So, a last minute decision to go to the lakes on the back of a half decent weather forecast for the day. An early set off meant we were in the Troutbeck valley by 9:30am.
After a meandering walk through the valley we saw the Troutbeck Tongue ahead. Doesn't look too big I thought, should be an easy ascent.
Funny how the closer we got to it the bigger it seemed! There were two options for the ascent, a sweep around the Tongue and then a gentler but potentially boggy ascent (according to the Wainwright book) or a straight climb up the front. We opted for the latter following the walk route from Walklakes.co.uk.
The going was a little boggy to begin with but then the ground became firmer and the climb, whilst steep, was at least sure footed. As the first rocky outcrop appeared it seemed the climb was done but the summit was a further 50 yards ahead. Surely nothing better than almost being at the top and seeing the actual summit is a nice stroll away.
And there we have it. A three and a half hour round trip walk up Troutbeck Tongue. The day was beautifully clear and the views around were fabulous. It's definitely not a simple ascent (coming down the same way needed a lot of care) but I had reached the top of my 8th Wainwright.
