Wansfell Pike Hike

Where: Wansfell Pike Hike from Ambleside in the Lake District of England
When: July 2014
Weather: Sunny
Height: 1,581ft / 482m

Wansfell Pike is on the east side of Ambleside, with the hike having good views over the town and Lake Windermere.

The image below is from the car park on the north side of Ambleside, off Rydel Road. That is Wansfell Pike you see there, with the white line showing the main path to the top.

This is a large pay car park that most hikers use. Don't think there is any free parking in Ambleside.

Leave the car park via a footbridge onto Rydal Road, then turn right into Ambleside. Follow the main road through Ambleside round past the Salutation Hotel, Queens Hotel, and the White Lion Hotel till you reach Lake Road, about half of a mile from the car park. The route onto the mountain is off Lake Road onto Old Lake Road, then up Blue Hill Road.

Ambleside North Car Park to Blue Hill Road Map.

The image below is of Lake Road in Ambleside with old Lake Road leading off to the left. About 200 yards up Old Lake Load, you will see Blue Hill Road leading off to the left, up towards the mountain.

Follow the steep and narrow Blue Hill Road all the way up till you reach a woodland path.

The image below is from the end of Blue Hill Road where there are some modern houses. That is the Wansfell Pike Path that leads straight up there.

Follow this main path for about 1 mile, do not turn on to the other trail that leads into the woods.

The image below is of Trail running alonside Wansfell Pike after it clears the woodland. Follow this trail along till you see the man made path to the top.

The image below is of the path to the top of Wansfell Pike. The main path starts just to the left of where this image was taken.

Large Image

The image below is of the trail leading to the top of Wansfell Pike. The man made path is fairly steep most of the way, and gets even steeper close to the top.

The image below is of the highest of two peaks on Wansfell Pike, on the east side of a fence. You get good views east from this peak, and views along Lake Windermere.

The image below is from the summit of Wansfell Pike looking east to the A592 road that runs between Glenridding, Patterdale and Windermere.

The small village of Troutbeck is just down there, where Beatrix Potter used to live, by the village at Park Farm.

The image below is from the west side peak on Wansfell Pike looking down to Ambleside.

From Ambleside in a clear day, you can see hikers standing on this peak. This image gives a good view of the main path up and down. Don't think there are any other routes back down to Ambleside, without going through the deep stuff.

This was nice hike with good views. This may be a fairly short hike, but the final path is steep. The hike across to Troutbeck and back would make for a full day.

Make sure and take an Ordnance Survey Map and Compass on these hikes, and know how to use them, as in cloud, these mountains can be deadly. In Winter, make sure you have Crampons and an Ice Axe, and know how to use them.