It’s November, and a small weather window of two clear days became available, giving me the opportunity to do a mountain camp. This was also a chance to let Tika join me on what would be his first high-level walk in Lakeland.

Fairfield is a fell I hadn’t camped on before, but one I had hoped to do for some time. The fell is very exposed, with ridges and some gentle slopes, so gales can be a factor even when gentle winds are forecast.

With daylight hours at a minimum, I chose the shortest route up and down on the Grasmere side of these eastern fells. I parked at the popular lay-by on the A591, between the Travellers Rest and the Swan.

Although this walk includes a mountain camp, the route itself is designed as a day walk.

Richard

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Helm Crag and Seat Sandal from the lay-by on the A591, Grasmere
RAF Airbus A400M Atlas seen on the approach to the Travellers Rest
Old packhorse track leading to Patterdale via Grisedale Hause
Grisedale Hause seen over Tongue Gill
Great Tongue and Fairfield seen from Tongue Gill

I’ve arrived at where Little Tongue Beck (left) meets Tongue Beck. There are three routes from this location: left via Little Tongue Gill, directly ahead and over Great Tongue, or right over the footbridge via Tongue Gill.

Seat Sandal from Little Tongue Gill
Approaching Hause Riggs
Great Rigg from Hause Riggs
Looking over to the waterfalls in Tongue Gill

The Tongue Gill path can be seen down on the right. I avoided that route due to the possibility of ice on the rock staircase near the waterfalls.

Approaching Grisedale Hause
(also known as Hause Gap)
Collecting water below Grisedale Hause with the Sawyer Mini

A small beck that crosses the path is the last source of water before my descent of Fairfield the following morning.

Fairfield’s west ridge rising from Grisedale Hause
Looking back down Tongue Gill
Dollywaggon Pike and Grisedale Tarn from Grisedale Hause
The ascent of Fairfield’s west ridge
The valley of Grisedale seen from Fairfield’s west ridge
St Sunday Crag seen from Fairfield’s west ridge
Looking down to Grisedale Tarn, with Dollywaggon Pike on the right
Dollywaggon Pike, Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn from Fairfield’s west ridge
Great Rigg from Fairfield’s west ridge
Approaching the summit plateau of Fairfield
The summit of Fairfield

“The actual top is flat, and its surface is too rough to bear the imprint of paths….” Fairfield 9
AW

The full inner of the Golite Shangri-La 3
Looking over to the summit plateau from the pitch
Sunset over Fairfield’s summit shelter

“.…and the one definable point is a tumbledown windbreak of stones, built as a short wall and offering shelter only to persons of imagination.” Fairfield 9
AW

A view of Windermere from my pitch

I’ve pitched where Alfred Wainwright mentions the “best view of Windermere” on page 10 of Book One: The Eastern Fells.

St Sunday Crag from the “principal” cairn

The following morning, I wake up to wonderful conditions.

“Thirty yards in front of the shelter is the principal and largest cairn, standing almost on the rim of the steep north face.” Fairfield 9
AW

Far Eastern Fells from the “principal” cairn
Coniston Water and the Coniston Fells from the summit of Fairfield
Coniston Fells, Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and the Scafells from Fairfield’s summit shelter
Western and North Western Fells from Fairfield’s summit shelter
St Sunday Crag from Fairfield’s summit plateau
Cofa Pike and St Sunday Crag from the “principal” cairn
Book One
The Eastern Fells
Fairfield 14
“The north face of Fairfield”
Windermere and Coniston Water from the descent of Fairfield’s south ridge

These small cairns provide a good guide down the south ridge towards Great Rigg.

Tika enjoying his first winter conditions on the Lakeland fells
Heron Pike and Great Rigg from Fairfield’s south ridge
Hart Crag and Dove Crag from Fairfield’s south ridge
Looking down the valley of Rydal to Windermere
Book One
The Eastern Fells
Great Rigg 2
“The east face”
Tika on the summit of Great Rigg
Ullscarf and Seat Sandal from the summit of Great Rigg

“To the west, the mountain skyline is very fine….”

The Helvellyn group in cloud and Fairfield from the summit of Great Rigg

“….There is an impressive vista of the Helvellyn group above the deep notch of Grisedale Hause….”

Fairfield and Hart Crag from the summit of Great Rigg

“….while closer to hand to the east, the far arm of the Fairfield Horseshoe (Hart Crag, Dove Crag, High Pike and Low Pike) encloses the deep recess of Rydal, far below.” Great Rigg 6
AW (revised by CH)

Heron Pike, Grasmere (lake) and Stone Arthur from Great Rigg’s south ridge

A large cairn marks the point on the south ridge where the path divides: left continues along the ridge towards Heron Pike, while right leads off the ridge towards Stone Arthur.

The route down to Stone Arthur

We now head to Riggs Crags, a ridge leaving Great Rigg that is a maze of outcrops and includes the Wainwright, Stone Arthur.

Tika resting on Riggs Crags
A small circular shelter on Riggs Crags
Looking south-west from the summit of Stone Arthur
Looking back to Fairfield over Riggs Crags
Vale of Grasmere from the summit of Stone Arthur
Vale of Grasmere over Greenhead Gill
Helm Crag from the approach to Knott Houses
Stone Arthur and Knott House Farm from the A591

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Thanks, sources and further reading:

Book One: The Eastern Fells — Alfred Wainwright

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