United Kingdom
England
North West England
Cumbria
South Lakeland
Lakes
Great Rigg Summit
United Kingdom
England
North West England
Cumbria
South Lakeland
Lakes
Great Rigg Summit
Hiking Highlight
Recommended by 139 hikers
This Highlight is in a protected area
Please check local regulations for: Lake District National Park
Great Rigg is a bulky, green fell, a distinctive stepping-stone on the classic Fairfield Horseshoe above Ambleside. Adventures to Great Rigg invariably visit the loftier summit of Fairfield, a grand fell at the centre of many fine ridges. However, Great Rigg is an impressive sight in its own right and rewards with staggering views across the Lake District.
Routes to Great Rigg usually start in Ambleside, Rydal or Grasmere, taking you from quaint, picturesque Lakeland scenery to vast, wild mountain country. This is the very heart of Romantic Lakeland and there’s no shortage of accommodation.
Before the ridge continues north to Fairfield, Great Rigg is the meeting point of two ridges, one adorned by Stone Arthur and the other by twin-topped Heron Pike and Nab Scar. This means that any hike to Great Rigg usually involves quite a few Wainwright ticks. The views from the summit towards the Southern Fells are excellent, particularly to the Coniston and Scafell ranges.
Location: Lakes, South Lakeland, Cumbria, North West England, England, United Kingdom
Great Rigg is a muscular, 2,513-foot (766 m) summit that forms one of the central fells on the classic Fairfield Horseshoe circuit above Ambleside. Keeping in character with Fairfield's western outliers, it is predominantly grassy and poses little by way of technical difficulty. What it does offer, however, are stonking views to Windermere and to the west, where the Coniston Fells and the rest of the Southern Fells form a tumultuous skyline.
April 11, 2021
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