Fairfield Horseshoe
Fairfield Horseshoe is a classic circular hillwalking ridge walk route through the Lake District, starting from Rydal or Ambleside in Westmorland. The horseshoe takes in all the fells that surround the valley of the Rydal Beck.
The walk is very popular and follows well defined paths throughout with no real difficulties. Care though should be taken on the summit of Fairfield in poor visibility as the plateau of that mountain is very flat and can be quite confusing with the danger of steep drops to the north and west.
The eastern side of the horseshoe from Low Sweden Bridge near Ambleside to the slopes of Hart Crag follows a high dry stone wall for almost four miles, making navigation simple even in poor weather conditions.
There is a Fairfield Horseshoe Fell Race, which takes place annually in May, first organised by the Lake District Mountain Trial Association in 1966. This fell race is nine miles long with 3,000 feet of ascent. The course record was set by Mark Roberts in 2000 with a time of 75 minutes 11 seconds.
The horseshoe walk is a ten mile journey with 3,600 feet of ascent. It includes the peaks of:
- Low Pike (1,667 feet)
- High Pike (2,152 feet)
- Dove Crag (2,598 feet)
- Hart Crag (2,697 feet)
- Fairfield (2,864 feet)
- Great Rigg (2,513 feet)
- Heron Pike (2,008 feet)
- Nab Scar (1,444 feet)
References
- Complete Lakeland Fells, Bill Birkett ISBN 0-00-713629-3
- Fairfield Horseshoe Fell Race
- Striding Edge- Fairfield Horseshoe