Loughrigg Fell from Rydal

Turn left out of the car park at Pelter Bridge just outside Rydal, and continue along the road. It turns into a bridleway at the end and enters an area of maintained parkland called Jobson Close. Bear left on to the higher path.

Follow the path round which soon becomes a rough track with loose rock and slate. Continue on after visiting the caves, eventually reaching a junction near the wall and a ruined building. Turn left and continue on the signposted bridleway which is Loughrigg Terrace. There are views from here down to both Rydal Water and Grasmere.

At the end of the Terrace, just before reaching the trees, turn sharply left onto the steep uphill path with engineered steps. After a while the slope eases and the path crosses a number of boggy patches. False summits frustrate! The trig point appears eventually.

Continue over the rocky summit area and join a wide grassy path beyond, heading south east. This descends through a shallow gorge with a string of cairns. When reaching a wall on your right, and a maze of minor paths and junctions, you need to swing left a little onto a generally east bearing.

A useful aim point to find the head of Fox Ghyll is a small clump of conifers on the corner between the bridleway and ghyll. Alternatively head for the bridleway and cross to the ghyll just before the wall and gate.

Drop into the ghyll and follow the path down eventually to the road. Just before the house at the bottom the path crosses over a bridge to the left, through a narrow kissing gate and into a muddy lane. Another kissing gate is opens onto the road.

Turn left and follow this quiet road back to Pelter Bridge turning left again for the car park.