Brown Rigg & Blea Tarn

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Dob Gill, Thirlmere → Brown Rigg (2.6 km, 266 m)

   Climb of about 266 m over 2.6 km (around 10% average).

   The Dob Gill car park is closed (Lee, 25 Sep 2026); the nearest other car park we list is Steel End, about 1.3 km away on foot, at the south end of the lake. From the valley floor, tackle the steep, wooded or bracken-clad lower slopes to gain the lip of the hanging valley. Pass the secluded, dark waters of Blea Tarn before leaving the established paths to strike across the pathless, spongy moorland, making a steady pull up to the minor, indistinct summit of Brown Rigg.

   Waypoints

   Valley floor intake, Blea Tarn (vicinity), Brown Rigg summit.

   Decision point

   Blea Tarn acts as a massive catching feature on the ascent. Once past the water, rely on a strict compass bearing, as the faint sheep trods simply vanish into the sphagnum moss and there are no defining crags to aim for.

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial ascent is a steep pull that quickly transitions into the notoriously wet, energy-sapping terrain of the central plateau. Brown Rigg is barely a hill—it is a slight swelling in a vast ocean of peat and reeds. The ground is heavily waterlogged, requiring constant detours around hidden black bogs right from the outset.

   If you need to get off

   Simply turn around and retrace your steps past Blea Tarn, picking up the engineered descent path back down to the valley floor.

2. 2

   Brown Rigg → Shivery Knott (3.6 km, 144 m)

   Climb of about 144 m, then a descent of about 54 m, over 3.6 km.

   Embark on a grueling, 3.6 km trek across the bleak, featureless expanse of the central moorland: the line runs south-west and then west at first, before swinging north-west and finally north. The route traverses the sprawling, wet depression of Long Moss, linking minor heather hummocks before reaching the tiny, rocky outcrop of Shivery Knott.

   Waypoints

   Brown Rigg, Long Moss, Watendlath Fell (vicinity), Shivery Knott.

   Decision point

   The sheer lack of features makes this a navigational trap in low visibility. Keep the distant forested slopes of Thirlmere in your mind as an eastern boundary, and rely heavily on pacing and strict compass bearings, and expect to change bearing more than once - this leg is not a straight line.

   Easy to get wrong

   This is one of the most soul-destroying, trackless sections of the Lake District. The 4% gradient is entirely hidden within a chaotic maze of waist-deep peat hags and hidden pools of black water. Establishing a walking rhythm is impossible; it is a relentless, fatiguing battle of micro-navigation to keep your boots dry.

   If you need to get off

   No way off this moor has been checked for this guide. Do not drop east towards the Thirlmere forestry, where the ground is steep; the ways this guide describes are on to Shivery Knott or back the way you came.

3. 3

   Shivery Knott → Middle Crag (0.5 km, 8 m)

   Undulating section of about 0.5 km.

   From Shivery Knott, hop a very short distance north over heavily rutted, peaty ground, crossing a minor depression to reach the slightly more pronounced, blocky outcrop of Middle Crag.

   Waypoints

   Shivery Knott, Middle Crag.

   Decision point

   Middle Crag is visible from Shivery Knott in clear weather. Just aim for the nearest distinct patch of gray rock jutting out of the green and brown moor.

   Easy to get wrong

   The incredibly short distance means you are constantly stopping and starting to tick off these minor Birketts. The rocky top of Middle Crag offers a brief, glorious respite from the saturated sponge of the surrounding moor, though the stones can be slick when wet.

   If you need to get off

   As with the previous tops, do not try to bail east from here, where the forestry drops are complex and steep; the ways this guide describes are on to High Tove or back the way you came; no way down to Watendlath from here has been checked.

4. 4

   Middle Crag → High Tove (0.7 km, 42 m)

   Undulating section of about 0.7 km.

   Leave Middle Crag and make a short, squelchy pull northwards. Cross the final, notoriously wet saddle of the central ridge before stepping up onto the broad, flat, and heavily eroded summit of High Tove.

   Waypoints

   Middle Crag, High Tove summit (515m).

   Decision point

   High Tove is marked by an intersection of faint, muddy paths (the historic crossing between Watendlath and Thirlmere) and a modest pile of stones. It is the most distinct summit on this section of the plateau.

   Easy to get wrong

   High Tove is infamous among fellwalkers as the king of the bogs. The summit area is a sprawling morass of liquid black peat and deep heather; you will be forced to skirt the edges of the worst ground to avoid sinking to your knees in the mire.

   If you need to get off

   High Tove is a crossing of paths. The path west goes down to Watendlath, in a different valley from your start, so it needs its own plan for getting back; no way off here has been checked for this guide as an escape.

5. High Tove → Finish (6.1 km, 48 m)

   Descent of about 322 m, with about 48 m of climbing, over 6.1 km.

   Plunge off the central ridge, descending steeply down the fellside to intersect the established valley floor paths. From here, embark on a long, rolling, low-level walk-out, tracing the valley boundary walls and following the solid, stony farm tracks back to your starting point.

   Waypoints

   High Tove descent, valley intake walls, valley floor track, finish point.

   Decision point

   Aim for the distinct boundary walls at the base of the fell. Once you pass through the fell gate and hit the main valley track, the main valley track leads you back to the start.

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial descent off the boggy plateau is steep and can be remarkably slick on wet grass, punishing tired knees. The subsequent 6.1 km walk-out is a massive distance; while the gradient is flat, the hard, stony farm tracks will feel unforgiving on feet that have spent the entire day battling soft peat.

   If you need to get off

   You are on the final escape route. Simply stick strictly to the main valley track, avoiding the temptation to cut corners through the private, walled pastures or commercial forestry flanking the route.