Wainwright Routes - Base Brown Route One

Base Brown - Route One

Start - Seathwaite NY 235 122

Distance - 1.3 miles

Ascent - 1,730 feet

Time - 1 hour : 25 minutes

The approach lane to Seathwaite Farm is the starting point for this walk

Seathwaite Farm

Opposite the farmhouse an archway through the farm buildings gives access to a walled lane

The lane leads to a footbridge over the River Derwent

Sourmilk Gill from the footbridge over the River Derwent

The River Derwent from the footbridge

Allen Crags and Seathwaite Fell from the footbridge, with the slopes of Base Brown on the right

A pitched path leads up beside a wall before crossing it by an unusual ladder stile

Base Brown from the ladder stile with Seathwaite Slabs on the right middle foreground

Allen Crags and Seathwaite Fell from the path below Seathwaite Slabs

Borrowdale from the top of Seathwaite Slabs

Above Seathwaite Slabs the path generally keeps well to the left of Sourmilk Gill but it is possible to to approach the waterfalls at a couple of points

The lower falls in Sourmilk Gill

Looking down on the steepest section of the path

The path eventually emerges onto a rock shelf below the intake wall which is followed for a short distance to a hand-gate

Looking down on Seathwaite from the rock shelf

Base Brown from the handgate in the intake wall

A short distance above the intake wall the path comes close to the upper falls of Sourmilk Gill

Borrowdale from the upper falls of Sourmilk Gill

Approaching the lip of Gillercomb

Raven Crag across Gillercomb

The main path continues on above Gillercomb towards the col between Base Brown and Green Gable. The summit of Base Brown is most easily reached along a broad grassy ridge from that col

The direct route threads its way up the north ridge. Initially there is little hint of a path amongst the rock outcrops on the lower slope but one becomes evident near the huge fallen stone seen here in the left middleground

The Fallen Stone
Base Brown - page 4

Dale Head above Seatoller Fell from the Fallen Stone

Raven Crag across Gillercomb from the Fallen Stone

Borrowdale from the Fallen Stone

From the Fallen Stone the path winds up left to a terrace below the Hanging Stone crag

The Hanging Stone from the path which runs along the terrace at the base of the crag

Glaramara from the terrace path

Looking back from the terrace, the summits of Dale Head and High Spy appear over Seatoller Fell

Looking down on Seathwaite from the terrace path

"People with bad coughs should keep out of the line of fall"
Base Brown - page 4

Allen Crags, Esk Pike and Great End from the end of the terrace path

From the end of the terrace the path makes a sharp turn to the right and climbs steeply to the top of the Hanging Stone crag

Looking down on Seathwaite from the top of the Hanging Stone crag

Grey Knotts and Dale Head from the top of the Hanging Stone crag

Dale Head and High Spy over Seatoller Fell with Blencathra on the right skyline

Allen Crags, Esk Pike and Great End above Seathwaite Fell from the top of the Hanging Stone crag

Above the Hanging Stone a second tier of craggy outcrops can be climbed directly, or a faint path can be followed to the left of them to gain a shallow grass depression below the final rise to the summit ridge