Fairfield horsehoe

[Coop]

Drive down to Patterdale and slept in the motor, up early.
The machine is 5 pound coins, and I only had 4 on me. Went into the hotel, no one around at this early hour to help, so I left a note in the window and set off heading up Aniston crag first
Just a few foties from this trip and route - great circuit, great weather, good views, not a lot of people out early, but that changed when I finally got round to Harts Crag where there were quite a few pottering about going their different ways.

Heading up and looking back

1st top of the day, short and sharp

On to Birks now and a couple of sporadic cairns dotted about
From there it was a good circuit over St Sunday crag, and the long and big descent and reascent up to Fairfield. Bit of hands on in places getting up on the plateau at Fairfield

Helvellyn at the tip of my pole with the pointy Catstycam on thd right

Scafell with a wee misty hat on

On up to Fairfield the high point of today ( I'd only saw one other person up till now- an early bird fell runner)
Was hoping there'd be no one up here and there wasn't fall a while.
Took the wee heart with me with some of my dad's ashes and the flag came out.. wee cigar and half hour to myself , lots of thinking, remembering etc. etc

The route taken onto Fairfield

At this point, another lad came up - Dave from Durham way, good chinwag for half an hour, mental health, work, money, set the world to rights, he went one way, I stuck my bergan on and headed the other way to Hart crag.
Didn't stay long here - nice summit though, and a view down to windermere and coniston water I believe

Decended from here down through all the rocks searching out bits of wee path here and there.
Had a look back up and thought, " there's actually a way to miss all that faffing around I've just had.

The way I came down through all the rocks

All good and enjoyable though.
Fair wee walk from here along to Hartsop above how.

A great view looking back to where id just been

The pass

And from here a good walk back down to the main road at Bridgend and back up the road/ pavement to Patterdale.

The way back

I did think about going back via the bridleway, but I wanted a cold drink and a coffee - which I got from the hotel - and sat outside enjoying it.
Great day, great circuit

Summers coming folks, it's getting hotter out there,
Pack the smidge and sunscreen.
Cheers , and safe walking.
Ps, if you're looking in G, get well soon and get your boots on

[dav2930]

Nice photos. Yes, I've always thought of this as the "proper" Fairfield Horseshoe, as opposed to the one around the Rydal valley, which is much less dramatic and interesting. But, conceding to general usage of the name and to avoid confusion, I took to calling the Patterdale version the "Deepdale Horseshoe", as it is essentially a circuit of Deepdale. It's one of my favourite walks, especially when kicked off with a scramble up Pinnacle Ridge.

[past my sell by date]

Yes Nice photos of a great walk that I have done many times. I normally parked at Brothers Water where a steep path - can't see it on any map - leads up to Hartsop above How. On the way down i normally descended just beyond Gavel Pike and I seem to remember there is a path throufgh the field so that you don't have to walk back along the road

[Coop]

Nice photos. Yes, I've always thought of this as the "proper" Fairfield Horseshoe, as opposed to the one around the Rydal valley, which is much less dramatic and interesting. But, conceding to general usage of the name and to avoid confusion, I took to calling the Patterdale version the "Deepdale Horseshoe", as it is essentially a circuit of Deepdale. It's one of my favourite walks, especially when kicked off with a scramble up Pinnacle Ridge.

Cheers, it was a fantastic circuit.
And it was great to look back over the whole route when on Hartsop above how.