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.