Climbing in the Lake District
High Rigg
A personal favourite amongst these climbs in the lower fells is the little walk from the church of St John's in the Vale to the adjacent summit of High Rigg, at only 354m (1, 163ft) the highest point of the ridge which divides the valleys of St John's Beck and the Naddle Beck. The church, approached along a gated road, is a low, unsophisticated, squattowered structure, typical of many in the Lakes.
Lake District hotels can be found close to High Rigg, although the best choice of Lake District accommodation is closer to the central lakes at Windermere and Bowness.
The path to the top of High Rigg starts just to the west of the church and climbs steeply for a short distance, ascending a marvellous green rake at one point, before becoming an easy stroll through quite broken terrain to the summit plateau, which is pleasantly rocky and, if the route is well chosen, can entail a little scramble before the highest point is reached.
The views are quite magnificent, from Grasmoor and the Newlands fells in the west through the dominating Skiddaw and Blencathra massifs in the north to the northern ramparts of the Helvellyn range in the east. These surprisingly rocky outliers of Helvellyn itself are usually dismissed as flattopped and,tedious, but their western slopes are of great interest, not least to rock climbers.
This interest centres on the detached bastion on the slopes of Watson's Dodd, known as the Castle Rock of Triermain; a remarkable, craggy tor jutting into the valley, it has attracted its share of legend and romance, having been tentatively identified as the site of the Green Chapel in the medieval poem Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight and later used by Sir Walter Scott as the setting for The Bridal of Triermain.
Eagle Crag and Borrowdale
Travellers along the valley road through Borrowdale, journeying between Rosthwaite and Seatoller, have a fine view of our next objective, the proud buttress of Eagle Crag, which stands guard at the head of the Stonethwaite valley, its slopes running down to Smithymire Island at the confluence of Greenup Gill and Langstrath Beck.
Although it is hard at first to see any way of tackling the craggy face of the fell, a satisfying direct ascent is in fact perfectly feasible. The way lies across steep grass, bracken, scree and, worst of all, boulder fields to the top of the subsidiary buttress of Bleak How; from here it is comparatively simple to reach the summit of Eagle Crag, though the last steps require some minor scrambling ability. From the cairn many of the major fells can be seen, including Great Gable, Scafell Pike, and Bowfell. Helm Crag
It is not without a little trepidation that the next example of a fell which makes up for its lack of elevation with sheer style and character is included. This is Helm Crag, one of the most familiar and popular fells in the district. This popularity stems not from the attributes of the walk to its summit, however though the fact that the National Trust have had to reconstruct the path from Grasmere in its entirety is eloquent testimony to the weight of visitors it suffers but from the unusual configuration of the summit rocks when seen from the valley below.
Depending on the viewpoint, various scenes can (given sufficient imagination!) be recognised, though the bestknown is the Lion and the Lamb. The fell has more to offer, though, for it is set in attractive scenery and it has a delightful summit area, with the top itself accessible only by scrambling up a little rocky peak. Don't expect to have the fell to yourself during the summer months, however.
Lake District holiday
If you are planning a Lake District holiday, one of the best places to start out is Windermere and the central lakes. From here you can explore the surrounding areas, including Bowness with all of its attractions, Keswick and its stunning landscapes and some of the best Lake District museums at Coniston and Penrith.
Hallin Fell
Amongst the fells which crowd in at the head of Ullswater Place Fell holds pride of place as the perfect destination for a short walk, combining relative ease of ascent with interest and variety in the walk itself and with a fine reward at the summit of a marvellous vista of the surrounding scenery, notably Helvellyn above the craggy back wall of the deep hollow containing Red Tarn between the twin aretes of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. At 656m (2, 154ft) it is, sadly, a little too high to qualify as one of the lower fells. Fortunately a fine substitute lies close at hand, in the shape of Hallin Fell.
Hallin Fell's summit is a mere 387m (1,271ft) above sea level, and it can be reached very easily indeed from the newer of Martindale's two churches, yet its situation is delightful, perched above Kailpot Crag and overlooking two reaches of Ullswater. It is slightly detached from the main mountain mass at the head of the lake, and as a result has better views than might be expected.
These views are not just related to Ullswater, however: nowhere else has a better situation in relation to Martindale and its tributary valleys, notably the almost deserted glacial trough of Boredale named after the wild boar, which died out here in the thirteenth century as its woodland habitat was progressively turned over to sheep pastures.
From Martindale church a wide grassy path, made slippery in dry weather by the passage of countless boots and shoes, leads straight up to the summit, where there is a magnificent and very substantial cairn, out of all proportion to the importance of the fell itself.
Loughrigg Fell and Windermere walks
No description of the best of the lower fells would be complete without reference to Loughrigg Fell, that amorphous mass covering a huge area west of Ambleside and between the Brathay valley and Grasmere. Despite the vast area it covers, Loughrigg's highest point (summit would be too pretentious a description) lies at only about 335m (1,100ft), yet this is a fell to spend time on, with excellent walks on grassy and heathery paths, little crags to explore, and splendid views across the Grasmere bowl, along the length of Windermere and westwards to the Langdale Pikes.
The most popular walk traverses Loughrigg Terrace, an excellent promenade above the peaceful lake of Grasmere, but there are others which are equally as interesting, none more so than the northsouth traverse from Ellers to Steps End near Rydal. The caves of Loughrigg Quarries, the biggest a massive cavern, are close to the northern end of this attractive walk.
