Wansfell: Take Two

A few weekends ago I decided to hike up Wansfell. I've already ticked this Wainwright off my list but after looking on my SummIT app (a great way to keep track of which Wainwrights I've done) I discovered there are actually two summits - one known as Wansfell Pike and another known as Baystones. Last time I hiked Wansfell I went to the top of Wansfell Pike so decided this time to head up to the other summit. Another reason I wanted to hike Wansfell a second time was because all the photos from my first walk up there were sadly lost after my laptop broke, so I wanted to try and get some more shots of the summit to go in my Wainwright photo album. My last hike up Wansfell was on an extremely windy day with gusts of up to 80mph at times and a few really heavy (and painful) hail storms! You can read the blog post here. However, this time the weather seemed to be the total opposite - sunny, still and calm, with great views in all directions...

Beautiful colours on the way up Wansfell from Troutbeck

We parked at the side of the road in Troutbeck just near Lane Foot Farm, and took the footpath up the side of the buildings known as Nanny Lane. This was a well formed track that gently sloped up the fell offering lovely glimpses of Lake Windermere in the distance. We began walking around 8am as the sun was starting to climb higher in the sky, casting gorgeous shades of red and orange on the mountain tops and spreading sun rays into the sleepy valley of Troutbeck. It was a crisp and chilly morning with patches of frost and ice laying about the path - a few times we nearly slipped as we hadn't expected so much ice! It was a lovely start to the walk and not too difficult, gaining height quickly and having a well marked path to follow. We eventually crossed a wall and before long the footpath faded away so we decided to just head straight up the fell and make our own route up to the top! Before we knew it we were at the summit called Baystones, basking in the morning sun and appreciating the dead silence of the valley around us - a rare find in today's busy world!

Looking back along Nanny Lane, with Lake Windermere in the distance

Beautiful surrounding hills

Baystones summit

Lake Windermere

After a while of taking in our gorgeous surroundings (and messing around with some big slabs of ice we found) we began following the footpath along the ridge of the fell, eventually ending up at the other summit - Wansfell Pike. This immediately looked familiar to me, with sudden flashbacks to my previous hike up here and not being able to stand up in the strong winds, and having my legs pelted by hailstones. This time was a very different experience though. It was quiet and calm and we took our time taking photos on the top, even stopping for a quick bite to eat! The views were amazing - you get quite a different perspective of Lake Windermere from up there, looking down the length of the lake it gives you some idea how long it actually is as you can't see the other end!

Heading along the ridge to the summit of Wansfell Pike

Looking back to the summit of Baystones

Lake Windermere

Greg on the summit of Wansfell Pike

Looking back along the ridge towards Baystones

After some time we reluctantly left the tranquility of the summit and headed back down to the car. It was a great walk to do as it was fairly short and quite easy in comparison to other walks in the Lakes, but the views certainly did not disappoint - ideal for a Sunday morning stroll. After our hike we then had the choice of two pubs for some lunch - we chose the Queen's Head to see how it looks now it's reopened after being destroyed by a fire a few years ago. We were very impressed with the lovely, cosy interior, nice decor and fantastic food (I had the roast gammon - I highly recommend it)!

Overall, another great walk out in the wonderful place I get to call home!

Our route is below if you'd like to give it a try:

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