Standing Crag, High Tove, Armboth
Start Dob Gill, Thirlmere
Getting here Parking: Dob Gill, Thirlmere (United Utilities, paid), 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 555 stops at Thirlmere, at Armboth turn; from there it is 1.7 km and 54 m of ascent to this start. And the same back: about 17.7 km in all, with the walk. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Hard distance: 14.26 km — a long day out. Hard navigation: Hard – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet
Before you choose
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 2 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.
Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →
Daylight & turnaround
Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Route map
1 Standing Crag2 Shivery Knott3 Middle Crag4 High Tove5 Armboth Fell (Birkett)6 Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top)
Easy 86%Moderate 14%HardSevere
Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Standing Crag (2.9 km, 427 m)
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. Starting from the Dob Gill car park on the western shore of Thirlmere, this route begins with a sharp, sustained climb out of the valley. The path snakes steeply up through the commercial forestry plantations, breaks the tree line onto the open fell and pulls up through bracken and heather to the distinct, rocky tor of Standing Crag, a striking landmark on an otherwise featureless skyline.
WaypointsDob Gill car park (start, about 190 m): The starting point, on the road along Thirlmere's western shore. Forestry Boundary: The transition from steep woodland track to open, exposed moorland. Standing Crag (611m): A prominent, isolated rocky outcrop with views back over Thirlmere and the Helvellyn range.
Decision pointForestry Intake Walls: The boundary fences and walls act as a handrail out of the woodland. Thirlmere: The reservoir remains a landmark to your east as you climb.
Easy to get wrongSteep Initial Pull: The climb out of the Thirlmere trench is breathless until you clear the tree line. Summer Bracken: Between the forest and the open fell, bracken is thick in summer and can hide the path and any loose rocks beneath. Instant Bogs: Where the gradient eases near Standing Crag, the ground turns to the notorious, spongy peat of the Central Fells.
If you need to get offBefore reaching Standing Crag, turn around and follow the steep forestry tracks back down to the Thirlmere shoreline road.
- 2
Standing Crag → Shivery Knott (2.5 km, 16 m)
Leaving Standing Crag, the route heads north across Blea Tarn Fell. You are contouring and slowly descending across an undulating wasteland of deep heather, peat hags and black pools. Progress is slow as you detour around the worst of the bogs to the minor bump of Shivery Knott.
WaypointsBlea Tarn Fell: The expansive, sodden moorland plateau. Shivery Knott (491m): An indistinct, slightly rocky mound in the sea of heather.
Decision pointBlea Tarn: In clear weather, Blea Tarn is visible down to your left (west). Compass Bearings: In mist, a compass is mandatory: take a careful northerly bearing from Standing Crag and keep correcting it as you weave around the water hazards.
Easy to get wrongThe Bogs: The peat here is deep and sucking; expect your boots to be submerged. Jumping over peat hags is exhausting and slows your pace. Clag Navigation: This plateau is featureless in low visibility. Without clear ridges or crags, the bogs make a straight line impossible, and it is very easy to lose your bearing.
If you need to get offIf the bogs become too much, go back the way you came, over Standing Crag and down the forestry tracks to the road. Watendlath lies west, but it is in the next valley and a long way from your car by road, and we have not checked a line down to it from here.
- 3
Shivery Knott → Middle Crag (0.5 km, 9 m)
A brief push further north across the plateau, on the same ground as before: a squelchy slog through heather and peat to another minor rocky knoll.
WaypointsMiddle Crag (484m): Barely a crag at all, just another low rocky knoll in the grass.
Decision pointLine of Sight: In clear conditions, the broad dome of High Tove is directly ahead to the north.
Easy to get wrongMental Fatigue: Watching every foot placement to avoid sinking into the peat is tiring, even over short distances.
If you need to get offThe way back is the same: the way you came.
