Some more Lake District tiddlers- Loughrigg Fell and Gummer's How

22 November

Participants - Just me
Where - Loughrigg Fell, 335m/1,100', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 90, NY 347051 and Gummer's How, 321m/1,054', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 96, SD 390885

Loughrigg Fell

This was the weather that I was hoping for; it had been frosty overnight, the cloud was lifting off the higher fells, the wind had died away so although the temperature was low it did not feel cold. There are a number of ways up Loughrigg Fell but I decided to start from just north of Rydal. It cost £5 to park the car; this was the first time that I had come across a ticket machine in a countryside car park that was set up to take credit cards. And the parking wardens visited to check that no-one was getting off without paying! But that's the Lake District for you, it's just so popular and busy!

From the car park, I followed a pleasant footpath over a bridge, through a gate and on to the hillside. This path traversed Loughrigg Terrace, which I had read about as providing some great views. And it did. This is looking back from the start of the Terrace to Rydal Water.....

and ahead to Grasmere.....

At the end of the Terrace the path turned steeply uphill. It was well supplied with stone steps. Higher up, the Langdale Pikes started to come into view.....

I had started my walk early but even so, there were a number of people about. This is obviously a popular Fell, justifiably so. But it did provide me with the opportunity to ask someone to take my picture at the trig with the Langdale Pikes in the background.....

I was seeing the Lakes at their best today. I think that I got my timing just right, another week and the autumn colours will have gone. They have been particularly good this year and I am really thankful to the skill of the doctors a year ago that has enabled me to see them. This is looking towards Bowfell and the Langdale Pikes.....

over Elter Water to the Coniston Fells.....

down Windermere.....

over Rydal village.....

and towards the Fairfield hills.....

It was definitely a top to linger on and I did.

Gummer's How

I wanted to see as much of this part of the Lakes as I could. So for my next hill, I drove down the length of Windermere- less than 20 miles from Loughrigg- and just before Newby Bridge turned off up a minor road to the car park for Gummer's How. This time the car park was free- good on the Forestry Commission. Gummer's How is obviously another well known and popular viewpoint.....

There was a notice at the start advising that Luing cattle had been put on the hill to aid vegetation management.....

And sure enough, there they were, enjoying the sunshine.....

A lot of work had been put into maintaining the path.....

and I was soon at the trig.....

Gummer's How is situated at the southern edge of the Lakes and so the higher hills were that bit further away. Windermere provides the foreground; this is looking up the length of the lake to the Fairfield group of hills at its north end.....

and across the loch to the Coniston Fells.....

Once again I spent a fair bit of time at the top. You don't get many days like this in late November and I reckoned that I had made the most of it.