Walk Summary
A classic high level Lakeland horseshoe walk from Ambleside up to Fairfield. Woodland walk up to High Sweden Bridge. Impressive views of surrounding crags. Eyrie like view of Rydal Water from Nab Scar. Relaxing return through the grounds of Rydal Hall.
Date: 02/12/2021
Length: 11.9 miles
Height Gain: 934 m
Terrain: Woodland track, boggy paths, grass paths, stony paths, high pathless rocky fells, pavement beside busy A road.
Navigation: High, rocky featureless fells. Requires map and compass. Stone wall can be used as a handrail from Low Pike to Dove Crag.
Start: Rydal Road Car Park.
Route: Rydal Road Car Park, High Sweden Bridge, Low Pike, High Pike, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Heron Pike, Nab Scar, Rydal Hall
Map: OL7 The English Lakes South Eastern Area
Weather: Sun, wintry skies, very cold
Walkers: Nun, Calse and Mo
Gallery
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Rydal Water And Nab Scar
Captain's Log
Fairfield Original
Today's walk was the Fairfield Horseshoe. I'm not sure how many times I've been up Fairfield. I'd guess it is somewhere between 50 and 100. It has been somewhat of a tradition that I always go up Fairfield when I holiday in the Lake District. I call this walk the Fairfield Original since I remember it as the anti-clockwise route I always took on my first Lakeland forays. It really is a classic route with good ridge walking offering amazing views in every direction.
The route started along Sweden Bridge Lane that converts into a rough track through woodland. It is a good warmup for the climb to come. At High Sweden Bridge we stopped to take the obligatory photos.
Walter
We were sat having some snap when a dog called Walter trotted over and started inspecting our lunchboxes. I know his name was Walter because his owners kept calling him back, but he ignored them. Walter was the spit and image of Snowy in the Tintin books. It was a freezing cold day. So cold, I couldn't bite into my peanut crunch bar and was having to dip it in my coffee to melt it. I noticed that although Walter had plentiful, curly hair on top he was seriously lacking any on his undercarriage. It made me wince a little, just looking at him. He wandered back to his owners when he realised there was no food on offer. I feared for Walter. I did think of Googling 'Frostbite On Dog's Todgers' after the walk, but on reflection thought it might not look good on my internet search history.
Rydal Fell
Fairfield And Hart Crag
Hart Crag To Fairfield
I always find the part between Hart Crag and Fairfield the most interesting on the horseshoe. The ascent to Hart Crag becomes rockier, the path less distinct and the rise in elevation an indication that the walk is getting a little more serious. The summit of Fairfield is that little bit closer and achievable. The sting in the tail is having to drop down to Link Hause to then go back up again .The reward for this is that it offers a great view of Scrubby Crag. Just one more rocky climb and Fairfield summit wasn't far away.
Fairfield Summit
Fairfield
Fairfield summit is quite an extensive flat area. I always feel at a bit of a loss as to what to do when I get there. There is no trig point that you can wander to, touch, and say that you have reached today's target. We plodded across the summit to the other side to get a view of Cofa Pike and the Helvellyn range. We could see somebody making their way across Cofa Pike. Then we wandered back again. I suggested that we might hunker down in one of the stone shelters to have our lunch, but Calse and Mo rejected it even before I'd finished the suggestion. 'Too windy'. 'Too cold'. So we continued our way back across the summit. The majority of time I've been on Fairfield's summit it has been misty. Today though was clear with a wonderful winter sky with the clouds having a feathered look.
Cofa Pike
Little Tarn Near Heron Pike
Hart Crag To Fairfield
We found a lunch spot over the other side of Great Rigg. It passed Calse and Mo's requirements in that it was neither too cold, nor too windy.
The low sun made Alcock Tarn sparkle. The hard work for the day had been done and we relaxed as we strolled over Heron Pike. The path down Nab Scar can be hard on the knees but there is always a view down to Rydal Water, and over to Ambleside, to distract you. It was getting quite dark as we made our way through Rydal. We followed a couple of groups of other walkers that were making their way back to Ambleside. A few of the fallen trees from Storm Arwen had been moved or sawn up. Across the valley we could see a bonfire in the garden of the house that propped up the huge tree that had fallen on its roof.
I sometimes wish I'd kept a diary so that I could work out how many times I'd summitted Fairfield. But there again, what does it matter...just enjoy the day.