Wainwright Routes - Sour Howes Route One

Sour Howes - Route One

Start - Church Bridge NY 412 027

Distance - 1.5 miles

Ascent - 1,190 feet

Time - 1 hour : 10 minutes

There is a small informal car park located on a minor road on the north side of the bridge

Jesus Church, a short distance north from the bridge

The route can be seen from the road following the line of rock outcrops to the skyline although the actual summit is not in view

Access to the open fell is provided by the Garburn Road, an old packhorse route between the Troutbeck valley and the Kentmere valley. It starts as a narrow lane around 200 yards south of the bridge

Initially the lane passes between high stone walls and is overshadowed by trees which restrict the views. The tree cover is soon left behind after a steep rise and the view opens up across the Troutbeck valley

Higher along the track another "road" joins from the right this is the Longmire Road

The Garburn Road

The road is left behind via a stile at the edge of a small plantation, a path climbs steeply across a field to another stile over its upper wall

The Dubbs Road is crossed to yet another stile which gives access to the open fellside

Looking over to the Ill Bell ridge at the head of the valley

Looking down the lower part of the Troutbeck valley to Windermere

From the first rocky outcrop the view opens along to the lower reaches of Windermere

The Coniston Fells from the first rock outcrop

The way ahead, a faint path generally keeps to the right side of rock outcrops

Halfway up the slope, looking over Troutbeck village to the Coniston Fells with Crinkle Crags, Scafell and Bowfell on the right

The head of Windermere from the highest outcrop

From the same point, the head of the Troutbeck valley, Caudale Moor, Thornthwaite Crag, Froswick and Ill Bell on the horizon with The Tongue occupying the valley bottom

Wansfell Pike across the Troutbeck valley

Above the highest outcrop a stile gives access to the upper slopes

Windermere from the upper slopes

The summit ridge and the path winding its way around a series of grassy knolls

The Coniston Fells from the summit ridge

Approaching the summit, the knoll on the left has an equal claim to be the highest point

This is the top as described by AW being a narrow ridge with walls of exposed shaly rock although the knoll to the right could well be slightly higher

Windermere from the summit

Black Combe and the Coniston Fells

The distant views to the south and here to the west were very hazy on this walk. Crinkle Crags, Scafell, Bowfell, Scafell Pike and Great End crowd the centre skyline with the summit of Great Gable appearing over the Langdale Pikes