Guided Fell-walking days in The Lake District, Thursday 25th August 2016.

Last Thursday, we were out with returning client Donise Winter, her daughter Leila; and Donise's sister Nicole who were looking for some Guided Fell Walking in The Lake District in the run up to the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Donise & her daughter regularly come up to their cottage in The Lake District and were in the area for a week. They had a full itinerary planned and were looking for a shortened walk for Thursday to finish at 2 pm. As the group were staying in the Troutbeck area Iain suggested a circuit of Wansfell Pike from Ambleside. Photo one sees Nicole, Leila and Donise as we walked one of the many bridleways en route to Wansfell Pike on this cloudy, but calm & warm day.

Iain collected all three at 9 am and by 09:30, we had started the walk from Ambleside. Our route took us along the bridleway through Skelghyll Woods and on past the viewpoint of Jenkin Crag from where one has a superb view over Windermere. We had a brief snack stop just prior to reaching High Skelghyll Farm before travelling on to turn left on to the "Hundreds Road" where photo one was taken.

We continued on to the end of this lane and followed the upper reaches of Hol Beck for a short way before climbing a short but rather steeper section of path to the summit of Wansfell Pike (photo two)

All in all, our route took us around 3 hours to reach the summit as the family had wanted to have a gentle stroll in scenic surroundings. Our route was a gradually rising traverse - firstly through magnificent woodland, then scenic typical Lake District Hill farming terrain and ultimately on to one of the areas best view points.

At just 484 metres/1588 feet high, Wansfell Pike is less than half the height of some of The Lake Districts highest mountains, but it's commanding view over Ambleside and Windermere makes it one of the most climbed mountains in The Lake District for certain.

Our scenic, gradual ascent route was largely free of other walkers - indeed, we passed only some ten people on our route up although going down, we must have passed some fifty persons making the "short & sweet" (or steep - as Iain would put it!) ascent straight up the north west slope directly from Ambleside (photo three). It was definitely a route for descent and not ascent today!

This path takes you directly down to the road leading in to Ambleside Town Centre via Stock Ghyll waterfalls, however, our route took us back, firstly via a pretty bridleway; and then through peaceful housing estate directly back to the car which we reached by....2 pm, just!

Donise, Leila & Nicole enjoyed their shortened Fell Walking Day in The Lake District with Iain who is a knowledgeable and experienced Mountain Walking Leader. If you are coming to The Lake District and have aspirations to be guided up any of the areas mountains then give us a call and we can guide you - in Winter as well as Summer; and if you fancy taking in a classic scrambling route along the way, we can arrange that too!