- Great Rigg
Infobox Mountain
Name = Great Rigg
Photo = Great_Rigg_and_Fairfield_from_Heron_Pike_(2).jpg
Caption = Great Rigg (left) with Fairfield behind from Heron Pike.
Location =Cumbria , ENG
Range =Lake District Eastern Fells
Elevation = 766 m (2,513 ft)
Grid_ref_UK = NY355104
Topographic
OS "Landranger" 90, OS "Explorer" 5
Prominence = 31 m
Parent peak = Fairfield
Listing = Hewitt, Nuttall, WainwrightGreat Rigg is a
fell in the EnglishLake District , it is situated 7 kilometres north northwest ofAmbleside and reaches a height of 766 metres (2,513 feet). It is most often climbed as part of theFairfield horseshoe , a 16 km circular walk which starts and finishes in Ambleside. The fells name originates from theOld English Language with “Rigg” meaning a bumpy or knobbly ridge.Topography
Great Rigg is mostly without merit being just an undulation on one of Fairfield’s southern ridges, with 31 metres of prominence it just qualifies as a Hewitt. It is best seen from the south west near
Grasmere where from that angle its summit seems to dominate the valley.The fell is rocky on its eastern side as Stone Cove drops to Rydal Beck, on its western flank it is mostly grassy as it falls away to Tongue Gill, to the north and south are ridges which continue to other fells, with Fairfield being 1.5 km away to the north while
Heron Pike lies 2.5 km to the south. There is a third less significant ridge which goes south west towards Grasmere which has the “Wainwright” fell ofStone Arthur on its shoulder overlooking Grasmere.Geology
Volcaniclastic sandstone of the Esk Pike Formation comprises the summit area. Beneath is the daciticlapilli -tuff of the Lincomb Tarns Formation.British Geological Survey : 1:50,000 series maps, "England & Wales Sheet 29": BGS (1999)]Ascents
As mentioned Great Rigg is invariably climbed on the way to the more significant fell of Fairfield which lies close by to the north, however a direct ascent of sorts can be done from Grasmere up the south west ridge taking in Stone Arthur on the way. This walk can be continued to Fairfield and
Seat Sandal before returning to Grasmere to complete a 10 km circular walk.ummit and View
The summit is crowned by a substantial
cairn which is named on large scale maps as Greatrigg Man, it gives good views of the Lakeland mountains to the west, a distinctive feature of the outlook is the large number of lakes and tarns that are in view, with ten sizeable bodies of water well seen.References
* A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Eastern Fells, Alfred Wainwright, ISBN 0-7112-2454-4
* Complete Lakeland Fells, Bill Birkett, ISBN 0-00-713629-3
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