Wednesday 24th December 2025
On my last day in the Lake District before Christmas I made my way to Thirlmere and parked in the car park near the dam for the reservoir, setting off along the permissive path that runs between the shore and the road. I had never been on this path before so I was overjoyed to be walking along it now as it meanders around the headland through the trees, but all too soon I reached Armboth Car Park where I left Thirlmere behind and headed up the hill beside a fence near Fisher Gill. Soon, I had views behind me across Thirlmere towards the Helvellyn range while to my right I passed below Cockrigg Crags before emerging from the trees to the open fell where I branched off the clear path to cross Fisher Gill onto boggy paths that were almost frozen where the sun wasn’t shining. Ahead of me I could see the rocky plinth of Armboth Fell so I headed across the heather and bog and soon reached the summit. I previously climbed Armboth Fell in 2008 in snowy conditions and I had never been back despite several planned attempts. On that occasion I had bagged the top as an out and back from High Tove, so I was keen to climb it properly, which I had now done and was the last Wainwright that I had done only once. After wandering around the summit for a while I realised there was a cairn on a heathery spur to the south that was Wainwright’s summit, even though the Ordnance Survey now say I was at the highest point, so for completion I crossed over to the south top.
A clear path avoids the worst of the bogs between the highest point on Armboth Fell and High Tove, but since I was now on what had been thought to be the highest point in Wainwright’s day instead I decided to cross straight over from there following a sketchy path that was mostly dry, or frozen, except when crossing the top of Launchy Gill. Eventually I reached Shivery Man, and the fence that runs across the top of the broad, boggy ridge, where I turned right to continue my struggle through the heather until I eventually reached High Tove. I was here less than a year earlier, at the beginning of 2025 when there was a covering of snow on the ground, but now the sun was shining and the early frost was melting. I had been reluctant to return so soon after, but there was no avoiding it and also visit the close neighbouring Armboth Fell. A flagstone path led me across the broad saddle towards High Seat and when I reached the trig point at the summit I was greeted by stunning views in all directions, including glimpses of Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake. At the beginning of the year the weather had been much poorer with overcast skies and snow so I now had a great contrast to the view as I basked in the sunshine beside the summit.
After eating my lunch sheltered from the wind behind the east top, known as Man, I set off down the grassy, eastern slopes until I reached the edge of a conifer plantation where a gate afforded me access and along a track that led me to a junction where I turned right towards Raven Crag. This was a heavily manufactured path ending in a flight of steps up the hill to a sensational viewpoint along Thirlmere. I last visited this in 2014 and I don’t remember such severe manufacturing of the path and viewpoint then, but I wasn’t bothered as the views in the sunshine were amazing. I climbed around the top of the crag getting different angles while taking loads of pictures. Unfortunately I needed to get home, so I had to leave these stunning views and descend an eroded, stony footpath steeply down the hill back to my car. I was disappointed to be leaving the Lake District, especially when the weather was as good as this, but I needed to back home for Christmas and it wouldn’t be long before I was back.
