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It was my brother’s idea 👍🏼 to make the most of the weather before the dark nights and cold days came in. So we decided to do this leisurely hike, along with time to look around the village shops and a meal to end the day. The forecast was light rain for the morning then the rest of the day the sun would be out, the temperature would be warm and no wind forecasted. (It was mostly right hmm)
Total Distance: 7 Miles Highest Point: 1083 Feet Total Realistic Time: ~4 Hours
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England. Historically in Westmorland, it marks the head (and sits on the east side of the northern headwater) of Windermere, England’s largest natural lake.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambleside
Ambleside have many unique shops and food places. Lovely little village, it does get busy here particularly the weekends as it is a well known spot for a short break.
We all met up at a free car park (donations welcome) in Ambleside in the morning. The earliest we have started for a while, we aimed for 8:00am as the car park would get busy after that. There are also public toilets available close by.
I had a lovely surprise as my niece decided to join us for the walk. We have tried multiple times to encourage her to join us in our walks and I am so glad she decided to come along.
There are many other car parks in the area if you don’t get a spot, most are paid for and some do have toilets nearby.
Following is the route my brother mapped for todays leisurely walk:
2. Head towards Rydal Water
3. Walking alongside Rydal Water towards Loughrigg Terrace
4. Then it will take you towards Loughrigg Fell
5. Then follow the path back into Ambleside
Some views of the walk towards Rydal Water:
Take the path towards Grasmere and cycle route which will take you alongside Rydal Water. It was refreshing and the views of the lake was beautiful with a low mist floating on the water.
As you walk along the lake you get to a uphill point to the left. It is a gradual hill and goes on for about a mile, when you get to the top of the hill you get a lovely view of the whole lake. It can be a bit tough especially if you have not done hill walking for a while, so take it at your own pace. My niece went up the first part so quick but then to find the hill went up even further, so taking it slow and steady makes it more enjoyable. She did very well though and proud of her as she just kept going with no gripes, we made it fun by pushing each other up the hill.
The light rain was constant throughout the first half of the walk, however we felt cooled by the droplets, so we were quite glad as there was no wind, so it was refreshing, especially going up the hill.
The last 2 miles was a gradual down hill so it was not as stressful on your knees. There are a lot of loose stones on the path, so extra care is needed. There were a couple of small incidents, niece tripped, bro tripped too and I did a little slide at different points.
When we got back into Ambleside, this was just after 12:30pm, we decided to drop our backpacks off back at the car and then go for some food.
The Tap Yard was recommended by my brother as they are known for their lovely wood fired pizzas. They had a few outdoor tables available when we got to the restaurant.
We ordered our food with a well deserved pint of coke (big drinkers).
The wood fired pizza was so good, the portions are very generous, very much needed it after the walk. As usual a perfect end to the day.
A great day out with the family, and I am pretty sure my niece enjoyed her first walk with us, she for sure enjoyed her meal. It was a tough hike for my niece but I hope she enjoyed it and will come along again.
GENERAL EQUIPMENT
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro (for taking photos/videos)
- Comfy walking shoes (most important)
- Waterproofs (to keep warm and dry)
- Flask with Hot/Cold drink (a good cuppa is always welcome)
- ibuprofen (helping hand if you have any aches and pains)
- Food and snacks (fuel to keep you going)
- Walking tuck shop (sis had all the variety of lovely snacks again mmm)