Walk Summary
Short half-day walk. Direct ascent up the face of Wansfell Pike is rewarded by superb views across the Lake District. Gradual descent with a panorama of Windermere and the Coniston Fells. Some woodland walking returns you to Ambleside.
Date: 06/12/2021
Length: 3.64 miles
Height Gain: 402 m
Terrain: Stone steps, boggy paths, grass paths, stony paths, lightly used road, woodland paths
Navigation: The way down from Wansfell Pike may require map and compass if you miss a direction post. Also requires some woodland navigation.
Start: Rydal Road Car Park, Ambleside
Route: Ambleside, Wansfell Pike, Skelghyll Wood, Blue Hill, Fisherbeck Estate.
Map: OL7 The English Lakes South Eastern Area
Weather: Gloomy, snowy
Walkers: Nun, Mo, Calse
Gallery
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Wansfell Pike Stone Steps
Captain's Log
Late Start
The morning was a washout. Initially it was raining; then it was snowing, and then it was raining again. In a brief interlude I went into Ambleside and bought a pair of gaiters. I don't usually wear gaiters, but with the promise of some deep snow I thought I'd get some. The sun made a brief appearance around half past one, so we decided to do a quick sprint up and down Wansfell Pike. It'd be a chance to give my new gaiters a run out.
Within half a mile of the start we felt the patter of rain and so the waterproofs came on. It was only a quick shower though and the rain held off for the rest of the walk. The snowline was surprisingly low and we soon hit it as soon as we started the stone steps up to Wansfell Pike.
Earlier in the day we had seen a helicopter hover above a field next to the Ambleside-Kirkstone road. Blue lights were flashing from the emergency service vehicles . Somebody's day hadn't ended well. It was all quiet over there now.
Wansfell Pike
We met our first walker of the day coming down the path, about a 100 metres from the top. He assured us that the views were great up there. He wasn't wrong; there were great all round views of the surrounding peaks. The sun was trying to break through the clouds and was casting some hills and clouds in a pinkish glow. We stayed a while on top hoping that the sun would burst through in a magnificent finale. But it never happened. In fact if had become decidedly darker. Time was pressing and so we set off down Wansfell's southwest ridge. We passed a couple on their way up to the summit for the promise of a sunset that was never going to happen. On the steepest parts it was more of a slide than a stride due to the slushy snow. We slalomed around the rocks and made good time down to Skelghyll Wood.
Wansfell Pike Towards Windermere
Windermere
Remains Of The Day
It was rather gloomy as we made our way through the wood. I'd wanted to get through the wood before it became completely dark, since the Storm Arwen fallen trees made the route a little more difficult. Lights were coming on in Ambleside as we made our way to Redbank Wood. It was as I was admiring these lights that I skidded on the wet grass and ended up tobogganing on my backside downhill. I stood up cursing while Calse and Mo sniggered. Thanks to my gaiters I had perfectly dry calves, while everything else was wet. It was almost completely dark as we scrambled over the last fallen tree into the Fisherbeck Estate. If a resident had walked up to me and said: 'Nun, I presume?', I wouldn't have been surprised.