Derwent Water & Walla Crag loop from Keswick — Lake District National Park

Today's @komoot community hike at Keswick Mountain Festival was a pleasure to be part of! Our jaunt along Derwent Water and up Walla Crag from the festival village was a circular just over 8km. Lots of excitable chatter and adventure story telling was had. Thank you for your company everyone!

We were suppossed to be doing Helvellyn, but the weather was not great so we decide to take a leisurely stroll up Walla Crag. All credit for this walk goes to @Grace for posting this on the Saturday community Komoot walk. This is a lovely loop taking in some of Derwent Water’s most treasured viewpoints. Friars Crag has long been famous for its vantage down the lake towards the Jaws of Borrowdale, while Walla Crag boasts a superb vista and is also ‘a delectable place for picnic’ according to Alfred Wainwright, who knew a thing or two about these fells. So, pack your sandwiches and crisps and off you go. Starting from Crow Park, the route follows the shore of Derwent Water to Friars Crag, where you can enjoy the sublime view that enraptured a young John Ruskin. So fine, in his opinion, is the vision of Derwent Water and Borrowdale that he named it as one of the finest views in Europe. After Friars Crag, the route heads inland and begins a climb to the fine rocky perch of Walla Crag. Among the most diminutive of Wainwrights, Walla Crag is nonetheless a grand summit for looking out across the lake and for looking north towards noble Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake beyond. Next, a gradual descent follows the course of Brockle Brook towards Castlerigg Farm. Before the farm, the route turns northwest, following the Brook all the way to Springs Road and back into Keswick.

Lovely first little loop in the Lake District from Keswick over Walla Crag (376m) and along the banks of Derwent Water back to Keswick. Stone walls, grasslands, sheep pastures and, at the top, glorious views east across Dartmoor-esque hill country and west across Derwent Water, sun-yellow flowering prickly gorse, blueberry bushes with red fruit, larch and moss-covered oaks and a surprisingly steep rocky descent characterize this round. Then a great play of light in the clouds over the lake and in the Pack Horse Inn on the market square at the end of the day one or the other "Cumbrian Way" 🍻😋 for a delicious dinner. 🇬🇧👍

Beautiful tour on Derwent Water near Keswick in the Lake District! Attention: The tour includes a very steep descent with steps in the rock. Hiking poles are recommended.