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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