Date : 3rd February 2012
Start/Finish : Ambleside
Wainwrights : Low Pike, High Pike, Dove Crag, Hart Crag,
Fairfield, Great Rigg, Heron Pike, Nab Scar
Distance : 11 Miles
Height Gained : 3523 feet
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| The route : anticlockwise from Ambleside |
Horseshoe routes are always an attractive proposition. You walk along a ridge to a summit at the head of a valley and then return via the ridge on the opposite side. They are usually easy to navigate and are a good way of stringing a few fell tops together while spending most of the walk high up and enjoying the views. The Fairfield horseshoe perfectly defines all the characteristics of a great horseshoe route. Fairfield itself is the highest summit of the walk and stands majestically at the head of the Rydal valley around which which the walk circumvents. It is a classic Lakeland walk taking in 8 Wainwright fells and is enjoyed by many thousands of folk from Ambleside every year. It's also a popular route in winter due to its fairly gentle gradient and its wide ridges with good paths throughout. Today was clear & calm but with plenty of snow visible on the higher fells. Perfect weather to tackle this classic walk in winter.
I decided to take the anticlockwise option for the walk today. It doesn't really matter which way round you go but the views of Grasmere and Rydal Water on the way back are a great tonic for tired legs.
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| Approaching High Sweden Bridge |
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| How does it not fall down ? |
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| Views over Rydal Water towards the snowy Coniston Fells |
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| Looking back to Windermere in the early morning mist |
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| Looking over the other side of the valley to Heron Pike and Great Rigg |
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| First fell of the day : Low Pike |
For the first half of the walk you are accompanied by a wall which stubbornly follows the high ground along the whole ridge.
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| Low Pike summit panorama west |
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| Low Pike summit panorama east |
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| The onwards route from High Pike |
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| Views eastwards over the Scandale valley |
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| Dove Crag summit panorama west |
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| Dove Crag summit panorama east |
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| Looking back from Dove Crag |
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| Hart Crag panorama south over the whole horseshoe |
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| Hart Crag summit views east along the Dovedale valley |
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| Link Cove looking over to St Sunday Crag & Helvellyn beyond |
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| Striding Edge & Helvellyn from Hart Crag |
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| Views back to Windermere |
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| Fairfield summit |
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| Fairfield summit view east |
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| St Sunday Crag and the Deepdale valley from Fairfield summit |
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| The route back looking down to Great Rigg & Heron Pike |
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| Views over to Seat Sandal, Grisedale Tarn & Helvellyn |
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| Great Rigg summit panorama west |
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| Great Rigg summit panorama east over to the route already trodden |
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| Rydal Beck snaking its way towards Windermere |
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| Crepuscular Rays over Grasmere |
In was at this point that the decision to walk the route anti-clockwise was vindicated as the views down to Grasmere in the low sunlight were really quite something. Unfortunately my little pocket camera struggled to capture the dramatic light but perhaps the picture above gives some idea of the stunning scenery which kept me company all the way back down.
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| Looking back up the Horseshoe from Heron Pike |
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| Heron Pike summit panorama across the whole horseshoe |
Past Heron Pike the snow thinned and at Nab Scar had virtually all gone, which was just as well as from here the descent path is quite steep in comparison to rest of the walk.
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| Nab Scar view of Grasmere |
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| Nab Scar view of Rydal Water and Windermere |
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| Rydal Beck at Rydal Hall |
