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Having already been to High Rigg tarn on a previous walk, we decided to set out on a similar jaunt but planning to add on the nearest Wainwright too. It is one of the smaller fells in the area, but it is by no means a straight up and down. It is a true mini adventure!
We started by climbing over the wall, using the style/ladder from the main road and headed into the woodland, taking the first left to slowly ascend. There is a single path for most of this stretch so it’s easy to keep your attention focussed on your surroundings on the way up. As you move up the hillside, the trees start to become sparser, and the views open further. Eventually, the path takes a turn to the left and you start heading towards the fell proper and you start getting a sense of being in a dome, surrounded by much higher peaks on both sides, with easy to see ridge lines and long views down into the valley.
Following the easy but undulating path along, you eventually turn through a wall and head up a slightly steeper section, still an easy grassy path, which flattens at the top as you near the tarn. On a beautiful sunny and still day the Tarn is fantastic. It’s not too big but is very beautiful and has great views of the mountains around the fell.
Past the tarn we head downhill and along another undulating path Here the path forks and we tried both ways, there and back, to see which avoided the bogs the best. Neither really were “better” in this respect so I'd make the choice on what you see on the day you’re walking.
Eventually, the two paths meet again and head up towards the High Rigg peak. Once you reach this platform, I have to say it’s some of the best lower-level views in the Lake District in my opinion. Views of the High Seat range, The Skiddaw and Blencathra massif’s as well as the entire Helvellyn ridge are all on offer here and you get a real sense of being lost in the mountains from the fantastic spot.
Once we had finished taking in the views, we headed back down following the same path. Not being a big fan of ‘there and backs’, much preferring a nice round route, this one was like a different walk. The views are very different. You still have the high mountains flanking the route, but there is the very big, blue and beautiful Thirlmere at the bottom which gives you brilliant views all the way back to the car.
As far a lower walks go, this is a fantastic one.