- 4
Middle Crag → High Tove (0.7 km, 39 m)
From Middle Crag, a final, gentle slope leads up to the summit of High Tove. The gradient is almost flat, but the ground here is at its wettest: High Tove is a wide, marshy dome where you hop between clumps of heather to keep your feet dry.
WaypointsHigh Tove Summit (515m): The high point of the middle section, marked by a small cairn often surrounded by standing water.
Decision pointThe Fence Line: A dilapidated wire fence follows the watershed over the summit of High Tove and on to High Seat; this route has walked beside it since Long Moss. The path between Watendlath and Thirlmere crosses it at the top. In the featureless Central Fells, this fence is a golden navigational handrail.
Easy to get wrongSummit Swamp: High Tove is legendary for its summit bogs. You may struggle to reach the highest point without sinking to your shins in black peat.
If you need to get offGo back the way you came, or carry on along the route over Armboth Fell and down to the road. We have not checked a separate line off High Tove, west to Watendlath or east to Thirlmere.
- 5
High Tove → Armboth Fell (Birkett) (1.0 km, 27 m)
Leaving High Tove, the route turns east across the depression towards Armboth Fell. Armboth is not a peak but a confusing, sprawling, flat expanse of heather dotted with dozens of identical rocky bumps. The walk across the depression is another bog-hopping exercise.
WaypointsThe Depression: The sodden saddle separating High Tove and Armboth Fell. Armboth Fell Birkett Top (479m): The highest of the rocky outcrops on the plateau.
Decision pointStrict Bearings: Use the High Tove fence line as your launch point and take a strict bearing of roughly east-south-east. Do not rely on sight alone: the false summits will draw you off course.
Easy to get wrongThe Armboth Maze: Finding the "true" summit of Armboth Fell is trial and error. In mist, every rocky bump looks identical, and there are no ridges to guide you. Hidden Holes: The heather here is very deep and hides deep watery holes and sudden drops off the peat hags. Do not drift north from Armboth Fell into the boggy expanse of High Seat.
If you need to get offIf you are disoriented: Stop before you commit to steep ground you do not know. Work out where you are with the map and compass, then go back by a line you know, the way you came. If you cannot move safely, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue. The ground falling east to Thirlmere is steep and craggy; it is not a way down to aim for.
- 6
Armboth Fell (Birkett) → Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top) (0.3 km, 9 m)
A short navigation stage between the confusing, competing summit bumps of the Armboth plateau, over heather, rock and saturated moss.
WaypointsArmboth Fell South Top (approx 475m): Another rocky outcrop on the plateau.
Decision pointThirlmere: As you move to the South Top, the Thirlmere valley opens up to your left (east).
Easy to get wrongSlippery Rock: The rocky outcrops on Armboth are often covered in wet moss and lichen, making them slicker than they look.
If you need to get offThe way down is not east from here: the route turns back north past the Birkett top to the path beside Fisher Gill.
Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top) → Finish (6.4 km, 74 m)
From the South Top, the route turns back north, past the Birkett top, and drops gently to Fisher Gill. About 1.1 km from the South Top it joins the path from High Tove and follows it north-east and east, steeply down beside Fisher Gill through deep bracken and forestry boundaries, to reach the shoreline of Thirlmere. You reach the valley floor near the Armboth car park about 2 km after the South Top. The remaining 4.3 km or so is a long, undulating valley walk south along the forestry tracks and the minor tarmac road beside the reservoir, back to the start.
WaypointsFisher Gill path: The steep descent off the plateau. Armboth Car Park: The point where you hit the valley floor and the road. West Thirlmere Road / Forestry Tracks: The long return path heading south. Finish (Dob Gill car park): The original starting point.
Decision pointThirlmere Reservoir: Once on the valley floor, the reservoir is your handrail. Keep the water on your left-hand side as you walk south back to your car.
Easy to get wrongRough Descent: Dropping off Armboth Fell requires care. There are hidden, sheer crags on this eastern face; pick your line carefully and avoid plunging blindly through the chest-high summer bracken. The Long Walk Out: About 4.3 km on hard-packed forestry tracks and tarmac is hard on feet that have been wet from the bogs all day, and a test of blister management and mental endurance.
