Froswick
Froswick at 720m (2,362ft) is the middle summit of the Ill Bell ridge above Troutbeck, a pointed peak with a surprisingly shapely profile when viewed from the Troutbeck valley below.
Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast
Modelled guidance for the 720 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.
On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 11° to 8°C, gusts to 22 mph, 1.3 mm of rain forecast.
Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 720 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.
Froswick at a glance
Froswick
Field notes
This is an imposing summit. The cairn seems half finished, but statuesque nonetheless. The drop off to the north isn't insurmountable but difficult in bad weather and it carries you down at pace into Park Fell. So if you're less stable with your footing, take care. But why would you rush anyway with such a glorious view over Leads Howe and onto Kentmere Reservoir? Slow down.Routes up Froswick
Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.
Classifications & hill data
The short answers
Is Froswick a Wainwright?
Froswick is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list and the Fellranger list.
Where do you park for Froswick?
We hold no car park within 2.5 km of the summit, so there is no short walk-in to recommend here. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.
My hikes over Froswick (Strava)
1 logged hike pass over this summit:
- Sour Howes, Sallows, Yorke, Illl Bell, Frostwick and Troutbeck Tongue in the sun! (opens in new tab) — 27.6 km · 1307 m ascent · 6h 45m moving · 6 Apr 2025
Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.
Parking & buses for Froswick
Best parking to hike Froswick
Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).
Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.
Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.
Getting to Froswick by bus
The 505 stops at Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre, 260 m from the start of Sour Howes, Sallows, Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and Troutbeck Tongue in the sun!. Last bus: Monday to Friday 22:43 towards Grasmere (555) and 20:29 towards Keswick (555) and 09:47 towards Coniston (505) and 09:21 towards Dungeon Ghyll (516); Saturday 22:43 towards Grasmere (555) and 20:29 towards Keswick (555) and 09:47 towards Coniston (505) and 09:21 towards Dungeon Ghyll (516); Sunday 19:09 towards Grasmere (555) and 18:15 towards Keswick (555) and 09:47 towards Coniston (505) and 09:21 towards Dungeon Ghyll (516). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.
Hazards on Froswick
Hazard & Incident Information for Froswick
A neat, steep-sided peak on the Kentmere Horseshoe — in effect a smaller Ill Bell — standing on the narrow ridge between Kentmere and Troutbeck. Both flanks are too steep for walkers, falling away in scree on the Kentmere side, so the only sensible way on or off is along the crest. The narrow, airy ridge and the steep zigzag descents need care, especially in wind. Kendal Mountain Search and Rescue Team covers this ground.
- Steep flanks — stay on the ridge: The eastern and western slopes are both too steep to be used by walkers, and the Kentmere side falls in fans of scree to the River Kent. Don't be tempted to drop off the ridge in either direction; keep to the crest and descend only by the established ridge lines.
- The narrow ridge & steep zigzags: Froswick sits on a slim, airy ridge with steep, scree-prone zigzag descents toward Threshthwaite Mouth and on to Thornthwaite Crag. Take the loose, steep sections carefully, and expect real exposure to the wind on the crest.
- Navigation in cloud: From above, the Yoke–Ill Bell–Froswick chain reads as one long fell, and in mist it is easy to misjudge which top you are on or which way to leave. Take a compass bearing and keep to the ridge path.
Most common causes: Walkers attempting the over-steep flanks instead of staying on the ridge · Slips on the scree and steep zigzag descents · Being blown off balance on the narrow, exposed crest · Navigation errors along the chain of linked summits in cloud
Local Mountain Rescue: Kendal Mountain Search and Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Reviewed 14 Jun 2026
Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.
Navigating Froswick in cloud
StraightforwardA broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.
In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.
How Froswick compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.
Map & nearby Birketts
Skip mapFree mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.
Nearest parking: Troutbeck Tongue (layby), about 3.2 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.
Birketts near Froswick (within 3 km)
These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.
Routes over Froswick
✎️ Walked and described first-hand by Lee — a big mountain day (≈13 miles / ~3,700 ft, 6–8 hours). Start early, carry OS Explorer OL7 and a compass (the eastern ridge walls and fences are vital handrails in mist), and know the escape options.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.
On the hill: terrain and water on Froswick
Water & shelter on the way up
On the Sour Howes, Sallows, Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick and Troutbeck Tongue in the sun! route:
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.
The view from Froswick
The 360° skyline from Froswick
A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.
