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Sub 2000 Marilyns: Loughrigg Fell.
Date: 04 and 05/09/2017.
Distance: 7 + 13.5km.
Ascent: 450 + 250m.
Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes + 2 hours, 45 minutes.
Weather: Wet on Loughrigg, dry on the walk to Ambleside (with occasional sunshine). Warm both days.
The Sunday of the Snowdonia meet dawned wet and miserable as forecast, but I didn't mind. I was off first thing to the Lake District to catch up with my parents again, who were staying in a caravan in Langdale. A series of buses and trains (2 buses, 4 trains and a rather rapid dash across Manchester city centre) brought me to Windermere in more miserable weather. I had hoped to walk to Langdale, but I ended up arriving an hour late and the weather didn't inspire, so I strolled down to Bowness and had a pint while waiting for my parents.
I had mapped out some potentially big plans for the couple of days I had here, but at least wanted to get up the Pike o' Blisco, which I hadn't been up before, and looked like a good quickie from the caravan, whatever the weather.
However the weather played a fairly mean hand, and I didn't feel inspired to even do a quick dash up the Pike the following morning. We had some family friends coming over in the afternoon, and hoped to go for a walk with them. In the end, we drove the short distance to Elterwater and headed for Loughrigg Fell. Visibility was poor, but the rain wasn't that heavy, and we could always skip the summit if it didn't clear up.
Elaine and mum on Red Bank We squelched up paths which took us above the YHA at High Close, and got ourselves onto Loughrigg Terrace. We were going to head to the summit from here, but one by one, we changed our mind until we were all walking around the terrace instead. Although the clouds didn't lift much, there were still pleasant views of Grasmere and Rydal Water.
We carried on around to a mine shaft, where we stopped for a break. This provided a good photo opportunity.
Quarry on Loughrigg Terrace 
Inside the mine level As it had cleared further, we decided to head upwards again, following good and then slightly boggy paths, before emerging on one of the main paths to the summit. Hardly the views that I got last time around, but at least we weren't completely clagged in.
Heron Pike across Rydal Water 
Windermere (just about) from Loughrigg Fell 
Across Grasmere from the summit 
Elterwater and Holme Fell 
Grasmere and Dunmail Raise We descended the steep path back to the terrace, at which point heavy rain came on and stayed on all the way back to Elterwater. Miserable! Martin and Elaine were going to stay for a meal, but ended up getting straight into their car and going home. We spent the rest of the night with the caravan festooned with wet and smelly walking clothes while the rain continued to beat down (we did at least have a nice meal in the Wainwright Inn in Chapel Stile, and I worked out that this must've been the pub that repeatedly served me and my mates when I was 16 or 17 and staying on the campsite nearby).
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These two walks barely deserve separate reports so I have run them into one. The next day it was still **** down, and again I felt no urge to dash up Pike o' Blisco in the morning. The weather was forecast to clear up later on, but unfortunately I was on the train back up to Inverness just before 5pm, which didn't leave much afternoon to play with. I decided to reprise part of my idea of walking from Windermere to Langdale, and set off at lunchtime for Ambleside. I didn't have time for the full walk but I could easily get a bus from Ambleside.
I set off in the wrong direction down the Langdale road in order to pick up the footpath which linked up with the Cumbrian Way at the New Dungeon Ghyll hotel. There was the odd spit of rain, but the cloud cleared nicely off the Langdale Pikes to give impressive scenery. Pike o' Blisco didn't show its face all day.
Scout Crag 
Harrison Stickle 
Langdale Pikes from near Side House Easy walking along an obvious path took me along the south side of Langdale and through Baysbrown Farm to come out at Chapel Stile. Another short wooded section took me past the quarry to Elterwater.
Langdale 
Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark 
Chapel Stile 
Elterwater On the other side of Elterwater, the path had been upgraded along the shores of Elter Water itself to a cycle track/all abilities path, and was very busy. I got a look at Skelwith Force, which I've always missed in the past due to it not being en-route to any hills, and popped out at Skelwith Bridge.
Langdale from Elter Water 
Skelwith Force 
Skelwith Force A very short (and steep) section of road on the far side of Skelwith Bridge was much quieter, before I picked up the bridleway around the foot of Ivy Crag and the bottom end of Loughrigg again. I was back following a route I had used in 2012 to get from Loughrigg Fell to Ambleside, although to get a bit of elevation, I made a short detour to an un-named bump near Todd Crag.
Windermere from near Todd Crag 
Over the shoulder of Loughrigg Fell 
Ambleside 
Windermere A skip lorry was descending the narrow lane from Brow Head farm, and when it met a van coming the other way, I was almost stuck in between them! Then it was down into the chaos of Ambleside, where the traffic is endless and slow, and the tat shops are many. A bus for Windermere was waiting so I jumped straight on it.
Looking towards the Fairfield Horseshoe 
Ambleside Windermere wasn't much better for traffic, but I had a relaxing hour available for a chippy and ice cream before getting the train. A rather unadventurous visit to the Lakes compared to what I had planned, but the stroll from Langdale was pleasant and varied.
