Height: 612 metres / 2008 feet Grid reference: NY 35599 08300 Category: The Eastern Fells
The summit of Heron Crag
Heron Pike
Fairfield Horseshoe
Start Point: Rydal (NY 365 062)
Rydal – Nab Scar – Heron Pike – Rydal Fell – Great Rigg – Fairfield – Hart Crag – Dove Crag – High Pike (Scandale) – Low Pike – Low Sweden Bridge – Rydal Park – Rydal
Distance: 10 miles Total Ascent: 1180 metres Time Taken: 5 hours Start Time: 07:35
Weather: Beautiful, warming up nicely to 17°C
The weather experts weren’t wrong today, it was an absolutely gorgeous morning for a walk around the Fairfield Horseshoe – one I haven’t done (unbelievably) since 2007. There wasn’t anyone around either until two thirds of the way when we met one or two people. I think this is the last day of the long hot summer as the weather is set to turn over the next few days…
Early morning mist on Windermere, from Waterhead
View along the jetty
What a beautiful sunrise
Inversion over Ambleside and Windermere from the climb to Nab Scar
Climbing to the sun, it is a gorgeous morning
This view was behind me so frequent stops were required to check it out
Misty trees
A great view across Rydal and Grasmere to the Coniston fells and across to Bowfell
The sun is starting to burn away the early mist
Heron Pike from Nab Scar
Looking back to the Coniston fells, Coniston Water is distant left
Clear as clear can be on Heron Pike - Dougal seems to be enjoying himself as well
Heading for Rydal Fell, Great Rigg and Fairfield ahead
Looking to Rydal Head - Great Rigg, Fairfield and Hart Crag in view
Hart Crag reflected
Lapping up the good weather
Great Rigg
Grasmere and the Coniston fells
Fairfield from Great Rigg
Heading for Fairfield but with a peek across Grisedale Tarn to Helvellyn
Cofa Pike and St. Sunday Crag from Fairfield
A great view of Dollywaggon Pike, Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn from Fairfield
Dougal in pensive pose
Windermere and two sentinels of Rydal Head. I'll give you two guesses where Dougal is!
On Hart Crag
Looking the other way towards Patterdale
High Pike from Low Pike
Crinkle Crags and Bowfell across Rydal Water
The outward leg of the Fairfield Horseshoe from Rydal Park
On the way back we met up with Louise and Fletcher at Fell Foot. He is growing by the day!
Heron Pike
Start point: Grasmere (NY 341 083)
Grasmere – Grey Crag – Alcock Tarn – Heron Pike – Butter Crag – Grasmere
Distance: 2.75 miles Total Ascent: 524 metres Time Taken: 2 hours Start Time: 10:30
Weather: Lots of wintry showers. 3° (when will I see you again!) C
The weather was supposed to brighten up later, but I guess you’ve got to get out whilst you can and it didn’t look so good when I set off in pouring rain. I made this walk up as I went along, I didn’t really know where I was heading apart from Alcock Tarn but when I looked up to Heron Pike it seemed so close I decided to go for it. The weather was constantly changing again today and as I climbed the rain soon turned to snow backed by a strong wind.
Heron Pike Route Map.
Stone Arthur through the rain from Forest Side.
Helm Crag, High Raise beyond.
Harrison Stickle, one of the Langdale Pikes where I was on Monday.
The Vale of Grasmere.
Looking to the Coniston fells.
Damp Dogs, Casper and Dougal.
Stone Arthur just about visible across Alcock Tarn.
The Langdales and High Raise.
Heron Pike directly ahead, there is even a glimpse of blue sky up there.
Looking back across Grasmere, there is some more weather heading our way.
Big clouds rolling in up on the Heron Pike ridge, Windermere, Esthwaite Water and Coniston Water in view.
A little further on and the weather caught us up, howling wind and snow.
Braving the elements.
Today's view from Heron Pike.
Snowy Dougal - time for a quick exit I feel.
Stone Arthur through the snow shower from the direct descent.
I'll just follow these two guides today.
That's better, back down at Butter Crag.
More snow looking to Stone Arthur and Greenhead Gill.
The Fairfield Horseshoe
Start point: Rydal (NY 365 062)
Rydal – Nab Scar – Heron Pike – Rydal Fell – Stone Arthur – Great Rigg – Fairfield – Hart Crag – Dove Crag – High Pike (Scandale) – Low Pike – Low Sweden Bridge – Rydal Park – Rydal
Distance: 10.5 miles Total Ascent: 1180 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Clear at lower level, tops in mist. 4oC.
