Walk : Gowbarrow (1,579
feet) from Aira Force
Date : 23rd April
2018
Weather : Overcast
rain always threatening @ 10°C freezing on top
Distance : 5 miles round trip
Time
Taken : 1 hour 30 mins to
summit
Which
part of Lakeland is this walk situated
Terrain
Overview
Overview
Our week stay in Ambleside was blighted with
bad weather, hence this was the only new fell added to the 214 list. We had
attempted Gowbarrow a few years
ago and
had to turn back due to a heavy storm. The walk itself from the Car Park at Aira Force along the Kirkstyle
path is a really good route with plenty of
stunning
scenery across Ullswater and is an ideal family walk
The walk starts from the National Trust car park at Aira
Force just off the A592 past Glenridding. It cost me
£6 for 4 hours parking. National Trust members
park for free
At the bottom end of the car park near the Information Hut a path leads
out that runs parallel with Aira Beck
After a couple of hundred yards an iron gate in the wall leads to a
footbridge that crosses Aira Beck
Crossing Aira Beck and follow the stepped path
as it cuts through a wooded area
At the end of the stone staircase take the right hand fork in the path.
The left hand branch is one of the many trails around the location that
eventually
lead up to the viewing areas for the Force
Not long on the right hand fork in the path a wooden gate gives access
to the open fellside that climbs gradually the slopes
of Gowbarrow. This is the
Kirkstyle path and passes Lyulph’s Tower on the right
Starting out on the Kirkstyle path – by far
the more scenic way to the summit
Looking back to the start of the path as we pass Lyulph’s
Tower
Looking back towards Helvellyn
After a few hundred yards of fairly level walking the path steepens as it approaches a stone staircase
Looking over Ullswater toward Hallin Fell and the whale back ridge that leads over Bonscale Pike and Loadpot Hill
Looking back to the Tower from higher up the path
Sue pauses at a convenient resting place to take in the panorama
The path heads gently upwards towards Yew Crag
A prominent wind shelter cairn marks the change of direction to the North
round the back side of Gowbarrow as you are walking
towards it
The path – well defined meanders around the Northern end of Gowbarrow
A lone tree at the end of the Terrace is the marker point that leads
down to the old Shooting Lodge (now happily demolished)
The remains of the Shooting Lodge. From here the
path swings round to the left as it makes a beeline towards Airy Crag (The
summit feature of Gowbarrow)
First sight of the summit
Whilst the sign shows the direction of travel correctly it is telling
fibs that the Crag is only 250 yards away. Its more
like a third of a mile, but nothing
too strenuous
As the path rises towards the crag it follows a route that goes behind
what you see here, and is a very neat way onto the summit
The summit of Gowbarrow Fell
Click here for a 360 degree panoramic view from the summit https://youtu.be/vof1TlQD6UA
Team shot from the summit. It was freezing !!! –
as Ste will testify as he forgot to pack his over
jacket
Looking back south down Ullswater and it looks
like there’s some weather heading our way
We stayed on the summit for about 20 minutes – but beat a hasty retreat
back to the car park as the weather front came in
Nearly back down just as it starts to lash down
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