(S) As might be expected, the first part of the route is along the road from YHA Ambleside, past the Ambleside Pier (old green and white building) then along the A 5075 Borrans Road that skirts the water's edge, past the Wateredge Inn and the Regent Hotel and along the pavement to Galava Roman Fort. At a gap in the wall, enter left the park area and follow the path that runs parallel to the road. Go through another gap in a wall to enter where there are the remains of the Roman fort and follow the path around the archaeological area to the top right hand corner, where there is a tall stone building, to join the road again. Cross over to use the pavement to continue along the road as far as the junction just past Ambleside RUFC (indicated Coniston, Hawkshead and Langdale). Turn left along this road using the pavement on the left until you reach a low stone building and a path leading off left through a wooden gate. Use this tarmacked path to cross the footbridge over the River Rothay and meet the A 593 Coniston Road on the other side. Bear right along the road and cross over to head along the Under Loughrigg road. Follow this all the way around by the side of the River Rothay to the footbridge over to Rothay Park.
(1) Go over the cattle grid and stay on the road for a good while, past Fox How farm, Loughrigg Holme and Field Foot, with the River Rothay on the right hand side. Go over another cattle grid just before Pelter Bridge and turn left in front of the bridge to cross another cattle grid next to a white gate. After about 300m past some buildings on the right hand side, take the path on the right that leads to a footbridge over the river and up to the road, coming out opposite the Badger Bar. Cross over and turn right along the road for about 200m to a road off to the left towards Royal Mount, opposite the Rydal Lodge. Go past St Mary's church and Rydal Hall.
(2) As the road bends sharp left to take the path that heads straight up the fell past Hart Head Farm, sign-posted Nab Scar, through a kissing gate. Head over a ladder stile and ignore the path off to the right but stay on the main path that goes past a small wood and heads northwest to Nab Scar (Wainwright at 450m). The path bears right to head north past a cairn and over Lord Crag, generally following the spur of the fell all the way up to Heron Pike (Wainwright at 612m). Ignore the path going down to the left but continue along the spur all the way up to Great Rigg (Wainwright at 766m). From the cairn on the top, drop down slightly to continue up the spur to the summit of Fairfield (Wainwright at 873m).
(3) From the small cairn on the summit head northwest then north to pick up the path over Cofa Pike and Deepdale Hause. Then climb along the ridge up St Sunday Crag (Wainwright at 841m) to the cairn on The Cape. Keep on a north-easterly heading to the depression before crossing Birks (Wainwright at 622m). Continue on the main path for a short while before bearing off right down to Trough Head then up the other side to scale Arnison Crag (Wainwright at 433m).
(4) Head north off the fell along a dry stone wall to descend left of Oxford Crag to reach the main path above Home Farm. Turn right staying up from the dry stone wall to reach a small unnamed tarn above the Patterdale Hotel. Turn right on a path that follows the edge of the tarn to come down to the A 592 Kirkstone Pass road. Turn left for The White Lion pub and the village shop. Otherwise, turn right to follow the road round and in about 50m reach YHA Patterdale.(E)
