Wansfell and Troutbeck Tongue

Thursday 22nd December 2022 (and Friday 23rd December 2023)

The weather forecast for this day was relatively good with hardly any wind, which was a welcome change after the brisk, cold winds that had affected me on my previous two days in the Lake District. However, it was still grey and misty with clouds everywhere and it was very wet as I left the Ambleside Youth Hostel, so I was unsure where I would be walking. My plan seemed to be overambitious for the weather, but in the end I decided to start my planned walk and see how far I went. From the shore of Windermere I took a path that climbed steeply up the hillside and into Skelghyll Wood, which seemed very atmospheric in the misty conditions. After negotiating a network of paths through the wood, I came across a National Trust sign that proclaimed “Kelsick Scar”, and pointed to a footpath up Wansfell, which led me steeply through the trees and out of the wood not far from a substantial aqueduct observatory station. I didn’t become aware of this path until it appeared in the latest version of Wainwright’s guides, the Walker’s Edition, and took it as a descent in 2016 in diminishing light, so now I wanted to take it in ascent, but I had no views and soon I disappeared into the clouds. Although relatively new, the path is already clear underfoot and the small posts that mark the route were no longer necessary. With no view to be seen it was difficult for me to know how much further I had to go and the path seemed to go on for much longer than I would expect until eventually I reached Wansfell Pike.

This is a prominent outcrop on the western edge of the fell, but is not the highest point, so I made my way beside the wall along the summit ridge and considered my options. In these misty conditions I wasn’t getting much enjoyment out of the walk. The views were non-existent and there was little undulation in the ridge which my intended route laid along, down to Woundale Raise and up to St Raven’s Edge. With no incentive to keep going I decided to abandon my original plan, but not until I had reached the cairn that marks Wainwright’s summit for Wansfell, however the Ordnance Survey claim there is a higher point just over a nearby wall, but when I made my way across I could not find anything worthy of being the top. After returning to Wainwright’s more prominent top, which is a better place to aim for, I made my way south down the clear path, but it was very, very wet and soon I slipped over and got soaked. The ground was just too wet and muddy to do any meaningful walking on so I was happy to be coming down and eventually the waterlogged path came alongside a wall, which I crossed onto an enclosed lane. I have horrible memories of walking down this muddy lane in 2010 so I was pleasantly surprised to find a good, stony track, but my memory had not failed me and soon the stones were replaced by thick mud that left my boots completely covered in mud by the time I reached the direct path to Wansfell Pike.

Thankfully, from there, down Nanny Lane into Troutbeck, the track is much better and I slowly descended into the Troutbeck valley where the clouds lay thick on either side. On reaching the road in the village of Troutbeck, I took a footpath down to the bottom of the valley and up towards Troutbeck Tongue. For some reason I was feeling very tired at this point in the walk, so I slowed right down and carefully made my way through the beautiful valley, initially on a delightfully narrow enclosed path, but soon widened onto the farmer’s road of Ing Lane. After passing over Ing Bridge and Hagg Bridge I decided to stop and have my lunch in the hope that this would help me get some energy. I had considered approaching the top of Troutbeck Tongue from the north, but eventually I decided that I should take the usual route up, from the south, as I did in 2010, so I took the path to Hagg Gill before turning off to climb the prominent rock rib up to the summit. It is always best to climb steeply and descent slowly, though the best views were behind me down the length of the Troutbeck valley. My lunch and the great views gave me the strength to make the ascent up a fabulous, craggy ridge until eventually I plunged into the clouds and reached the cairn that marks the summit of the Tongue in Troutbeck Park.

A long grassy ridge took me north from the top and soon I came out of the clouds again to reveal views of the upper valley, but the low cloud cover meant they were not great. The weather was not helping this walk, though I no longer had the light rain that I had encountered on Wansfell. Towards the end of the ridge a track materialised that curved sharply round into the valley to my right descending to the Hagg Gill and this I followed back down the side of Troutbeck Tongue. At a junction I branched left and followed the bridleway down the eastern side of the Troutbeck valley for a long, easy and relaxing walk down the valley, which was just what I needed, eventually taking a path through Limefitt Holiday Park and across the valley back into village of Troutbeck where I joined Robin Lane around the southern slopes of Wansfell. On this walk I encountered several of these fabulous enclosed lanes that the Lake District abounds in and are a joy to walk along. Nanny Lane took me off Wansfell, Ing Lane took me up the Troutbeck valley, Longmire Road took me back down the valley and now Robin Lane set me off back towards Skelghyll Wood and Ambleside. This was a curious walk with very wet conditions on Wansfell that left my map soaked and a fatigue that plagued much of the walk, but the ascent of Troutbeck Tongue did much to revive my spirits.

Heavy rain was forecast the next day from about midday so I decided not to do much walking, which was fortunate as I didn’t have anything planned. The only thing I could think of was a path that climbs from Clappersgate to Todd Crag on the south-eastern tip of Loughrigg Fell that I have previously only ever taken in descent in diminishing light so I was keen to do that as an ascent in better light. Leaving the youth hostel at Waterhead I made my way around the lake to Clappersgate and started the steep ascent up a fabulous path that was short, sharp and always delightful, ingeniously designed up rock and through bracken with tremendous views over Windermere. This path is everything I love about the Lake District, so it was a shame when it was soon over and I reached Todd Crag where I not only had great views over Windermere but towards the encircling fells, currently clear of clouds, with the Fairfield Horseshoe looking particularly striking. I didn’t linger too long on the fell, so after passing Lily Tarn I took the path that descends straight down to Miller Brow and back into Ambleside. Rather than catching a bus to the railway station I thought I’d try walking beside the road all the way to Windermere while the rain held off and save myself the bus fare. It was curious to walk a route that I have taken many times before on a bus and it surprised me how quickly I was able to do it. Whatever the weather, it is always great being in the Lake District.