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I chose these fell today because there's still quite a lot of snow on the higher mountains, and because I'd read that these are easier to do when the ground is frozen.I started from Armboth, on the west side of Thirlmere,parking in a lay-by to avoid having to pay for the car park.The first part of the walk is up a steep stony path.There was some ice on it, but not enough to make the walking difficult.
- Thirlmere
From the top of the plantation the path goes up towards High Tove, but I headed off to the left to climb Armboth Fell.There isn't really a path here so I just headed straight to what looked like the top.
- Armboth Fell Summit (?)
I'm not sure if this was the actual summit, but since the Wainwright top isn't the real summit, and Wainright himself wrote that it isn't really worth climbing anyway, I'm counting it as done.
I climbed another bit of rock as well, just in case that was it.
The next hill was High Tove, which at least has a well defined summit,although when you get to the top it's just a little bump on a big plateau.
- High Tove
To get to High Seat you follow the fence along the ridge.This would be a very boggy walk if it wasn't frozen,but today it was fairly easy,although parts of it were only half frozen and I could feel the ground starting to give way as I walked over it.High Seat was the highest point of the day at just under 2000 feet.
There was ome snow on the north side of it, but not on the south.
- Skiddaw
- Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite Lake and Scotland
- High Seat Summit
From High Seat it's another walk over the frozen bog to Bleaberry Fell.
- Bleaberry Fell Summit
- Southern and western fells
- Bleaberry Fell from the NW
From Bleaberry Fell I took the path down to Walla Crag
- Walla Crag
and then down to the A591 near Nest Brow.
From here I had planned to go up Raven Crag, but didn't make it to the summit.I took a path through Shoulthwaite Farm, and then came to a forest road which was signposted to Raven Crag and Castle Crag Fort.
This track gave good views of the crags on the east side of Bleaberry Fell
and I must have been somewhere near the top of Raven Crag, but there didn't seem to be a way up to the summit.Instead, the track went a long way into the forest before coming to a dead end.
I then went back to a gate which led out into the open hillside, and then had an awkward pathless walk along the edge of the forest before rejoining the path down to Armboth.
I was disappointed not to get up Raven Crag.I'm not sure if the signpost was deceptive or if I just missed a turn somewhere.
I'll have to try it again another time.