Drawing 80: Great Gable, from Great End

Direction of view: NW

Notes: The foreground is problematical; the best approximation to it seems to be a knoll which is some distance down the slope from the west summit of Great End. This accords with Wainwright’s view indicator diagram.

This view also appears on page 8 of Wainwright in Lakeland, page 105 of Fellwalking with a Camera, page 102 of Memoirs of a Fellwanderer, and page Great Gable 2 in The Western Fells.  The sketch shows quite a bold foreground (and a raven), both of which are absent from Wainwright’s photograph.  Given that searches have not revealed this bold foreground, it is probably artistic licence.

Comments: I first attempted this sketch on 5^th November 2012 – see Drawing 360 for an account of this day.  The deep snow on top of Great End was exhausting to wade through; there were 5 sketches to go for, and only limited time before sunset.  Hence there was no time to investigate thoroughly for potential foregrounds, though the lighting was lovely: image 1.

I carried out that investigation almost six years later, on 18^th October 2018.  After an overnight camp in Little Narrowcove (see 122), I went to look for sketches on Lingmell and Scafell Pike, before heading to Great End in the afternoon.  A lovely clear morning was clouding over, and the slope down to this viewpoint was treacherously slippery after overnight frost on the damp rocks.  Image 2 was my reward.  After having another go at Drawing 397, I returned to Little Narrowcove, packed up the tent, and headed home (via Drawing 149).