There’s something about bagging a large amount of Wainwright’s in one go that gives great satisfaction at the end of a day. The horseshoe walks in the Lakes do just that, 5, 6, 7 or more fells can be climbed in a day, putting you so much closer to that magical 214. The classic Fairfield Horseshoe is 8 fells (9 if you do Stone Arthur as well!!) and a great place it is to be. The views to Windermere feel very familiar on this walk and are ever present, however the views across to Helm Crag (which looks tiny from Great Rigg) and later in the walk to High Street and Red Screes are a real treat. Then there is the view from Fairfield itself, I had heard that it was a flat topped fell, so assumed the drama that you get from say Great End is not there. How wrong I was, the view down to Cofa Pike and St Sunday were fabulous and all along Deepdale to Place Fell. I need to go back!!
| Start – Rydal Church |
| Route – Nab Scar – Heron Pike – Rydal Fell – Great Rigg – Fairfield – Hart Crag – Dove Crag – High Pike – Low Pike – Rydal Church |
| Distance – 10 miles Start time – 8.20am Time taken – 7 hrs Highest Point – Fairfield 873m |
| Weather – Very warm sunny, with cloud over the middle part of the walk |
© Crown copyright 2014 Ordnance Survey FL 2014 SF
Nab Scar through the bracken, even at half eight it was warm in that stuff!!
A look over the bracken at Low Pike and High Pike, we’ll be there later
A glimpse of Windermere from the climb
Rydal Water below and the Coniston range in the distance
Rydal Water again with Windermere this time
Just stunning
Nab Scar summit, looking up to the next Heron Pike
Nab Scar again, this time looking to the ever improving view of the pointy Bowfell and Crinkle Crags to the left of it
Grasmere village bottom left with Helm Crag (centre right), Steel Fell further right
Zooming in on Blackpool Tower (70 miles away) at the end of the spit of land in the distance (may have to click on the photo to see it)
Heron Pike summit
Rydal Fell looking to the top of the horseshoe, Great Rigg left, then Fairfield with Hart Crag right
Great views looking back
And better views west (left to right in the distance) Crinkle Crags, Bowfell, The Scafells and Great End, Great Gable (in the sun), Pillar, High Stile ridge and Grasmoor, plus many more in the foreground!!
From Great Rigg looking back, Coniston Water to the right
Fairfield summit looking to the Helvellyn range
Great views down to the bulky St Sunday Crag and the little Cofa Pike
Deepdale
Views west to the Scafells and more
Our kid in the shelter on Fairfield, lunchtime!!
Halfway, and the view back down Rydal Beck and all the way to Windermere
On the path to Hart Crag and a better view of the ridge to Nethermost Pike (in the sun) and Striding Edge to Helvellyn behind in the shade
The way ahead to Hart Crag (Dove Crag in the sun behind)
Hart Crag summit, looking back to Fairfield
Next up Dove Crag
Dove Crag summit
Dove Crag summit with High Street the high point on the right
Dove Crag looking back to Hart Crag and Fairfield
Looking across from Dove Crag to the Scafells with Great Rigg in the sun in the foreground
High Pike summit, looking into Scandale
Looking back from High Pike summit
Scandale down below and out all the way to Windermere
The Great Wall, from High Pike to Low Pike!!
The last summit, Low Pike, with Little Hart Crag at the head of Scandale
Low Pike to Windermere
Looking back along the wall to Low Pike
Final shot, across to the outward leg, Nab Scar to Heron Pike and on to Great Rigg as we walk back to the car parked on the road to Rydal Church
treksandtors 
Superb! One of my favourites and one I have done a couple of times – quite hard too! Excellent photos – looks like you had a good day for it 🙂
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The horseshoe was harder than I expected. The climb to Nab Scar was tough, I enjoyed the part to Fairfield from there and round to Hart Crag. It was a long walk back down that return leg though. Luckily as you say the weather was with us
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