What you can see from Froswick, by direction
- North: High Street (3 km)
- East: Harter Fell (3 km)
- South-west: Swirl How (18 km), Great Carrs (18 km), Great How (18 km), Brim Fell (19 km), The Old Man of Coniston (20 km)
- West: Red Screes (4 km), Dove Crag (6 km), Crinkle Crags (19 km), Shelter Crags (19 km), Crinkle Crags (19 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (19 km), Crinkle Crags (19 km), Crinkle Crags (19 km), Bowfell (19 km), Esk Pike (20 km), Ill Crag (21 km), Broad Crag (22 km), Scafell Pike (22 km), Scafell (23 km), Pillar (27 km), Pillar Rock (27 km)
- North-west: St Sunday Crag (8 km), Fairfield (8 km), Cofa Pike (8 km), Dollywaggon Pike (10 km), High Crag (10 km), Nethermost Pike (11 km), Helvellyn (11 km), Green Side (13 km), Stybarrow Dodd (14 km), Great Dodd (15 km), Blencathra (22 km), Gategill Fell Top (22 km), Knowe Crags (22 km), Atkinson Pike (23 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (27 km), Skiddaw (27 km), Skiddaw North Top (27 km)
On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (175 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (163 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (195 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (170 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (182 km, Wales), Yr Eifl (196 km, Wales), Craig Cwm Silyn (182 km, Wales), Pendle Hill (77 km, England).
Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.
Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.
Sunrise and sunset on Froswick
Froswick sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (on 1 September) first light is only 9 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.
| First light | Almanac sunrise | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midsummer | 04:37 BST ±5.0 min | 04:36 | +1 min |
| Equinox | 06:18 GMT ±5.0 min | 06:15 | +3 min |
| Midwinter | 08:30 GMT ±5.0 min | 08:32 | -2 min |
The northern horizon stands at about 0.99° from here.
Last light — when the sun leaves Froswick
The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 July) last light is only 10 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Froswick.
| Last light | Almanac sunset | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midsummer | 21:42 BST ±5.0 min | 21:51 | -9 min |
| Equinox | 18:21 GMT ±5.0 min | 18:25 | -4 min |
| Midwinter | 15:56 GMT ±5.0 min | 15:48 | +8 min |
Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Froswick. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes. These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.
What you can see from Froswick
On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.
- Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Wales
- Carnedd Llewelyn Wales
- Irish Sea open water
- Ingleborough Yorkshire Dales
- Whernside Yorkshire Dales
- Great Dun Fell North Pennines
- Morecambe Bay bay/estuary
All 50 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)
Ill Bell, Thornthwaite Crag, Mardale Ill Bell, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Troutbeck Tongue, Harter Fell (Mardale), High Street, Kentmere Pike, Red Screes, Middle Dodd, Shipman Knotts, Baystones (Wansfell), Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), Sour Howes, Dove Crag, Hart Crag, St Sunday Crag, Fairfield, Loughrigg Fell, Dollywaggon Pike, Glenridding Dodd, Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn, Sheffield Pike, Black Fell, Hart Side, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Stybarrow Dodd, Holme Fell, Great Dodd, Wetherlam, Pike of Blisco, Cold Pike, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Bowfell, Brim Fell, Grey Friar, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Esk Pike, Scafell Pike, Souther Fell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Brandreth, Scafell, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Bowscale Fell, Pillar, Skiddaw
How Froswick’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.
Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.
Places to stay near this fell
From Ambleside or Grasmere: 9 places
Frequently asked questions about Froswick
Is Froswick hard to climb?
It is in effect a smaller Ill Bell — a neat, steep-sided peak on the narrow ridge between Kentmere and Troutbeck. Taken along the ridge it is a short sharp rise and nothing more. Both of its flanks are too steep to be a sensible way up or down, which is the thing worth knowing: on this fell you commit to the ridge.
The Kentmere Horseshoe that takes it in is 20.1 km with 1029 m of ascent, with navigation graded hard. That is a full day and Froswick is one of its easier moments.
Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-08-30 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)
Other fells near Froswick
- Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)
- Arthur's Pike
- Baystones (Wansfell)
- Beda Fell (Beda Head)
- Bonscale Pike
- Branstree
- Brock Crags (Wainwright)
- Gray Crag
- Grey Crag (Sleddale Fell)
- Hallin Fell
- Harter Fell (Mardale)
- Hartsop Dodd
- High Raise (High Street)
- High Street
- Ill Bell
- Kentmere Pike
- Kidsty Pike
- Loadpot Hill
- Mardale Ill Bell
- Place Fell
- Rampsgill Head
- Rest Dodd
- Sallows
- Selside Pike
- Shipman Knotts
- Sour Howes
- Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa)
- Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor)
- Tarn Crag (Sleddale)
- The Knott (High Street)
- The Nab
- Thornthwaite Crag
- Troutbeck Tongue
- Wether Hill
- Yoke