Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Key facts
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 4 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.
Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
1 Walla Crag2 Bleaberry Fell3 High Seat4 Armboth Fell (Birkett)5 High Tove
Easy 77%Moderate 18%Hard 4%Severe
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 17.02 km with around 792 m of ascent, taking in 5 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.
- Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A sustained ~29% descent around the 11.7 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.
On the line: 12 gates · 3 kissing gates · 3 step-over stiles · 1 stile (type unmapped)
These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-19. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Walla Crag | 2.3 km | 305 m | 0:58–1:18 |
| 2Bleaberry Fell | 4.8 km | 564 m | 1:54–2:32 |
| 3High Seat | 6.6 km | 635 m | 2:23–3:10 |
| 4Armboth Fell (Birkett) | 9.7 km | 687 m | 3:05–4:06 |
| 5High Tove | 10.7 km | 731 m | 3:21–4:28 |
| Finish | 17.0 km | 792 m | 4:43–6:17 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Ashness Gate Car Park → Walla Crag (2.3 km, 305 m)
Leave the Ashness Gate car park on the shores of Derwentwater and immediately begin the steep, wooded ascent climbing up alongside the cascading waters of Cat Gill. Break out of the tree line onto the open fell and follow the clear path to the rocky, precipitous edge of Walla Crag
WaypointsAshness Gate, Cat Gill, Great Wood boundary, Walla Crag summit
Decision pointThe path up Cat Gill is obvious and well-maintained. As the gradient eases, the dry stone wall guides you directly to the top
Easy to get wrongA steep 13% pull right from the lakeside. The path alongside Cat Gill is pitched stone but can be exceptionally slippery under the tree canopy. The true summit of Walla Crag is set slightly back from the edge, but the sheer, unprotected drops over the western crags demand extreme caution
If you need to get offTurn around and carefully descend the stepped path by Cat Gill directly back to the car park
© Lee McCoy - 2
Walla Crag → Bleaberry Fell (2.5 km, 260 m)
From Walla Crag, head south-east across the broad, heather-clad moorland. The path crosses a minor depression before taking a long, steady 10% climb up the wide ridge to the large summit cairn of Bleaberry Fell
WaypointsWalla Crag, moorland depression, Bleaberry Fell summit
Decision pointThe path is deeply worn into the heather. In clear weather, the massive bulk of Bleaberry Fell sits directly ahead, making the bearing obvious
Easy to get wrongThe terrain firmly transitions from rock to spongy, heathery peat here. The climb is a sustained slog, and the path becomes increasingly braided and muddy as walkers try to avoid the widening puddles
If you need to get offRetrace your steps to Walla Crag and descend. There is no easy path down the steep, pathless western flanks into Borrowdale from this ridge
© Lee McCoy - 3
Bleaberry Fell → High Seat (1.8 km, 70 m)
Continue south along the main ridge. The gradient flattens significantly, but you must now navigate the deep peat hags and marshy ground separating Bleaberry Fell from the highest point of the ridge at High Seat
WaypointsCentral ridge peat hags, High Seat trig point
Decision pointHigh Seat is marked by a trig point set upon a small rocky outcrop, which stands out above the peat and is visible from a distance on a clear day
Easy to get wrongThis is where the notorious central fells bog truly begins. Even in dry summer months, this 1.8 km stretch requires constantly deviating from the path to weave around deep, black peat hags and open water. It is highly tiring, messy work
If you need to get offProceeding to High Seat is the best option; the terrain on either side of this ridge is trackless, steep, and sodden
© Lee McCoy - 4
High Seat → Armboth Fell (Birkett) (3.1 km, 52 m)
Leave the trig point and head broadly south-east, crossing the vast, desolate watershed. You must traverse the wettest ground of the day to reach the small, rocky bump of Armboth Fell, which sits slightly off the main ridge overlooking Thirlmere
WaypointsHigh Seat descent, central watershed bogs, Armboth Fell summit
Decision pointYou must rely heavily on a compass bearing or GPS watch. The summit of Armboth Fell is marked by a very modest pile of stones on a rock outcrop
Easy to get wrongA brutal, wet 3.1 km traverse. This area is a maze of waterlogged peat and completely featureless terrain. Checking my Garmin fēnix 6 Pro proved invaluable here for confirming my bearing, as the faint paths disappear entirely into the bogs. Armboth Fell itself is confusing, with several small knolls vying for the true summit
If you need to get offYou are in the most remote section of the central watershed; pushing forward to the Watendlath descent is the safest return strategy
© Lee McCoy - 5
Armboth Fell (Birkett) → High Tove (1.0 km, 44 m)
Turn west/south-west to slog back across the marshy depression, climbing gently to regain the main ridge line at the unassuming, grassy dome of High Tove
WaypointsArmboth Fell, connecting marsh, High Tove summit
Decision pointAim for the highest point on the ridge to the west. A small cairn marks the top of High Tove
Easy to get wrongMore of the same—relentlessly wet, squelchy ground. High Tove is widely considered one of the least inspiring Wainwright summits, essentially serving as a damp bump on the ridge linking the valleys
If you need to get offFrom High Tove, the steep descent path down to Watendlath provides an immediate and highly welcome exit route
High Tove → Finish (6.3 km, 61 m)
Descend west off High Tove via the eroded, muddy path down to the picturesque hamlet and tarn of Watendlath. From here, pick up the well-made track heading north through the woods, following Watendlath Beck past Surprise View and the famous Ashness Bridge, finally dropping back down to the Ashness Gate car park
WaypointsWatendlath Tarn, Watendlath hamlet, Watendlath Beck, Surprise View, Ashness Bridge, Ashness Gate
Decision pointWatendlath Tarn is an enormous visual target from the ridge. Once in the hamlet, the valley track following the beck north is unmistakable and heavily signposted
Easy to get wrongThe initial descent into Watendlath is slippery and steep in places, but once you hit the hamlet, the terrain transforms completely. The remaining 6.3 km is a long, undulating, and incredibly scenic valley trail. The distance is noticeable on tired feet, but the firm ground is a massive relief after the bogs
If you need to get offOnce you reach Watendlath, you are entirely off the fell. In peak season, there is a small café, and the single-track tarmac road leads safely all the way back to the start
© Lee McCoy
Summits bagged (5)
- 1Walla Crag379 m
- 2Bleaberry Fell590 m
- 3High Seat609 m
- 4Armboth Fell (Birkett)479 m
- 5High Tove515 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
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.
Every option near this start, on the parking map →
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Buses
The 78 stops at Ashness, opposite Derwentwater Youth Hostel, 240 m and 38 m of ascent from this start. The last bus is 20:19 towards Keswick (78), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 78 passes this route at 1.1 km (Ashness, at Calfclose Bay, 340 m off the line). It passes again at 16.9 km.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
If the parking is full
If the first one is full, these do not all fill together. The 3 below sit in different places or are different kinds of parking, so a busy morning at one does not mean a busy morning at all of them.
- Watendlath (NT, paid)
- Great Wood, Keswick (NT, paid)
- Surprise View (NT) - accessible bays
Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.
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. 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.
- Walla Crag — 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 December — about an hour after sunrise.
- Bleaberry Fell — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in late December — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- High Seat — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in late March — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 08:45.
- 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.
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.
Safety & conditions
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.
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 9.0 km (drop to Ashness Gate Car Park) — roughly half the distance.
Places to stay near this start
From Ashness Bridge: 8 places in Keswick