Fairfield, Great Rigg, Heron Pike and Nab Scar

Living in East Yorkshire had not inspired me to do lots of walking on a regular basis, and even though I had walked the Wolds Way and Dales Way long-distance footpaths earlier in the year, I had not kept myself very active since then—and it showed!

I was absolutely knackered as we climbed from our start point at the popular Mill Bridge lay-by up Great Tongue to Hause Gap and Grisedale Tarn. My pacing was so poor it felt embarrassing, but I kept going, and by the time we reached the shoreline of Grisedale Tarn I was beginning to find my mountain legs.

Thank heavens we had a short breather beside the tarn, as the path ahead looked like a stiff haul from the waterside straight up Fairfield Brow. It was a good job Deke was not in a hurry either; as Dave and Ally drove themselves at a brisk pace up the steep gradient of Fairfield, Deke and I ambled steadily behind them.

The steady workout paid dividends though, as I shook off my initial lethargy and found my stride as we gained the summit plateau of Fairfield. It was time to enjoy the tremendous panoramas from the top: an extraordinary array of peaks from Morecambe Bay and the Solway Firth round to the central Lakeland massifs. It is a wonderful place to linger, so take time to soak it in.

The high ridge walk from Fairfield over to Great Rigg is superb. The turf is springy underfoot without giving way, and the vistas are spectacular as Lake Windermere glints into view to your left.

While we were up here in glorious sunshine, a gentle ribbon of cloud clung to the tops of the south-western fells—a white sea that never seemed to move all afternoon while we basked in clear blue skies, topping up the tans on our weathered brows!

The descent from Fairfield through Great Rigg down to Heron Pike is very gradual, making for easy and enjoyable striding. It is only as you begin to drop off Heron Pike towards Nab Scar—with Rydal Water glistening below—that gravity bites and the terrain steepens significantly. Nab Scar requires full braking power on tired knees.

Once off the fell, the route undulates along a pleasant bridleway from Hart Head Farm towards Town End, before embarking on another short, steep haul over Grey Crag and Butter Crag. A final descent drops to a quiet country road leading back to the A591. All that remains is a brief stroll along to the start, where we popped straight into the Travellers Rest pub for a thoroughly deserved pint.