Start Point:Â NT Car Park (NY 400 216)
NT Car Park (High Cascades) – High Cascades – Gowbarrow Fell – Shooting Lodge – Green Hill – (Aira Force) – High Force – NT Car Park (High Cascades)
| Distance: | 6.4km |
| Total Ascent: | 395m |
| Time Taken: | 2 hours |
| Start Time: | 10:00 |
| Weather: | Sunny spells. 6ºC |
| Finlay’s Wainwright Count: | 5/214 (1 new this walk) |
Route Map note: this was the intended route although I went off piste to get up to Green Hill and descended the path from there towards Aira Force. With hindsight it may have been better to stick to the top and head for Green Hill directly, however there were some great – and dramatic – views from the circular path.
We are on the Wainwright bagging trail once more for Finlay and doing some of the easier walks to build him up. Gowbarriow Fell was an excellent choice today as it turned out with the weather being a lot better to the east than it had been further west. As I came over Kirkstone Pass, there was thick layer of mist over Ullswater so I hoped that we could get above it for our walk today.
When I parked up and prep'd for the walk, I was still under the mist but as I left the car park it miraculously cleared and I was just above it and could see sunny blue skies. Brilliant!
This is right at the start of the walk with the sun starting to shine though as I went through the gate.
Crossing the bridge over the upper cascades.
Mono mist lifting.
Lovely colours and fluidic mist looking over Dockray to Great Dodd. This path as changed a bit since I was last here (2011! has it really been that long?) with some new zig-zags installed to try and stop erosion and some wooden fences to try and force you to stick to the path.
Ullswater covered in mist.
A fabulous view now climbing alongside the wall into clear air. I spotted a pink and cream stripy child's hat...should I take it to see if I could find the owner or leave it there as they may return to where they had walked? Decisions, decisions...
Blencathra looking magnificent but the top of it didn't stay clear for long today.
The mist over the water is breaking and lifting with the heat of the day. I left the wooly hat towards the bottom but caught up with the owners. Sorry dad (or papa - they were a French family) you will have to go back down and retrieve it - at least it was found!
Gowbarrow Fell, Great Mell Fell beyond. There was a lady with a young lad and also an even younger member of the family in a baby carrier. I congratulated the lad (I think he was 5 years old) on his second Wainwright - that's no mean feat. Well done!
...and a big well done to (muddy!) Finlay, that's #5 in the bag!
Ullswater from the summit with breaking mist.
Rounding the corner by the old Shooting Lodge there were some dramatic clouds over the High Street fell.
This path is fabulous, especially at this time of year.
All the good weather is to the east today and the colours over here are truly stunning.
A solitary boat on Ullswater and a great view of the Beda Fell ridge.
Finlay - looking good Finster! Lake District fell walking training is going well - we are sticking to the easier fells for now to build him up.
Hallin Fell.
I went off piste from the main path to climb up to Green Hill, a great vantage point for Ullsawter with Lyulph's Tower below.
Tongue's out for Finlay on Green Hill.
The cairn on Green Hill.
More autumn colours on the descent towards Aira Force. I gave Aira Force a miss today as there were so many people around with it being half term and the path back to the car past High Force was really busy. This was a really enjoyable walk, I may not leave it so long next time!
Beautiful!!
Thanks William, it was a great day!
Nice to see you’re getting back on the fells, Sean, and nice to see Finlay being introduced to them – 5 down, 209 to go.
I had a rather dramatic Gowbarrow Fell walk back in September. I say dramatic as it rained for most of the time that I was on Gowbarrow Fell and it was blowing a right hooley while at the summit. The coffee and cheese scone at the NT tearoom was very much appreciated.
Thanks Rod, good to be back to it and hopefully a bit more regularly! That does sound like a dramatic walk and yes, a tearoom is always appreciated!