Carlisle & District Rambling & Fellwalking Club

Walk & Event Reports

Sunday 10th September 2017

A/B Walk

Aira Force - Gowbarrow Fell

 9 Miles Grade 2

Leader: John McKay

Report by Heather Perrin

 Photos by John & Chris McKay

Well, this could become a jolly game.  You take a previous walk and adapt it, then the next person adapts the adaptation and so it continues….

So, talking about hidden paths, I don’t know how much time it took John to actually find the beginning of this path-not-right-of-way.  Once on it, it turned out to be, as some would say, a sporting route, with many opportunities for a graceful slide or an undignified wallop.  Either way, it didn’t happen.  Good!  With wonderful views of Ullswater and its fells, and a chance to use such adjectives as ‘silvery, moody, impressionist’ we continued until, a little before Glencoyne, we performed a U turn and descended to Aira Force.  The force was spectacular – and so it should be, the rain hardly having let up since the morning.  After lunch, we walked towards the light – that is, the end of Aira Force Visitor Centre and open ground once again where we climbed steadily to reach the trig point on Gowbarrow.  A fabulous viewpoint and well worth the effort.  From there, a little more opportunity for slipping (no-one took it) and a descent to the shooting lodge from where we turned southwards to follow the beautiful path skirting Gowbarrow back to Aira. And here, on the homeward trail, there was a slipping!  Well done that man!  A true miracle that we hadn’t all been skating and wallowing in the truly generous portions of mud on offer today.

A little gentle re-arrangement led to us finishing at the tea shop at Aira where the bus picked us up. 

Warm welcome to Kirsty who joined us from Leyland and was still smiling at the end.

A muddy walk?  You’re not joking…… Wet?  Very…..  Enjoyable?  Fantastic.  Thank you John for a fabulous and exciting walk.

Heather