Final Day: Ridge Time, Views, and “That’s Enough”
Friday. Our final day of hill walking. Well, we decided it was the final day after doing all of the walking today, anyway. The plan was to head onto the ridge between Thirlmere and Derwent Water, bagging up a few more Wainwrights. I parked at Ashness Bridge at the bottom of the Watendlath Road. Remaining up here were the peaks of High Seat, Bleaberry Fell, and Walla Crag. It was good weather again after yesterday’s torrential rain.
High Seat
We initially walked up a steep slope then onto a flatter plateau. We followed Barrow Beck and then Ashness Gill — the most direct route up from the car park. It was a long walk but easier than the previous day and not so boggy. Most of the flatter land had an upgraded gravel path across it.
High Seat was first on the list. The climb was steady, the height gain more than anything we had tackled the previous day. At the top we mooched around for a while, and I even climbed a fence to grab a geocache tucked under a rocky crag.
High Seat (608 m) itself is a broad, peaty dome with a trig point perched on a small rock platform. The summit is notorious for boggy approaches, though today was kinder underfoot. The views, however, make up for any damp socks: Helvellyn stretches out to the east, with Blencathra and Skiddaw dominating the northern skyline. On a clear day both Derwent Water and Thirlmere are just about visible if you look in the right direction. It feels central, open, and slightly windswept — exactly the sort of place Wainwright would call “not much to look at, but indispensable.”
Bleaberry Fell
From High Seat the route south to Bleaberry Fell is easy going, with just a few boggy patches to break the rhythm. Lunch was taken at the top, conveniently in one of the many stone circle arrangements that litter the Lakes like abandoned garden ornaments.
Bleaberry Fell (590 m) is heather-clad, its summit crowned by a scattering of cairns. The views are generous: Skiddaw and Blencathra to the north, Helvellyn to the east, and Borrowdale unfurling in the distance. Between Walla Crag and Bleaberry the ground is a patchwork of moss, marsh, and suspiciously damp grass, but the top itself is relatively dry. The outlook directly over Derwent Water is much better than from High Seat, and the various northern “lumps” seem much closer.
Walla Crag
We pressed on northwards. After parting ways with a friendly German couple on the descent, we swung right for a (short) final push up Walla Crag.
At just 379 m, Walla Crag proves that size doesn’t matter. The summit cairn is perched close to a cliff edge that drops dramatically towards Derwent Water. From here the panorama is striking: Catbells in the foreground, then Whinlatter, Grisedale Pike, and Crag Hill layered behind. The terrain near the top is rocky and heathery, with a whiff of drama and a lot of tourists. It’s a perfect vantage point for postcard views without the need for a defibrillator.
The walk back down to Ashness Bridge was straightforward: mostly stone paths, gentle gradients, and plenty of water still draining away after yesterday’s deluge. The car was, reassuringly, still where I had left it.
High Rigg
After a brief debate about whether our legs had any fuel left, we decided to attempt High Rigg. The drive down the Watendlath Road was “entertaining” — one driver tried to squeeze past outside of a passing place, but eventually admitted defeat and reversed forty yards to somewhere sensible.
We parked at the base, walked up the lane to the church, and then took the steepest line to the summit. It’s a sharp pull, but mercifully short.
High Rigg tops out at a modest 357 m, its summit a cairn on a grassy outcrop. Despite its small stature, the views are surprisingly big: Skiddaw and Blencathra loom to the north, Helvellyn to the east, and Thirlmere stretches below to the south. The terrain is friendlier than the big central bogs — grassy, undulating, with rocky knolls for character. Coming down by the westerly route proved wise, especially as a short burst of rain swept through. It’s less steep and easier to follow. At least the rain was brief, unlike yesterday’s soaking.
Back to Keswick
By 5pm we were back at the car and headed into Keswick. After changing, packing, and generally pretending we weren’t knackered, we wandered down to the “other” tapas bar — the Square Orange. Tapas and pizza served as a fine farewell to the holiday, even if it did mean admitting that our week of walking was over.
In total, we’d managed 18 Wainwrights in the week, bringing Ami’s grand tally up to 50. Not bad going for seven days in Lakeland — even if our boots may never quite recover.
Wainwrights Completed on This Day