If you need to get offThe steep descent commits you to the Thirlmere valley, so decide before you start down it. Once you reach the West Thirlmere road the way is clear, but it is a road. Where there is no pavement, keep to the right to face oncoming traffic, stay close to the side and be ready to walk in single file; before a sharp right-hand bend, cross to the other side and cross back after it. Wear something bright, or reflective in poor light (Highway Code rules 2 and 3).
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Not yet personally walked
Summits bagged (6)
- 1Standing Crag611 m
- 2Shivery Knott491 m
- 3Middle Crag484 m
- 4High Tove515 m
- 5Armboth Fell (Birkett)479 m
- 6Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top)475 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Conditions and timing
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
When the sun reaches the tops
Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later.
- High Tove — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in late March — about half an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 08:45.
- Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top) — in late March the sun reaches it around 07:00, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:45. It waits longest in late March — about half an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 08:45.
How to read these times
The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.
Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.
Getting there and back
Parking
1 more place to park near the start
Positions are approximate.
Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.
If the parking is full
There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so expect them to fill on the same mornings. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.
- Armboth, Thirlmere (United Utilities, paid) — joins the loop at about km 10 of 14.3: a 60 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- Fisher Crag (layby, south) — joins the loop at about km 11.7 of 14.3: a 0 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- Fisher Crag (verge) — joins the loop at about km 11.4 of 14.3: a 110 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.
No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.
Buses
The 555 stops at Thirlmere, at Armboth turn. From there it is 1.7 km and 54 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 17.7 km in all, with the walk. Last bus: Monday to Friday 20:55 towards Keswick (555); Saturday 20:55 towards Keswick (555); Sunday 18:46 towards Keswick (555). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 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 travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival The Dob Gill car park at the start is closed. The nearest other car park we list is Steel End, at the south end of the lake, about 1.3 km away on foot: pay and display. (Lee, 25 September 2026 (the closure); Lake District National Park car-parks directory (Steel End), checked 25 September 2026)
- Toilets No toilets are mapped within 250 m of the start. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments No café or pub is mapped within 250 m of the start: bring what you need. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of where this route starts (information boards within 150 m; benches and shelter within 50 m):
Also mapped within reach: 2 information boards.
Distances are straight lines from where this route starts, not walking routes. Opening hours are as mapped and change; none of this is checked daily.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Planning detail
How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.
Difficulty profile
Hard overall — hardest: Length and navigation (our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet)
Five independent axes, not one score. This route has not been walked yet, so none of them was set on the ground: three of the five are our judgement from the map and the route’s record, and the rest are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.
How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Standing Crag | 2.9 km | 427 m | 1:17–1:43 |
| 2Shivery Knott | 5.4 km | 443 m | 1:49–2:25 |
| 3Middle Crag | 5.8 km | 452 m | 1:55–2:33 |
| 4High Tove | 6.6 km | 491 m | 2:08–2:50 |
| 5Armboth Fell (Birkett) | 7.5 km | 518 m | 2:22–3:09 |
| 6Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top) | 7.8 km | 526 m | 2:27–3:15 |
| Finish | 14.3 km | 601 m | 3:51–5:08 |
A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A sustained ~28% descent over 250 m around the 9.3 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: stiles and gates.
- Stiles and gates: A step-over stile at 2.5 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 25 July 2026)
- Drops and exposed ground: Moderate – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
- Rock and scrambling: Ground underfoot: Moderate – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
- Ways off early: None recorded for this route.
- Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.
On the line: 7 gates · 1 kissing gate · 1 step-over stile
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 25 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
- Dale Head Hall Lakeside Hotel (opens in new tab) hotelabout 3.5 km
We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Harrop Tarn — 0.6 km from this start
- Walks from Galleny Force — 4.4 km from this start
Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.
