Gasgale Crags

Guarding the northern flank of Gasgale Gill, this dramatic Birkett marks the western termination of a sublime, narrow ridge. It offers a rugged character, with steep screes falling away towards Crummock Water and an exhilarating, airy high-level walk that connects the summit to the higher ground of Hopegill Head.

• •The name Gasgale likely originates from the Old Norse 'geit', meaning goat, and 'skali', meaning a shieling or summer hut, indicating that these steep slopes were used for seasonal grazing in the Viking age.
• •While modern maps often group this with the main summit of Whiteside, Bill Birkett specifically identifies these crags as a distinct top in his list of Lakeland fells due to their rugged, individual character.
• •Alfred Wainwright was a great admirer of the terrain here, describing the narrow, slatey arête that runs between Gasgale Crags and Hopegill Head as 'the finest of its kind' in the North Western Fells.
• •The summit offers a perfectly framed view directly down the length of Crummock Water, positioned between the heather-clad slopes of Mellbreak and the lower heights of Low Fell.
• •Choosing the direct ascent through the crags from the valley floor is an efficient way to learn exactly how many pieces of loose Skiddaw slate it takes to make a hillwalker slide backwards.
• •To the south, the view is dominated by the massive northern face of Grasmoor, separated from these crags by the deep, narrow trench of Gasgale Gill.