A personal favourite amongst these climbs in the lower fells is the little walk from the church of St John's in the Vale to the adjacent summit of High Rigg, at only 354m (1, 163ft) the highest point of the ridge which divides the valleys of St John's Beck and the Naddle Beck. The church, approached along a gated road, is a low, unsophisticated, squattowered structure, typical of many in the Lakes.
Lake District hotels can be found close to High Rigg, although the best choice of Lake District accommodation is closer to the central lakes at Windermere and Bowness.
The path to the top of High Rigg starts just to the west of the church and climbs steeply for a short distance, ascending a marvellous green rake at one point, before becoming an easy stroll through quite broken terrain to the summit plateau, which is pleasantly rocky and, if the route is well chosen, can entail a little scramble before the highest point is reached.
The views are quite magnificent, from Grasmoor and the Newlands fells in the west through the dominating Skiddaw and Blencathra massifs in the north to the northern ramparts of the Helvellyn range in the east. These surprisingly rocky outliers of Helvellyn itself are usually dismissed as flattopped and,tedious, but their western slopes are of great interest, not least to rock climbers.
This interest centres on the detached bastion on the slopes of Watson's Dodd, known as the Castle Rock of Triermain; a remarkable, craggy tor jutting into the valley, it has attracted its share of legend and romance, having been tentatively identified as the site of the Green Chapel in the medieval poem Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight and later used by Sir Walter Scott as the setting for The Bridal of Triermain.
Eagle Crag and Borrowdale
Travellers along the valley road through Borrowdale, journeying between Rosthwaite and Seatoller, have a fine view of our next objective, the proud buttress of Eagle Crag, which stands guard at the head of the Stonethwaite valley, its slopes running down to Smithymire Island at the confluence of Greenup Gill and Langstrath Beck.
Although it is hard at first to see any way of tackling the craggy face of the fell, a satisfying direct ascent is in fact perfectly feasible. The way lies across steep grass, bracken, scree and, worst of all, boulder fields to the top of the subsidiary buttress of Bleak How; from here it is comparatively simple to reach the summit of Eagle Crag, though the last steps require some minor scrambling ability. From the cairn many of the major fells can be seen, including Great Gable, Scafell Pike, and Bowfell. Helm Crag
It is not without a little trepidation that the next example of a fell which makes up for its lack of elevation with sheer style and character is included. This is Helm Crag, one of the most familiar and popular fells in the district. This popularity stems not from the attributes of the walk to its summit, however though the fact that the National Trust have had to reconstruct the path from Grasmere in its entirety is eloquent testimony to the weight of visitors it suffers but from the unusual configuration of the summit rocks when seen from the valley below.
Depending on the viewpoint, various scenes can (given sufficient imagination!) be recognised, though the bestknown is the Lion and the Lamb. The fell has more to offer, though, for it is set in attractive scenery and it has a delightful summit area, with the top itself accessible only by scrambling up a little rocky peak. Don't expect to have the fell to yourself during the summer months, however.
Lake District holiday
If you are planning a Lake District holiday, one of the best places to start out is Windermere and the central lakes. From here you can explore the surrounding areas, including Bowness with all of its attractions, Keswick and its stunning landscapes and some of the best Lake District museums at Coniston and Penrith.
Hallin Fell
Amongst the fells which crowd in at the head of Ullswater Place Fell holds pride of place as the perfect destination for a short walk, combining relative ease of ascent with interest and variety in the walk itself and with a fine reward at the summit of a marvellous vista of the surrounding scenery, notably Helvellyn above the craggy back wall of the deep hollow containing Red Tarn between the twin aretes of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. At 656m (2, 154ft) it is, sadly, a little too high to qualify as one of the lower fells. Fortunately a fine substitute lies close at hand, in the shape of Hallin Fell.
Hallin Fell's summit is a mere 387m (1,271ft) above sea level, and it can be reached very easily indeed from the newer of Martindale's two churches, yet its situation is delightful, perched above Kailpot Crag and overlooking two reaches of Ullswater. It is slightly detached from the main mountain mass at the head of the lake, and as a result has better views than might be expected.
These views are not just related to Ullswater, however: nowhere else has a better situation in relation to Martindale and its tributary valleys, notably the almost deserted glacial trough of Boredale named after the wild boar, which died out here in the thirteenth century as its woodland habitat was progressively turned over to sheep pastures.
From Martindale church a wide grassy path, made slippery in dry weather by the passage of countless boots and shoes, leads straight up to the summit, where there is a magnificent and very substantial cairn, out of all proportion to the importance of the fell itself.
Loughrigg Fell and Windermere walks
No description of the best of the lower fells would be complete without reference to Loughrigg Fell, that amorphous mass covering a huge area west of Ambleside and between the Brathay valley and Grasmere. Despite the vast area it covers, Loughrigg's highest point (summit would be too pretentious a description) lies at only about 335m (1,100ft), yet this is a fell to spend time on, with excellent walks on grassy and heathery paths, little crags to explore, and splendid views across the Grasmere bowl, along the length of Windermere and westwards to the Langdale Pikes.
The most popular walk traverses Loughrigg Terrace, an excellent promenade above the peaceful lake of Grasmere, but there are others which are equally as interesting, none more so than the northsouth traverse from Ellers to Steps End near Rydal. The caves of Loughrigg Quarries, the biggest a massive cavern, are close to the northern end of this attractive walk.
posted by Windermere Boutique Hotels | 02:21
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