Kirkstone

On the 'Struggle', along the final zig-zag of tarmac up to the top of Kirkstone Pass, somebody had painted 'Go Cav Go' on to the road. Maybe the Tour Of Britain has recently cycled up here. 'Cav' will be a reference to Mark Cavendish who is currently competing in the Tour De France. He's Britain's most successful cyclist in terms of Tour De France stage wins, with 34 under his belt, and is currently tied in top spot with Eddy Merckx. I wondered whether he would get that stage win in this year's Tour De France to become the sole record holder. As I pondered this, an elderly man on a mountain bike cycled past me up the impossibly steep hill at a pace that Cav would have been proud. A few seconds later, his partner flew by me at a similar rate. Maybe they should allow electric bikes in the Tour De France too; it looks a lot easier.

A mobile disco had been setup outside the Kirkstone Inn at the top of the pass. The establishment was under renovation and the construction workers had the music turned to number 11 on the van music centre. I'd planned to have a rest at the patio tables across the road from the inn, but the loud music was an effective deterrent. I looked up at the craggy, vertical east face of Red Screes. There was no point delaying the inevitable hard slog and so I set off on a footpath towards it.

Red Screes

In reality the footpath was not as hard as it looked from below. The lower section of the path had been laid with stones and it was easy to make progress. A light rain started and I put my jacket on. Then a heavier rain started and I put my overtrousers on. Halfway up the ascent there was a bit of easy hands-on scrambling but it was nothing serious. This was the bit that had stuck in my memory from my ascents decades earlier. On a scrambly bit, I made way for a walker coming down. 'Do you know if there's a pub at the top of the pass?' he asked. I told him that there was one, and then left a suitable period of silence, before telling him that it was closed for renovation. 'Damn! I was relying on it being open. I wild-camped last night and could do with something to eat.' He asked me if there were any other pubs nearby. I told him the nearest ones were either in Ambleside or down the Kirkstone Pass to Brothers Water. He groaned, although that might have just been the noise from his stomach. I could of course have told him about Grove Barn café, but I'm afraid it slipped my mind. He set off downwards and I plodded upwards. The path after the scrambly bit was fine and offered good views down on to Kirkstone and the route I'd journeyed along from Ambleside.

Return

The rain stopped enough on the summit of Red Screes for me to take my overtrousers off. Given the rain we'd had over the last week, I was surprised to see that the small tarn near the top had almost dried up. Looking across to Coniston and the Helvellyn range, the clouds looked a stormy grey. I set off southwards along the well worn path. The track down from Red Screes offers a very pleasant descent. It is gradual, good under foot, and always offers great views across the Lake District. I past a couple of solo walkers and four other couples making their way up. It is quite a popular route. Eventually the track brought me out on to the winding, narrow road that runs from Ambleside to Kirkstone Pass. It's a shame that the footpath just doesn't continue down the ridge into Ambleside since the road walking is slightly hazardous. I hugged the verge side fence at one point as a couple of cars full of kids screeched their way around the corners and motored off uphill. I was glad to reach the pavement on the outskirts of Ambleside. A short plod later, I was back in the town centre..

I quite like the ascent route to Red Screes from the top of Kirkstone Pass. It isn't that difficult and has some great views. I'll definitely include it in future walks; maybe incorporating it with Stoney Cove Pike across the valley.