mywainwrights

you are in 'mywainwrights'» home » 2009 walks » gowbarrow fell

Gowbarrow Fell

Date ... Saturday, 10 October 2009
Distance ... 3.75 miles
Ascent ... 1200 feet
Time ... 3 hours 45 mins
Weather ... 15ºC, Fresh W winds, dry, cloudy with some long sunny spells
Summits ... Green Hill - 1450'
Gowbarrow Fell - 1579' (aw181)
Start ... National Trust pay+display car park at Aira Force (NY400200)
Maps ... Ordnance Survey - Outdoor Leisure Nº5 (1:25,000) or Landranger Nº90 (1:50,000)
Books ... Pictorial Guide Nº1 - The Eastern Fells by Alfred Wainwright


The slideshow is from my Picasa web albums, scroll down to view the full sized photo's .....

After spending much of the last two weeks in bed, I was keen to get out and get some fresh air on Saturday. I knew I was going to be able to manage a full day on the fells, so a visit to Aira Force sounded just about right. This was our third visit here this year, the previous two had been at the beginning of the year when there was still snow on the ground. Hopefully todays visit would prove to be a little warmer! After visiting the falls we decided to have a walk up onto the summit of Gowbarrow Fell as well. Rather than going the usual way, along the terrace path out the the old shooting hut, which gives some great views back along Ullswater. We straight up to the cairn on Green Hill, as it's a much shorter route, but there's still a grand view back down across the lake from there. The early morning sun was lovely, it really brought out the autumnal colours, it didn't last too long though, as by late morning a blanket of thick grey cloud had drifted over from the west. Luckily it proved to be a passing shower, which missed us, and the rest of the walk was warm and sunny. After the walk we paid a visit to tea rooms at Aira Force for tea and cakes, before heading to Rheghed to have a look round the 'Wainwrights in Colour' exhibition that had just opened. Our friend Andy Beck has been doing watercolour sketches of all of the drawings in the Wainwright guide books. The paintings are stunning, its well worth stopping off if you are in the area .....

Heading out from the car park and through the woods towards Aira Force

Heading out from the car park and through the woods towards Aira Force

Aira Beck

Aira Beck

We hadn't been out of the car for more than 5 minutes and Tim had been in the river already!

We hadn't been out of the car for more than 5 minutes and Tim had been in the river already!

The stunning main waterfall of Aira Force

The stunning main waterfall of Aira Force

A brief glimpse of Gowbarrow Fell as we climbed up to the top of the falls

A brief glimpse of Gowbarrow Fell as we climbed up to the top of the falls

Looking down from the bridge over the river at the top of the falls

Looking down from the bridge over the river at the top of the falls

The bridge at the top of the falls

The bridge at the top of the falls

The autumnal colours are really starting to show in the woods now, another couple of weeks and they'll be stunning

The autumnal colours are really starting to show in the woods now, another couple of weeks and they'll be stunning

Looking out over Glencoyne Park towards Sheffield Pike, as we emerged from the woods onto the open fell side

Looking out over Glencoyne Park towards Sheffield Pike, as we emerged from the woods onto the open fell side

Looking across towards Brown Hills and Watermillock Common

Looking across towards Brown Hills and Watermillock Common

Glencoyne Park, with Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike behind

Glencoyne Park, with Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike behind

A view along Ullswater, with St Sunday Crag in the distance

A view along Ullswater, with St Sunday Crag in the distance

A wider angle view of the same shots from slightly higher up, the colours were stunning

A wider angle view of the same shots from slightly higher up, the colours were stunning

Tim was his usual cheeky self, he loved been back out onto the fells after his few weeks away from them

Tim was his usual cheeky self, he loved been back out onto the fells after his few weeks away from them

Another view of Watermillock Common

Another view of Watermillock Common

During the late morning the cloud started to build up over Helvellyn, it looked if we might get some rain later

During the late morning the cloud started to build up over Helvellyn, it looked if we might get some rain later

Even Great Dodd disappeared into the cloud

Even Great Dodd disappeared into the cloud

The far eastern fells were still managing to get some nice autumn sunshine

The far eastern fells were still managing to get some nice autumn sunshine

Eventually we lost the sunshine as well, the colours weren't any where as stunning now

Eventually we lost the sunshine as well, the colours weren't any where as stunning now

A few rays of sun on Sandwick and Hallin Fell on the other side of Ullswater

A few rays of sun on Sandwick and Hallin Fell on the other side of Ullswater

By the time we'd reached the cairn on Green Hill it did look like the waterproofs may be required

By the time we'd reached the cairn on Green Hill it did look like the waterproofs may be required

Which was in complete contrast to the view in the opposite direction, lovely blue skies!

Which was in complete contrast to the view in the opposite direction, lovely blue skies!

Clouds over the Dodds range, with a few rays of sunshine

Clouds over the Dodds range, with a few rays of sunshine

Luckily it was only a shower, that missed us, and the sun soon reappeared

Luckily it was only a shower, that missed us, and the sun soon reappeared

Great Meldrum and Little Mell Fell from Gowbarrow Fell

Great Meldrum and Little Mell Fell from Gowbarrow Fell

Looking down towards St. Sunday Crag and Ullswater from Gowbarrow Fell

Looking down towards St. Sunday Crag and Ullswater from Gowbarrow Fell

The Dodd's range from Gowbarrow Fell

The Dodd's range from Gowbarrow Fell

The trig point on Gowbarrow Fell, with Little Mell Fell in the background

The trig point on Gowbarrow Fell, with Little Mell Fell in the background

Great Mell Fell (left) and Little Mell Fell (right) from Gowbarrow Fell

Great Mell Fell (left) and Little Mell Fell (right) from Gowbarrow Fell

Strange cloud formations over Blencathra

Strange cloud formations over Blencathra

Dockray village, with the cloud still sitting on the summit of Great Dodd

Dockray village, with the cloud still sitting on the summit of Great Dodd

A slightly different view of the village and Great Dodd

A slightly different view of the village and Great Dodd

One last look at Ullswater before we headed back down into the woods

One last look at Ullswater before we headed back down into the woods

After following the wall down from the summit we joined the path from Dockray which took us through the woods, back to Aira Force

After following the wall down from the summit we joined the path from Dockray which took us through the woods, back to Aira Force

High Force (no not the one in Teesdale) this is what the upper falls in Aira Beck are called

High Force (no not the one in Teesdale) this is what the upper falls in Aira Beck are called

A close up view of the falls

A close up view of the falls

Looking down Aira Beck towards the top of Aira Force, when there's no leaves on the trees you can see the bridge across the river, that we crossed on the way up, if you look carefully you can just make it out

Looking down Aira Beck towards the top of Aira Force, when there's no leaves on the trees you can see the bridge across the river, that we crossed on the way up, if you look carefully you can just make it out

route map for the aira force and gowbarrow fell walk

The route map from our walk. Click here to download the GPX file for this walk

the route map from our walk

Height profile of the walk

DON'T FORGET TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE NEW 'PICTURE OF THE MONTH' GALLERY - YOU COULD END UP OWNING A SIGNED COPY OF YOUR FAVORUITE PHOTO!!!!!!