..endeavour to persevere

By Nick_T

Bog

The still, cloudy, warm weather continues.  We thought we'd have another go at Armboth Fell. Summitbag had flagged it as "unbagged" 
Studying my GPS track from 25 June 2016 it appeared we did miss the summit by about 300metres!  Jess recalled we were staggering around in bog and thick clag, how she remembers these things is beyond me. 
So we set off from Watendlath - a steep start, 700ft+ on mile1, the terrain eased off to be replaced by bog,  helpfully Fix the Fells had a sign up on a gate explaining they were repairing the peat bog, later I went in knee deep and was inclined to advise them repair was not required,  it was boggy enough!
Thankfully we didn't have to contend with the clag we experienced in 2016 and finding Armboth Fell was easier,  I discovered there were 2 summits about 500m apart, both (not)helpfully called Armboth, one a Wainwright the other a Birkett.
In terms of photography there wasn't much to commend it, to be fair to Wainwright he described it in book 3 having "a flat desolate top, little better than a quagmire, a tangle of swamp, heather and mosses..."
Nevertheless it is a Wainwright and therefore we had to bag it,  even if it killed me and it just might with my dodgy ticker.  (I must admit I'd prefer to checkout somewhere more epic like Helvellyn or Blencathra.)
 We completed the mission, 5.43 miles, 1388ft ascent , bagging High Tove,  Armboth Fell(s), Shivery Knott, Watendlath Fell and Middle Crag.
Strava put my relative effort at 29, "nicely done, a stronger effort than usual"  which was understating it somewhat...
Main photo is on the way up looking west , extra sums up conditions underfoot should you be inspired by this blurb to have a go at Armboth!

   

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