Red Screes from Kirkstone Pass

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Red Screes from Kirkstone Pass Details

Red Screes is a peak easily reached from the Kirkstone Pass. You’re already an impressive 445m up, which is practically at the summit. Not quite, but only 350m of ascent will find you up top. There’s an easy path for the entire route, despite not appearing on the OS maps.

This is can also be used as an access route to ascend the fells towards Fairfield, or possibly as a descent, as a reasonably fit walker could easily tag Red Screes onto a round of the Fairfield Horseshoe.

The Route

1 – The route starts from the Kirkstone Pass car park, by crossing a stile at the end furthest from the pub. It’s easy to follow, and it is paved for most of the way to the summit.

2 – The path continues, not following the line of the ROW on the map but instead following the blunt ridge marked Kilnshaw Chimney on the OK 1:25k map. After starting off nice and steady, the paved path becomes steps and the gradient in turn increases. The view back towards the Kirkstone Inn makes it appear close for most of the ascent, so it’s difficult to judge progress.

3 – The path, about ¾ of the way up, turns back on itself, but the point is clearly waymarked. After some easy clambering, you can clearly see the corrie ahead that gives the peak it’s name.

4 – Soon enough the path levels out and the terrain becomes grassy, with the summit plateau soon reached. From here, being a summit with a fair drop all around, there’s a fair view in all directions including Ullswater and Windermere. The most noteworthy feature however is the summit tarn, which has to be on anyone’s wild camping to-do lists.

5 – You can descend back to the pass if you want a really short walk, or continue along the wide grassy ridge to Ambleside. This is an easy, grassy path that poses no problems other than becoming rather vague when it reaches a wall at 500m. While the best route is to follow more closely the route of the ROW to a stile, you can also follow the ridge more closely and cross a gate further down.

6 – Beyond this, the path is easy to follow as it’s hemmed in by two walls for most of the descent. Eventually, the rough mountain pasture becomes more lush, and the mountain road from Ambleside to Kirkstone via the Struggle is reached. Soon after following the road downhill, you’ll be enjoying refreshments in Ambleside before you know it. Alternatively, you could follow the road back to the start of the walk.