Sour Howes and Sallows

Leave the parking area and return to the A592 and Church Bridge. Turn right and cross the beck via the footbridge alongside the road. In 50m (55 yards) cross the road to the narrow lane opposite, it is signposted "restricted byway". This rough lane climbs quite steeply, above The Howe it swings sharply left and soon continues slightly easier up to a slanted crossroads.

Bear right to continue the ascent. As the track zigzags right and then left, just below a stand of trees, climb the tall ladder stile on the right into the enclosure. Follow the faint path to the obvious ladder stile above. This one is more awkward than the previous but climb it and cross the Garburn track above, climb the ladder stile opposite as well onto Applethwaite Common.

Now the path meanders between rocky knolls and through bracken to head for a spiky looking knoll high on the skyline slightly left. The path can clearly be seen climbing its face. Follow the path to this knoll, and beyond. A step stile quickly comes into view. Cross the stile and continue on the grassy path. Keep a look out to the right. Although the major path goes straight for the summit a branch left may be mistaken. The small triangular form of the end of the ridge is seen between grassy hummocks. Don't blink or you may miss it. The summit of Sour Howes is marked by a few small stones.

Bear left from the summit to head northwards, continuing on more grassy paths. Drop down to join a wall on your right and follow alongside this down to the depression and up the other side. Again the major path crosses the step-stile you are looking for, but a much fainter path does continue. Cross the wall here at the step-stile and initially bear left, and then right onto the wide grass ridge.

Continue past one small rocky outcrop and continue along the ridge to the high point of Sallows. Again only a few small stones mark this summit.

The return path is down to the Garburn Pass, initially turn back sharply left - about 45 degrees from the direction of approaching the summit and take the faint but reasonably well used path through the grass. Descend northwards on steepening grass to the Garburn Pass track. Approaching the bottom bear right along the stone path to the wall corner where there is a stone stile. There is no fence crossing directly ahead!

Reaching the track turn left and pass through the gate, continue along the track. Along the way a little a cairn rests on the right beside the track, this is the turning point for those people heading further north along the Ill Bell ridge.

At the cairn bear left to continue on the Garburn Road track. Follow the track through a couple of gates. The quarry marked on the map just to the left of the track has some geological interest, and a mobile phone mast!

When the track splits just before the stand of trees take the right fork. Just below the trees you soon reach the stile used on the ascent. Reaching the crossroads bear right to follow the track all the way back down to the A592 once again. Carefully cross to the pavement the other side and turn right to the footbridge, then left to return to the parking area.