After our first walk in the Lakes in nearly two years, we sweltered in a heatwave the next day, we decided to walk after tea that evening. This would hopefully give us a slightly cooler walk and meant the fell needed to be reasonably near to the house in Grasmere. I had Armboth Fell still to do and after plenty of dry weather it would be perfect for the evening. As it was the cloud had come across the sky and this meant it was pretty sultry but a little cooler than direct sun. The notorious boggy fell posed little problems as we followed the path up Fisher Gill, ignoring Fisher Crag and turning only when level with the fell itself. There were a couple of spongy bits which may have been boggy, but its only a 100 metres combined of boggy ground at most, I’d gladly have this “boggy” patch on Dartmoor any day. The Wainwright is in a funny place, being south of the high point and like many people we wandered around summitting many outcrops to ensure the bag on this heathery top. Another tick in the box though, number 166.
Start – Armboth Car Park
Route – Fisher Gill – Armboth Fell real top – Armboth Fell (Wainwright) – Fisher Gill – Armboth
Distance – 2.5 miles Start time – 6.20pm Time taken – 2hrs Highest Point – Armboth Fell 475 metres
Weather – Humid and sultry, some sun but mainly cloud
Thirlmere looked glorious as we set out from Armboth car park, the other advantage of this walk in the evening, is the setting sun being out of sight as you climb the gill.Browncove Crags across Thirlmere, one of the main but least fun ways up to HelvellynThe car parking spot, there were toilets here as wellStarting to gain a bit of height and the Dodds (Stybarrow and Watson) come into view across the reservoirCloud coming in now as we climb Fisher GillAbove the trees now. There is a fork in the gill stream down there, we had crossed the left hand section (or right hand as we ascended) and followed the path between the two arms of the stream, we would cross the other stream once we got level with Armboth Fell. We had ignored Fisher Crag (right of photo just in shadow), which despite giving you a better view of Thirlmere, puts you the wrong side of boggy ground before the fell top. You could do an out and back to the main path here, but we decided not to give ourselves the temptation of the direct approach from Fisher Crag to Armboth FellHigh Seat is right and High Tove is left, even the boys had a go at me for not bagging Armboth Fell when we did these two as it was so close to High ToveThe high point of Armboth Fell, High Seat is to the right of the boysRaven Crag in the wooded section with Blencathra behind that, the Dodds and Clough Head to the right, it was lovely up here a bit of a breeze was enough to keep us from melting completelyDappled sun on Browncove Crags, White Side to the left of that and a peep of Helvellyn behind the crags. Nethermost and Dollywaggon Pikes further right. We had a wander over the high point over there on the right which looked a similar height to this slab rock outcropWe also went down to that outcrop in the mid right of this photo as that is the Wainwright. Ullscarf is at the back. What I couldn’t understand is why Wainwright chose this outcrop. Bell Crags is in the middle distance on the left and is about 100 metres higher than this spot, has a decent fall on all sides and is on the ridge running over High Tove, Middle Crag, Shivery Knott and on to Harrop Tarn/Dob Gill. that would have made a more obvious choiceThink this was taken from the Wainwright top or on the way to it. Pillar is at the back on the right and Great Gable sits in the middle of the photoZoomed in on Browncove Crags and Helvellyn peeping up behindHe’d borrowed my camera to take some photos, he just took this one. Don’t askThe 3 of us on Armboth FellBlencathra beyond the boys who were giving me their finest facesBack at the highest point of Armboth and High Seat again in the shotWalking back to pick up the path down to Fisher Gill, this section was dry and fine even though it looks like it could be wetArmboth Fell as we hit the top of the gill and the start of the trees againBracken aheadThe path zigzags down the steeper section. Thirlmere in view againSome fine boulders in this woodlandLast one for this walk. A good time to do this one both with the dry weather and avoiding the heat. Didn’t see another soul all the walk. Tomorrow will be a rest day and then the big walk of the holiday, Great Gable.
His choice – the curmudgeonly old git!
Evening is a much better time than early morning for a walk when it’s hot. I tried the early morning option and it was well over 20C at 7am.
There are endless little bumps and tops around there – spent a happy day bagging Birketts a few years back
Some of his choices do make me giggle sometimes, that one though will go down as the most pointless one, with so many better one to choose from to the south. Any walk starting at 7am and 20degrees is not going to end well for me, I’d be a sweaty puddle by 9am!!
treksandtors 
Best weather to do it in…. I have always considered the big grey tor the summit, seems the best (and highest) one to me…
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That’s definitely the high point but for some reason Wainwright chose the lower heathery one to the south. His choice I guess!
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His choice – the curmudgeonly old git!
Evening is a much better time than early morning for a walk when it’s hot. I tried the early morning option and it was well over 20C at 7am.
There are endless little bumps and tops around there – spent a happy day bagging Birketts a few years back
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Some of his choices do make me giggle sometimes, that one though will go down as the most pointless one, with so many better one to choose from to the south. Any walk starting at 7am and 20degrees is not going to end well for me, I’d be a sweaty puddle by 9am!!
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