What made you go 'wow'?

[clapton is god]

Standing on the edge, the very edge, of Great Gable at the Westmoreland Cairn and looking straight down at the full half mile drop to the Wasdale valley and then having my mad Border Collie walk across my toes without a care in the world. For those who haven't been to this location it is without doubt the best and wildest viewpoint in the Lakes.

[thebish]

FANTASTIC!!

[Little Green Man]

Landing at the old Hong Kong airport, though to be honest it was more woah than wow.

And while we're talking of flights - the aerial views of geomorphology of Iran and the Western Ghats of India.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Indeed a super photograph, Clappers. It caused me to look at others on the net and yours was the best I saw. I also learned, to my surprise, that the cairn is not named after the old county but after Tom and Edward Westmorland who built it in 1876.

[CAPSLOCK]

Standing on the edge, the very edge, of Great Gable at the Westmoreland Cairn and looking straight down at the full half mile drop to the Wasdale valley and then having my mad Border Collie walk across my toes without a care in the world. For those who haven't been to this location it is without doubt the best and wildest viewpoint in the Lakes.

Lets say I made the effort to get there

Talk me through/out of it

[clapton is god]

Standing on the edge, the very edge, of Great Gable at the Westmoreland Cairn and looking straight down at the full half mile drop to the Wasdale valley and then having my mad Border Collie walk across my toes without a care in the world. For those who haven't been to this location it is without doubt the best and wildest viewpoint in the Lakes.

Lets say I made the effort to get there

Talk me through/out of it

Two ways up (there are more) are from the Wasdale Inn, just visible to right of frame, and then walk along the river out of left of frame to the stretcher box and turn left up the hill. The second, and my favourite way up is from the slate mines at Honister and across Moses Trod to Beck Head. Only 2000 feet of climb going that way. Once on the top of Gable though the cairn is hidden from view just a few yards away from the summit direct to the south and then about 50' down and many never actually look for it or even know its there. Best time to go up is Remembrance Sunday when several hundred will make the trek from all directions for a brief service on the summit at 11am. Just follow the crowd - its all on good footpaths.

It is possible to get up the screes in the photo (see path right of frame) but it isn't recommended and it's really climbers territory - the clue is in the name of the area "Great Hell Gate'. The rock pillars in the image are Trophet Bastion and just below them is the Napes area including the famous Napes Needle. Its safer to stay clear of this whole area if making for the top although there is a path all the way around the hill, named the Girdle and even somewhere called the 'Dress Circle' from where you can watch the climbers on the Needle. I've been here on this spot maybe ten times now and always worth the effort. Not sure yet whether I'll go up again this November.

[clapton is god]

Indeed a super photograph, Clappers. It caused me to look at others on the net and yours was the best I saw. I also learned, to my surprise, that the cairn is not named after the old county but after Tom and Edward Westmorland who built it in 1876.

Indeed, Monty, and apologies for my erroneous 'e'. There's another such named cairn on the Ennerdale side of Pillar known at 'Robinson's Cairn' and both of them are in such wonderful wild places they are almost spiritual experiences just being there.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

This place... Monty'll know it.

[thebish]

lake jasper??

[Lost Leopard Spot]

lake jasper??

Close, but not quite. Lake Maligne in Jasper National Park.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

And this earlier on the same trip. View from summit of Mt Fairview looking north...

[thebish]

I think I've been to Lake Maligne (sister lives in Grande prairie - and we visited once..) - stayed in Jasper national park for a few days in a log cabin and went white water rafting and up cable cars etc...

some of those lakes are unbelievably turquoise! you see them on calendars and think - yeah, right - but they actually are turquoise!!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I think I've been to Lake Maligne (sister lives in Grande prairie - and we visited once..) - stayed in Jasper national park for a few days in a log cabin and went white water rafting and up cable cars etc...

some of those lakes are unbelievably turquoise! you see them on calendars and think - yeah, right - but they actually are turquoise!!

Yeh. It's the minerals ground out of the rocks by the glaciers. I think Emerald Lake was the turquoisiest. Stunning.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I think I've been to Lake Maligne (sister lives in Grande prairie - and we visited once..) - stayed in Jasper national park for a few days in a log cabin and went white water rafting and up cable cars etc...

some of those lakes are unbelievably turquoise! you see them on calendars and think - yeah, right - but they actually are turquoise!!

Yeh. It's the minerals ground out of the rocks by the glaciers. I think Emerald Lake was the turquoisiest. Stunning.

I'm not quite sure I'd agree.

I took this at Emerald Lake in 2003



Compare this with Bow Lake (Banff) in 2006.



Of course a lot depends on the sun.

[Verbal]

OR whoever's bestest at colouring in.

[thebish]

Of course a lot depends on the sun.

and the sky!!

[Montreal Wanderer]

The Banff and Jasper National Parks are quite spectacular and the highway between them considered one of the most scenic in the world. I have been a dozen times or more and never tire of the Icelands Parkway. However, I blush to confess that I have never been to Lake Maligne.

[Gary the Enfield]

The Banff and Jasper National Parks are quite spectacular and the highway between them considered one of the most scenic in the world. I have been a dozen times or more and never tire of the Icelands Parkway. However, I blush to confess that I have never been to Lake Maligne.

It has a bad reputation. Totally undeserved.

[thebish]

The Banff and Jasper National Parks are quite spectacular and the highway between them considered one of the most scenic in the world. I have been a dozen times or more and never tire of the Icelands Parkway. However, I blush to confess that I have never been to Lake Maligne.

It has a bad reputation. Totally undeserved.

[Gary the Enfield]

The Banff and Jasper National Parks are quite spectacular and the highway between them considered one of the most scenic in the world. I have been a dozen times or more and never tire of the Icelands Parkway. However, I blush to confess that I have never been to Lake Maligne.

It has a bad reputation. Totally undeserved.

Mine's the Navy one with the gold buckle, thanks!