Walk Summary
Good all round views following the ridge from Wansfell Pike to Baystones. Visits the pretty valley of Woundale. Descends to the top of Kirkstone Pass and then an easy valley path back to Ambleside.
Date: 19/11/2021
Length: 10.11 miles
Height Gain: 712 m
Terrain: Boggy paths, grass paths, stony paths, 5 minutes on A road, lightly used road, steep slabs, slightly awkward descent to Kirkstone Inn (requires hands in places),
Navigation: Reasonable with tricky points (see map), pathless moor, may require ability to use compass
Start: Rydal Road Car Park, Ambleside
Route: Ambleside, Wansfell Pike Baystones, Idle Hill, Woundale, St Raven's Edge, Kirkstone Inn, The Struggle
Map: OL7 The English Lakes South Eastern Area
Weather: Misty, intermittent sun
Walkers: Nun
Gallery
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Kirkstone Jet
Captain's Log
Low Flyers
The summit of Wansfell Pike was clear when I set off from Ambleside. By the time I was half way up, it was in mist. The mist and a gusty wind accompanied me along the ridge from Wansfell Pike to Baystones. As I dropped down Idle Hill I came out of the mist. A jet then flew over me and headed towards Kirkstone Pass. I thought this was rather brave of the pilot since I could see that the cloud level was below the tops of Red Screes and Stony Cove Pike. I didn't hear anything untoward and so I presumed it got over Kirkstone Pass okay.
When I reached the Kirkstone-Troutbeck road (A592) I headed downhill for about 5 minutes to a path that heads northwards up Woundale.
Woundale
Woundale
The path went through fields before reaching the open fells. It passed over a stone bridge. I'd seen a similar one to this further down the valley towards Troutbeck, on a walk a couple of years ago. Woundale is a very pretty valley. The route followed a beck with delightful, small waterfalls. The sun had made a brief appearance and illuminated the valley with oranges and browns. A derelict stone house was halfway up the valley and a substantial stone sheepfold beyond that. From the sheepfold my map had the path climbing up to a quarry on my left. There didn't appear to be a path in reality and so I continued up the valley until I reached the Stony Cove Pike-Kirkstone path. I was back into the mist again. I headed towards Kirkstone along St Raven's Edge.
The descent to the top of Kirkstone Pass was awkward in places and I had to use my hands at a couple of points. As I approached the Kirkstone Inn I saw a man cleaning the nearby bus stop sign. I would have thought with all the rain up here there''d be no need for a cleaner.
Woundale Stone Bridge
Downhill All The Way
It is downhill all the way from Kirkstone Pass to Ambleside. It is less of a struggle going down The Struggle than it is going up it. At the base of The Struggle I left the road and followed the footpath that runs below Baystones and Wansfell Pike. The sun made intermittent, welcome appearances. Further down the valley there appeared to have been a lot of new trees planted. In a few years time the valley will look a lot different to what it does now. I came across one large tree that had toppled over into a stream. The footpath turned into tarmac and the road led me back to Ambleside.
Wansfell Fallen Tree