Troutbeck Tongue

Troutbeck Tongue

Distance: 10.8km
Ascent: 230m

This walk was relatively short but very pleasant, requiring only a few hours and, although the weather stayed fine for us it could be done when higher peaks are less than attractive due to cloud. It was very picturesque throughout, with excellent views down the valley towards Lake Windermere on the return leg.

The route started from a lay-by just after the Limefitt Park site on the way up to Kirkstone pass, before the Queens Head pub. A track leads down to the right and away from the main road almost straight away.

On the walk up the valley the Troutbeck Tongue can be seen ahead, on its own in the middle of the valley surrounded on three sides by the higher peaks.

The fields of lambs were well segregated and care needed to be taken when negotiating the fences!

Once at the base of the hill the path leads round to the east side, then after a gate another path leads off to the left, up the rocky southern flank, which is the steeper of the sides but got us to the top pretty quickly. The views on the way up and from the summit were excellent for such a small hill.

We then walked off the northern side of the hill, which is a much more gentle gradient than the southern side. This allowed us to meet up with the path that runs around the eastern side of the hill in the bottom of the valley, and back to the path and track we walked in on.

All in all a very pleasant low-level walk followed by a well-earned beer!