Wednesday 29 June 2016

Kentmere Horeseshoe

We were having a mini-honeymoon in the Lakes (more on the big day soon when we get the photos from our photographer!) so we decided to get some walking in and tick off a few more Wainwrights.

T' Wife and me at the trig on High Street
The Kentmere Horseshoe was top of my list, having had it recommended by several friends. Including the nip out to High Street, it packs in 9 Wainwrights into 13 miles of walking: Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag, High Street, Mardale Ill Bell, Harter Fell (Mardale), Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts.

Strava log of the route
It was a gorgeous day, much nicer than the day before when we had a tired potter up Loughrigg watching the rain sweep up Troutbeck and Kentmere. Heading up Garburn Road we saw a group of mountain bikers coming down, one of whom had a properly mashed rear derailleur that had thankfully avoided being dragged into his spokes. Not too far to trundle down the road to Wheelbase I guess for for him the ride was over.

Looking down over Kentmere
Once we'd gained the ridge it was a nice steady height gain over the first peak of Yoke and onwards to the crazy slate arrangements of Ill Bell. We could see Morecambe Bay, the windfarms in the Irish sea, what could well have been the Galloway Hills in southern Scotland, Cross Fell and Ingleborough - a truly marvellous panorama.

Steady climb up to Yoke
Panorama from the summit of Ill Bell (C) foxtailphotography.co.uk aka t' wife
First view of Kentmere Reservoir
Looking back down the ridge to Windermere
Small Water and Haweswater from Mardale Ill Bell
By this point I was starting to get a bit sunburned, having forgotten to pack any sun lotion. Time to deploy the time honoured sun hat of Englishmen abroad! MY BRAIN HURTS!

Mr. D. P. Gumby spotted in the Lakes
The last steep climb of the day onto Harter Fell
The view from Kentmere Pike
Cracking day, great route and fab views. Get on it.

p.s. hard boiled eggs are now a must-have walking food.

p.p.s. My knee high red socks and Ramblers Association membership are in the post.











No comments:

Post a Comment