Windermere Way - Part 1 Bowness to Ambleside

Distance: 10 miles
Ascent: 650m
Weather: cloudy, patchy sunshine, brief snow shower.
Things of interest: lost tourists, wren, lots of robins, heard buzzards, snow!

Today we began the Windermere Way, which is about 45 miles in length total and we've decided to do over four days - due to the amount of daylight this time of year and where the buses, ferries and steamers go to / from.

We set off from Bowness at about 10:30 along the lake road and on to the footpath by the shore from Rayrigg Hall to Millerground and up to Orrest Head. There were lots of people at the top and we left them there enjoying the views, and headed down (no bunnies today) gentle grassy fields to Near and then Far Orrest.

On the other side of Town End we had lunch on a bench which miraculously we arrived at just at lunchtime and then followed the track up to Hundreds Road (along with a lot of 4x4s) and up over Wansfell Pike. It was a bit snowy at the top and we had a short flurry, but there were fine views.

Coming down into Ambleside  along Stockghyll Force (pausing to have a word with a walker who was totally oblivious to the fact his dog had been chasing sheep) and back to the pier where we had time for a coffee before catching the last steamer of the day to Bowness in the twilight.