Date: 30-Mar-2010
Map: Landranger 90, OL7
Weather: Overcast, then rain.
From the car park of the Queen's Head
Hotel along the valley to the Tongue and back again :
a gentle 5 miles as measured on memory map.
You'll
never guess where I am now thinking about the Troutbeck
Tongue walk - but not very much - I'm on a Boeing 777
dodging the ash clouds, but best of all sat in first class -
ha. 'Gasp, you lottery winner you' I hear you say - alas
it's but a figment of your imagination, it's only air miles
that got me here. All those years flying up and down to
Aberdeen, all spent in one go - a first class return to
Washington DC. Was it worth it? Yes - would I pay for it?
No, but then again if I'd won the lottery.....Anyway what's
that got to do with walking? Nothing, just a way of padding
out a very short walk. Once again I find myself wondering
why - why Troutbeck Tongue is a Wainwright. The answer as
always is very simple and the views say it all. The more
Wainwrights I walk the more I appreciate the mans
perception, and although it's tucked away down in the valley
surrounded on all sides, the view is funnelled down towards
Windermere. Todays weather was nothing to write home about,
hence the lack of pictures - the big camera was out
initially, but down came the rain and away went the camera.
our car park spot at the hotel
down through Troutbeck
The Tongue ahead
High Great Knott up to the left
I had taken a really nice picture of here when I walked from Hartsop Dodd, with Troutbeck Tongue all covered in sunshine
ok - have a look here. It's a small hill but it still has to
be walked. We parked at the Queens Head Hotel car park, as
we were returning for a pint we thought that would be ok and
it was. After crossing the road we dropped down the lane
through Troutbeck, and along the floodplain. All the bigger
hills were topped with mist but little Troutbeck Tongue was
clear. It started to spit and spot, then later a steady
downpour when we were halfway back to the car. Over Hagg
Bridge and up to Troutbeck Park we cut through the yard and
then up the west side of the hill. It was a nice easy ascent
staying on a farm track until we decided to cut up the
hillside. There was no marked route up this side of the hill
so we made our way around the back and up to the summit from
there. There would be good views on a clar day sat down in
an amphitheatre of larger fells - Red Screes, Caudale Moor
and the Kentmere Horseshoe - Thornthwaite Crag, Yoke, Ill
Bell and Froswick. But the main view is down the valley to
Windermere with Sallows up to the left and Wansfell up to
the right.
Toutbeck Park farm
up around the side of the Tongue
the view over to Wansfell
Red Screes is hidden
we cut up to the right beyond the stones
It was a sharp little descent and Paul was
struggling with his footing - he needs to nip down to Kwik-Fit
for a retread. On our way down there was a nicely positioned
tree, and I tried to take an arty shot but it didn't really
come out. Nor did the attempt to make Paul look like an
Alpinist. The rain really started to pour down as we walked
along the lanes passing lovely field barns - but mostly it
was head down to keep the rain off. We popped into the
Queens Hotel for a pint where we dribbled violently on the
flagstone floors - much to the distaste of some customers
taking lunch, but much to the amusement of one of the barmen
' nice day then lads?' A short and sweet walk, unlike my
first class flight which was long and very, very sweet.
Aren't air miles brilliant? They're ok but I prefer to walk,
rain or not.
we could just about see Threshthwaite Mouth below Caudale
Moor
another view over to Wansfell
the height of Troutbeck Tongue
it has fine views though and a steep little drop down to the
valley
a very photogenic tree but not for me
Where now:
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