Base Brown
Encyclopedia
Base Brown is a fell
in England's Lake District
, near the head of the Borrowdale
Valley. It forms one side of the Seathwaite Valley, and on the western side it is flanked by the hanging valley of Gillercomb.
occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale
to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable
and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale
, the western fells in effect being a great horsehoe around this long wild valley. Base Brown is a near neighbour of Great Gable, also bordering onto the Southern Fells.
Great Gable and its lesser companion Green Gable
stand at the head of Ennerdale, with the walkers' pass of Sty Head to their backs. Base Brown is the summit of the north east ridge of Green Gable, standing out into Borrowdale. All of Base Brown's waters ultimately reach this valley, passing via Derwentwater to the sea at Workington
.
A steep and rough slope descends north east from the summit of Green Gable, dropping through Mitchell Cove to the flat-topped and rather damp col
of Blackmoor Pols (1,995 ft). Beyond this the ground rises again to the steep sided dome of Base Brown. On the south eastern face are crags overlooking Styhead Gill with Seathwaite Fell
across the valley. The north western flanks are equally steep, but descending only half the vertical distance into the hanging valley of Gillercomb. This is the gathering ground of Sour Milk Gill, which drops over a series of falls around the northern extremity of Base Brown. Here it joins Styhead Gill and Grains Gill to form the nascent River Derwent. Across Gillercomb is the main ridge continuing north around Ennerdale, Brandreth
being the initial fell. The top of Base Brown narrows considerably to the north of the summit, a prow-like ridge descending toward the falls of Sour Milk Gill. There is a prominent hanging stone here, startlingly poised over the rim of the crags. Another feature is the Seathwaite Slabs, a set of slabs of rocks used for rock climbing
practice by novices and conveniently located only minutes from Seathwaite.
-tuff
and tuff, with some breccia
. There are also minor intrusions of andesite
above Styhead Gill. The summit dome is overlain by till.
marks the highest point. The view is restricted by higher neighbours, but the view north east down Borrowdale takes in Skiddaw
and the Helvellyn range
. The northern face of the Scafells
is also seen in close up in the opposite direction. Water in view from the summit is restricted to Derwentwater and part of Styhead Tarn.
, along the popular paths which start at Seathwaite. Base Brown is itself almost exclusively climbed from this hamlet, via the cascades of Sour Milk Gill. Once the foot of Gillercomb is reached a choice presents itself. Either the walker can continue up the gill to reach Blackmoor Pols and then make an easy traverse back to the summit, or a direct line can be taken up the north ridge. Base Brown can be used as the first step to climbing Green and Great Gable.
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
in England's Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, near the head of the Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
Valley. It forms one side of the Seathwaite Valley, and on the western side it is flanked by the hanging valley of Gillercomb.
Topography
The Western FellsWestern Fells
The Western Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Centred on Great Gable they occupy a triangular area between Buttermere and Wasdale...
occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale
Wasdale
Wasdale is a valley and civil parish in the western part of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Irt flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass. A large part of the main valley floor is occupied by Wastwater, the deepest lake in England...
to the south east. Westwards the hills diminish toward the coastal plain of Cumberland. At the central hub of the high country are Great Gable
Great Gable
Great Gable is a mountain lying at the very heart of the English Lake District, appearing as a pyramid from Wasdale , but as a dome from most other directions. It is one of the most popular of the Lakeland fells, and there are many different routes to the summit...
and its satellites, while two principal ridges fan out on either flank of Ennerdale
Ennerdale
Ennerdale may refer to:* Ennerdale, Gauteng, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa* Ennerdale Water, a lake in the Lake District in England**Ennerdale Bridge, a nearby settlement...
, the western fells in effect being a great horsehoe around this long wild valley. Base Brown is a near neighbour of Great Gable, also bordering onto the Southern Fells.
