bespoke mountain and water journeys
Kentmere Horseshoe
Distance: 19.6km/12.2m
Climbing: 994m/3261ft (8 Wainwright Summits)
Difficulty: Challenging
A full day's walk that takes in 8 glorious peaks surrounding the Kentmere Valley. This is a challenging walk that will test your legs whilst rewarding you with 360 degree views and a sense of pride on having summitted such a large number of impressive peaks.
Equipment Needed:
Waterproof jacket and trousers, sturdy lace up walking shoes, warm layers, gloves, hat, plenty of water and a packed lunch. Bring these in a rucksack with a waterproof cover. If you do not have one, putting your items in a plastic bag or dry bag within your rucksack will also do the job!
If it is a particularly hot day, please bring a hat and suncream - plus extra water.
Price: £150.00 (Maximum 6 People)
Fitness Requirements:
This is a challenging walk - almost 20km in length and with almost 1000m of climbing. We will go at a steady pace and not leave anyone behind - but it is recommended that you have a good level of fitness and previous experience of long hiking days with a lot of climbing. If you have previously summitted one high mountain (800m+) and are looking to push for the next challenge - this could be the perfect walk for you.
Time: 7-8 Hours
Full Itinerary Below
Detailed Itinerary:
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Our walk starts from Kentmere - a small villlage in the Kentmere Valley with very limited parking. For this reason I advise arriving early. There are two options - the first is a small carpark (supports 4/5 cars) outside the village hall (donations taken). The second is a small field on the left when entering the village - this carpark has a £5.00 honesty box charge. We will meet and start our walj from the village hall.
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From the village hall, we head up and out of the village in the direction of Garburn Pass. This path is easy to follow, but steep and rocky, requiring care as we warm up our legs and gain height.
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From the pass we head north and follow the path towards our first Wainwright summit of Yoke (706m). We will take a short pause here, have a snack and a drink and admire the rest of our route which, weather permitting, should be visible from this peak.
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When refuelled, we will visit three more summits in quick succession, Ill Bell (757m), Froswick (720m), and the impressive beacon atop Thornthwaite Crag (784m). Depending on timings and feelings within the group, we will make the decision here whether or not to add the summit of High Street (828m) to our walk. Though not en route - High Street is the highest of the Eastern Fells so it is worth ticking off the list if time permits.
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Mardale Ill Bell (760m) is the next definite summit on our route - and represents the half way point of the walk, being positioned at the very top of the Kentmere Valley. We will pass this summit on our descent to Nan Bield Pass, where an emergency shelter makes a great spot for lunch, with truly spectacular views.
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After lunch, our final big climb takes us to the summit of Harter Fell (778m).
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After taking one last look at Haweswater, we turn our backs on the huge resevoir and start to head south again on the opposite side of the horseshoe. Descending this ridge we will take in the final two wainwright summits of Kentmere Pike (730m) and Shipman Knotts (587m).
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Finally, we descend all the way to the track linking Kentmere and Long Sleddale, before descending the track back to the start point.
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Though Kentmere is lacking in a pub to aid recovery of those tired legs, the short drive to Staveley will take you to a number of food and drink venues that will definitely do the job - you've earned it!
Interested in booking a guided walk?
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