It was lovely and clear first thing this morning for a walk of the Fairfield Horseshoe with which I added a slight detour out to Stone Arthur above Grasmere. It was interesting to watch the weather almost constantly changing with clouds forming in the valleys before they lifted as I reached the top of Fairfield. The descent of Hart Crag and Dove Crag was done in very wintry mist with a covering of snow on these higher fells. By the time we got through that, the high cloud had come in to dull conditions somewhat and make it feel even cooler out of the sunshine.
Bright early morning sunshine casts a golden glow on the climb to Nab Scar.
Looking back down to a cold looking Rydal.
Loughrigg Fell and a mirror finished Rydal Water.
Heron Pike.
Nab Scar.
Looking over Grasmere to Crinkle Crags and Bowfell.
Heron Pike from Nab Scar.
Red Screes across Rydal and Low Pike.
The summit of Heron Crag. Great Rigg, Fairfield and Hart Crag are covered by a blanket of cloud.
Casper enjoying the warm sunshine on Rydal Fell. Get it while you can!
Hart Crag clears from the cloud for a while.
Great Rigg ahead. I contoured around to the left to take in Stone Arthur.
Looks cold over to Bowfell and the Scafells.
Hart Crag and Dove Crag across a frozen pool.
Rydal Head.
A panoramic view looking across Rydal to the route of return - Hart Crag, Dove Crag, High Pike and Low Pike
Descending to Stone Arthur.
High Raise and Helm Crag across the Vale of Grasmere, from Stone Arthur.
Seat Sandal from Stone Arthur with mine and Casper's shadow on the summit.
Dollywagon Pike through Grisedale Hause between Seat Sandal and Fairfield.
Climbing to Great Rigg from Stone Arthur.
Looking back towards Heron Pike from Great Rigg.
At this point things were happening quickly with the cloud all around. It looked like there was an inversion over Great Langdale way and here too the clouds looked to be forming and dropping into Rydal valley and I had hopes of an inversion here too.
Seat Sandal with the Coledale fells in the distance. Here too the cloud was forming below the summit.
Looking back to Great Rigg from the climb to Fairfield.
Over on Dove Crag, the cloud seemed to be pouring over it into Dovedale.
The cloud over Hart Crag and Dove Crag.
Seat Sandal now has a cloud cap.
All snowy and bright on the approach to Fairfield's summit.
Dollywagon Pike, Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn - plus of course Striding Edge - from the summit of Fairfield.
Cofa Pike and St. Sunday Crag.
A cold wind whipped up whilst we were on Fairfield summit. That put paid to any chance of an inversion today I think.
In the cloud now leaving Fairfield for Hart Crag.
It really was cold between Hart Crag and Dove Crag.
Almost out of the mist now as it was blowing across the fell side here.
A glimpse of the eastern fells through a break in the clouds.
Looking back to Dove Crag from High Pike.
Back in the sunshine now son.
Scandale.
High Pike from Low Pike.
Looking across Rydal to the outward route.
Low Pike.
Scandale Beck looks cold in the fading light. It didn't stop my canine companion from having a little dip though!
Nab Scar and Heron Pike across Rydal Park.
Fairfield Horseshoe
Start point: Rydal (NY 365 062)
Rydal – Nab Scar – Heron Pike – Rydal Fell – Great Rigg – Fairfield – Hart Crag – Dove Crag – High Pike (Scandale) – Low Pike – High Sweden Bridge – Ambleside – Rydal Park – Rydal
Distance: 12.9 miles Total Ascent: 1281 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Sunny and warm. 27oC.
I knew it was going to be a warm one today – it was 23oC when I set off from Rydal this morning! It was hot and muggy with a welcome breeze on the higher parts, and very quiet up on the Fairfield Horseshoe. Angus and Casper kept themselves cool by wallowing in mud, glorious mud that baked on in the sun, and is proving impossible to get off.
The path to Nab Scar directly ahead.
Looking over Rydal Water to Loughrigg Fell from Nab Scar.
Long legs and a long tongue from Casper.
Wow Angus! Is it really that hot!
...and the result.
Rydal Fell with Great Rigg and Fairfield beyond.
Looking over Rydal Beck to High Pike and Low Pike (the return leg of the horseshoe), Red Screes beyond.
Rydal Fell with Hart Crag immediately behind.
Looking back to Heron Pike and Windermere from Rydal Fell.