Great Gable and its lesser companion Green Gable
Green Gable
Green Gable is a fell in the English Lake District often traversed by walkers on route to its more famous neighbour Great Gable. It can be ascended from Honister Pass, Seathwaite in Borrowdale, or Ennerdale...
stand at the head of Ennerdale, with the walkers' pass of Sty Head to their backs. Base Brown is the summit of the north east ridge of Green Gable, standing out into Borrowdale. All of Base Brown's waters ultimately reach this valley, passing via Derwentwater to the sea at Workington
Workington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
.
A steep and rough slope descends north east from the summit of Green Gable, dropping through Mitchell Cove to the flat-topped and rather damp col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
of Blackmoor Pols (1,995 ft). Beyond this the ground rises again to the steep sided dome of Base Brown. On the south eastern face are crags overlooking Styhead Gill with Seathwaite Fell
Seathwaite Fell
Seathwaite Fell is an area of the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It stands above the hamlet of the same name at the head of Borrowdale.-Position of the summit:...
across the valley. The north western flanks are equally steep, but descending only half the vertical distance into the hanging valley of Gillercomb. This is the gathering ground of Sour Milk Gill, which drops over a series of falls around the northern extremity of Base Brown. Here it joins Styhead Gill and Grains Gill to form the nascent River Derwent. Across Gillercomb is the main ridge continuing north around Ennerdale, Brandreth
Brandreth
Brandreth is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands between Great Gable and Haystacks in the Western Fells.-Topography:The Western Fells occupy a triangular sector of the Lake District, bordered by the River Cocker to the north east and Wasdale to the south east. Westwards the hills...
being the initial fell. The top of Base Brown narrows considerably to the north of the summit, a prow-like ridge descending toward the falls of Sour Milk Gill. There is a prominent hanging stone here, startlingly poised over the rim of the crags. Another feature is the Seathwaite Slabs, a set of slabs of rocks used for rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
practice by novices and conveniently located only minutes from Seathwaite.
Geology
The crags on either face of Base Brown display rocks of the Crinkle Member of the Airy's Bridge Formation. This consists mainly of welded rhyolitic lapilliLapilli
Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. Lapilli means "little stones" in Latin. They are in some senses similar to ooids or pisoids in calcareous sediments.By definition lapilli range...
-tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
and tuff, with some breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
. There are also minor intrusions of andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
above Styhead Gill. The summit dome is overlain by till.
Summit and view
Although surrounded by crags the summit itself is of grass with a few boulders. A cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
marks the highest point. The view is restricted by higher neighbours, but the view north east down Borrowdale takes in Skiddaw
Skiddaw
Skiddaw is a mountain in the Lake District National Park in England. With a summit at 931 m above sea level it is the fourth highest mountain in England. It lies just north of the town of Keswick, Cumbria, and dominates the skyline in this part of the northern lakes...
and the Helvellyn range
Helvellyn range
Helvellyn range is the name given to a part of the Eastern Fells in the English Lake District, fell being the local word for hill. The name comes from Helvellyn, the highest point of the group....
. The northern face of the Scafells
Scafells
Image:Annotated Scafell range.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Scafell range as seen looking west from Crinkle Crags. rect 23 372 252 419 Slight Side rect 173 794 560 834 Scafell East Buttress...
is also seen in close up in the opposite direction. Water in view from the summit is restricted to Derwentwater and part of Styhead Tarn.
Ascents
Base Brown is often passed on the way to Sty Head and Esk HauseEsk Hause
Esk Hause is a mountain pass in the English Lake District, where paths from Eskdale, Borrowdale, Langdale and Wasdale all meet. Esk Hause is a first step to reaching higher summits, such as Scafell Pike, Great End, Esk Pike and Allen Crags, which are all nearby.The source of the River Esk is close...
, along the popular paths which start at Seathwaite. Base Brown is itself almost exclusively climbed from this hamlet, via the cascades of Sour Milk Gill. Once the foot of Gillercomb is reached a choice presents itself. Either the walker can continue up the gill to reach Blackmoor Pols and then make an easy traverse back to the summit, or a direct line can be taken up the north ridge. Base Brown can be used as the first step to climbing Green and Great Gable.