Aira Force

This is another of our go to walks, especially after a bit of rain has fallen. We did this walk the day after my long Longsleddale walk and my legs were still aching a fair bit heading around here. Thankfully by the end I’d loosened up enough not to be walking like John Wayne anymore. This is only a walk of a couple of miles if that, so it takes as long as you want it to, no need to rush as there’s plenty to see and if you fancy a fell then tag on Gowbarrow Fell by turning left after crossing the bridge above High Force and go steeply up by a plantation of conifers. Other than that this walk is about the water as it tumbles down the gorge before calming down as it feeds into Ullswater. We had plenty of cake and coffee at the cafe when finished as well to refuel before heading back to Keswick.

Gowbarrow Fell above the trees at the start of the walk, the car park is just down there on the right and I’d been to the cafe behind me to get a take away brew.

The only disadvantage of half term being so early this year for us was the half and half autumnal trees. Some were full on changing to yellows, oranges and reds. Most however still had their greenery on

If you follow the path on the western side first you climb above Aira Force itself on a higher path, there’s an opening which gives great views to Place Fell on the other side of Ullswater. That’s St Sunday Crag to the right in the distance

Looking down Aira Force, we will be down there later

One of the bridges which crosses the river, this one is about half way from Aira Force to High Force.

This waterfall is just up from the bridge on the previous picture

There were far too many people getting fancy with their cameras and taking ages over photos of High Force, so I went past them, across the bridge up there and down the eastern side to this spot to get a photo. High Force is behind me here

The eastern path shows glimpses of distance views every now and then. I think this is looking at Birks (centre back), Glenridding Dodd is down and left and the pointy fell is Heron Pike which sits on the side of Sheffield Pike