Northern Road Trip | Hiking Loughrigg

Loughrigg Fell might not be the biggest peak in the Lake District but standing by the summit trig point you would hardy guess this. The reason it packs such a punch for its size is down to its prominent and isolated position. It sits right at the junction of five major valley systems and with no neighbouring peaks to block the views it affords unrivaled panoramas of every corner of the central Fells.

From Ambleside (where we began) you can step straight out of the town centre and within minutes be heading up its eastern flanks. It is worth getting the hardwork out of the way first so you can get into the views as soon as possible. 

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As ever, we were climbing the lower slopes a little after 9am. Get out early and avoid the crowds is our motto when hiking, especially in the time of Covid. The friend-who-is-like-my-brother is well versed in the ways of Lakeland hikes and climbs, so he was in charge of navigation. I was in charge of photography. 🙂

Going over the top of Loughrigg from Ambleside to Grasmere is approximately five miles, but it’s a tough five miles and took us around 4 hours.

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Loughrigg isn’t a hike I would recommend to a novice hill walker, but if you have some navigation skills, wear or carry the correct kit and respect the environment, you’ll be fine.

You should note that once in Grasmere, it’s another 40 minutes around the lake before you reach the town.

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As Monday is a UK Bank Holiday, the next scheduled post will appear on Tuesday, 31 August.