The top part of The Fairfield Horseshoe. Select on the image for a larger, annotated version.
The boys enjoy the view.
Approaching Fairfield from Great Rigg.
Seat Sandal.
Cofa Pike and Saint Sunday Crag from the summit of Fairfield.
Dollywagon Pike, Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn from Fairfield.
Casper on the summit of Hart Crag.
Fairfield and Hart Crag from Dove Crag.
Desperate to get cool in the sweltering heat.
Low Pike along the wall from High Pike.
Red Screes across Scandale.
Looking back to High Pike from Low Pike, Little Hart Crag to the right.
High Sweden Bridge.
Looking over to Nab Scar, Heron Pike, Rydal Fell and Great Rigg on the descent to Ambleside.
The same view from Rydal Park.
Fairfield Horseshoe
Start point: Ambleside – Rydal Road Car Park (NY 376 046)
Ambleside – Rydal Park – Nab Scar (118) – Heron Pike (119) – Rydal Fell (120) – Stone Arthur (121) – Great Rigg (122) – Fairfield – Hart Crag (123) – Dove Crag (124) – High Pike (Scandale) (125) – Low Pike (126) – High Sweden Bridge – Ambleside
Weather: Very warm, mainly overcast.
After a short lay off, it was good to get back out on the fells today with a classic round – The Fairfield Horseshoe. The weather looked promising but the haze never lifted although it was lovely and warm
From the car park at Ambleside, I followed the A591 to the delightful Rydal Park and walked through here to Rydal Mount.
Scandale Beck in Rydal Park. From Rydal Mount (Wordsworth's old residence) the path is a steep stairway up to Nab Scar. On the way, there is a great view over Rydal Water over to Loughrigg.
Loughrigg and Rydal Water from the ascent of Nab Scar. The summit cairn of Nab Scar is to the left of the main path - it was too hazy for views today.
Nab Scar summit cairn
and the path to Heron Pike. The path climbs again from Nab Scar to Heron Pike and flattens off to reveal a quartz summit stone.
Rydal Fell from Heron Pike summit. Great Rigg, Fairfield and Hart Crag are on the horizon. From Heron Pike, the path descends then ascends again. To the right of the main path at the end of a wall is another cairn. The actual top is not named on O.S maps, only the whole fell. Birkett has named the summit after the fell, namely Rydal Fell.
Heron Pike from Rydal Fell summit. From Rydal Fell, I made a detour from the usual Fairfield Horseshoe circuit by contouring around Greenhead Gill and striding out to Stone Arthur (which overlooks Grasmere) by picking up the main Stone Arthur - Great Rigg path.
Looking along Greenhead Gill to Grasmere.
Grasmere from the summit of Stone Arthur. The tarn on the left is Alcock Tarn. From Stone Arthur, it was back along the main path and a steep ascent to Great Rigg.
The path to Fairfield from Great Rigg summit.
..and again from further along Great Rigg. Fairfield is in easy reach from here.
Saint Sunday Crag from Fairfield summit. From Fairfield it is a rocky descent then another ascent to Hart Crag to begin the return leg of the horseshoe.
Hartsop above How from the rocky summit of Hart Crag. From the descent of Hart Crag, a wall guides you virtually all the way now. It is an easy ascent to Dove Crag from here.
Looking towards Ambleside along the wall from the summit of Dove Crag.
High Pike along the wall.
High Bakestones and Little Hart Crag from the summit of High Pike.
High Pike from the summit of Low Pike. The summit of Low Pike is to the right of the main path and requires a slight scramble to reach it. From Low Pike, I detoured to the left and headed for High Sweden Bridge - a lovely place for a dip.
High Sweden Bridge. The path from High Sweden Bridge takes you directly back to the car park in Ambleside.
Fairfield
Ambleside – Nab Scar (39) – Heron Pike (40) – Stone Arthur (41) – Great Rigg (42) – Fairfield (43) – St Sunday Crag (44) – Birks (45) – Patterdale – Kirkstone Pass – Ambleside
Windermere from the ascent of Nab Scar.
Nab Scar summit.
Hart Crag and High Pike from Heron Pike summit.
The Fairfield Ridge from Heron Pike.
Stone Arthur summit.
Grasmere from Stone Arthur.
Windermere from Great Rigg summit.
Fairfield from Cofa Pike.
Saint Sunday Crag from Fairfield.
Grisedale Tarn
Saint Sunday Crag summit.
Saint Sunday Crag from Birks.