Loughrigg Fell

Loughrigg is small, but you can climb it from almost anywhere. Ambleside, Rydal, Grasmere, Skelwith Bridge and Elterwater all have paths onto it. The most popular start is White Moss on the A591 between Rydal Water and Grasmere, where there are two National Park pay and display car parks about 150m apart. The 555 bus between Keswick and Lancaster stops at White Moss Common, so you can do it without a car.

From White Moss, cross the River Rothay and go through the woods to Loughrigg Terrace, a level path above Grasmere with good views up the lake. At the western end a steep path with stone steps climbs to the summit plateau. A good circuit carries on across the top and comes down past Rydal Cave, a large 19th century slate quarry chamber with stepping stones across the pool at its mouth. Blocks do occasionally fall from its roof.

Low down the tracks are good. On top the paths are rough and sometimes boggy, and they fork and wander between rocky knolls. There is no scrambling.

The summit

The highest point is the middle one of three knolls and has an Ordnance Survey trig pillar beside a large cairn. The view is wide for the height. The Langdale Pikes are the main feature to the west, the Fairfield Horseshoe is to the north east, and Windermere, Elterwater and Grasmere are all in sight. Loughrigg Tarn sits in its hollow below the south western slopes.