Arnison Crag – Lake District Walks
May 15, 2021
I’m sure Arnison Crag is somewhat overlooked as a destination in its own right.  It is surrounded by far larger and more iconic fells such as the Helvellyn range or the High Street range.  However, it isn’t on route to another fell so either needs to be tackled alone, or a detour taken to include it As it goes we wanted a smaller walk that we could squeeze into half a day, so Arnison Crag seemed an ideal option.
A Circular walk of Arnison Crag
We started our route from the village of Glenridding. Â The path wondered along streams and through forests in the direction of Keldas, a minor summit with a lovely view of Ullswater. Â It got me thinking. Â There’s an Iron Keld near Hawkshead, so what does this ‘keld’ mean?
Keld – from the viking kelda meaning spring / fountain
From Keldas we went past Lanty’s Tarn. Â Not your typical lakeland tarn, half way up a mountain and open to the elements, but a small hidden tarn surrounded by trees (and when we visited, very green).
The climb up to Arnison Crag, although not long, is definitely a steep one. Â 1424 feet (434 metres) in about 0.7 of a mile, with just a short easy scramble at the top. Phew! Â That’s a 1 in 3 gradient.
The Summit
Forever trying to improve our knowledge of the fells in Lakeland, we learned a few new names to add to the list. Â My favourite on this day was Catstycam (the pointy one above). Â To its left, Birks and its right Birkhouse Moor. Â There were also fabulous views to the south along the Kirkstone pass and its surrounding mountains.
To top it all off, as we sat admiring the view 2 fighter jets whizzed by us, but below the top of Arnison Crag….I think I recognised the pilot. Â Was that you Bob?
Love your little tours gives me an idea if I can manage them or not
Thank you