmospheric poetical ordinance survey map I have come accross in many a long write..... I feel like I have just been on a brisk hike and taken the whole lot of it in..... Thank you Wild Rose......... Neville

[Wild Rose]

Thank you Neville (encouragement to write more journeys - not all in the Lake District)
My aim was to take you for a hike to the "top of the world" on a clear day it can look that way

[Neville]

Bless you my friend and I am sure you will one day.... N

[Wild Rose]

Have a few suitable pictures in mind

[Neville]

am not surprised....