Sour Howes and Sallows

4 January 2009

Like yesterday, today had a time constraint imposed on the walk - this time the need to travel home to London. So again, an early start was made, setting out in the car in darkness, and starting the walk from Troutbeck well before dawn. I'd picked Sour Howes and Sallows as the target for this morning's walk simply because they were unexplored and provided a relatively modest walk. Wainwright isn't full of praise for these summits, but you never can get a real feel for a place until you've visited it yourself.

As we gain height, the light starts to improve but is still dim before dawn.

I had tentatively planned to cross the field on the right, following the route of Sean McMahon but aware that it is not Open Access land. However, this handily placed ladder stile was so inviting that it took away any doubt.

In the field, we approach the second ladder stile, which takes us into a lane from where there is a third stile into the top enclosure.

George has been carried over the first two, but this third one he managed to climb up.

Fortunately the upper side is much easier than the lower.

Approaching the final stile on the way to Sour Howes, the summit of Applethwaite Common

The top is very hummocky - rather fun!

George comes to fetch me, having visited the summit

The sun finally starts to make its presence felt

A mountain skyline, with the deep notch of Mickledore on the left dividing Scafell and Scafell Pike; Great Gable is on the right behind High Raise

Sallows is the high-point of the long curving ridge

The other way from the other side of the wall, looking back to Sour Howes

A misty Windermere from Sallows

Looking down on the summit of the Garburn Pass. There is a route down to the north-western corner of this enclosure, where a stile permits access to the Garburn Road, but by the time I realised we weren't following that path, this one seemed worthwhile following to its conclusion, and only slightly lengthened the walk.

After managing a ladder stile earlier, George makes easy work of this simpler stile.

From the track back down, looking up the Troutbeck Valley

Zoom in for more detail, or click to view larger map in new window

A much more interesting walk than I'd expected from Wainwright's faint praise, and it fitted nicely into the early morning allowing lunch back at the house before departure for London.  These two fells were also my southernmost unvisited Wainwright summits, so today has moved Buckbarrow into that category - another that could wait around for a little walking slot that needs filling.

Total distance 8.9 km and 470 metres of ascent in 2 hours 48 mins