hikes.guideLake District

A Lake District walking collection — generated from live fell & route data.

Holme Fell - the knobbly heather-and-bracken top of the fell in summer, with green woodland below and the low fells of the south lakes rolling away under a blue sky
Collection · 34 walks

Good walks in poor weather & low cloud

Home › Collections › Good walks in poor weather & low cloud

Routes graded low for both navigation and exposure — both graded Easy or Moderate on our own scales, with nothing graded Severe on terrain or exposure and nothing we grade an easy or a graded scramble, and both grades must be ours, set on the ground or editorially, never an estimate from map data. That is the whole test, and it is why this shelf is a fraction of the full list. What is not here: anything graded Hard or Severe on either axis, and the walks we class as easy, which have their own collection.

A grade is not a survey of the ground. A route can pass this filter and still have a few scrambly steps, an unfenced edge above a lake or a stretch of pathless heather. Every route page carries its own warnings, and those describe the ground rather than the grade — read them before you pick one for a bad day.

When the cloud is down and the high tops are wild, these are the ones to consider: low exposure and simple navigation make a route more forgiving in poor visibility. Most of them we have walked, and each card says which: a card marked Planned is not yet walked by us, and its grades are editorial, from the map and the route’s record. But lower-risk is not ‘safe’: hill weather is serious whatever you climb, so carry a map and compass and know how to use them, check the mountain forecast, and turn back if it doesn't feel right. The conditions shown are our daily prediction — and a route is only as good as its worst summit, so we show the worst of the Wainwright summits on it, the ones our daily score covers.

What is in: routes whose navigation and exposure are both graded Easy or Moderate on our scales. What is out: anything graded Severe on terrain or exposure, anything whose grading notes a graded scramble, and anything we grade an easy or a graded scramble on our hands scale; the walks we class as easy, which have their own collection; and anything graded Hard or Severe on either axis. How the grades are made: a route is listed only when both of those grades are ours: set on the ground, or an editorial grade from the route’s documented character. A grade that is only an estimate from map data does not count, however low it is, so a route graded that way is not on this list until we have assessed it, and nothing overrides that.

34
walks
2.4–20.8 km
distance range
from 45 min
shortest walk
15
dog-friendly

The count is of the list on this page. Distances are measured from each route’s GPX track. Times are worked from distance and climb by Naismith’s rule. A walk counts as dog-friendly only where both the stiles on its line and its grades pass for a dog. How we check →

6 of these are rated good to climb on 27 October — see live conditions →
A prediction from our daily fell score (clear summits, wind, rain, visibility), not a guarantee — always check the mountain forecast before you go. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

Effort is the size of the day, from the distance and the climb; each route’s own page grades the steepness, navigation, exposure and ground underfoot, and names the hardest.

  • Holme Fell - the knobbly heather-and-bracken top of the fell in summer, with green woodland below and the low fells of the south lakes rolling away under a blue skyDry, firm underfootHolme Fell and Black Fell13.74 km~614 m climb~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Moderate: distance and steepnessDecent · 66 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked June 2023Park: Tarn Hows (NT, paid) · Bus: 505, 1.2 km walk from Holling Brow (near)Two low wooded tops between Coniston and Tarn Hows, and a fine half-day when the high fells are under cloud — nothing above 323 m, though 50 path junctions near the line mean it pays to keep track of which one you are on.
  • Gowbarrow Fell — the concrete trig pillar on a rocky, heathery top, with a long line of fells on the skyline under a bright skyDryGowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell15.11 km~713 m climb~4–5¾ hHard effort Hard: distanceDecent · 65 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked August 2023Park: Aira Force (NT, paid) · Bus: 508, 470 m walk from Matterdale, opposite Aira ForceA round above Ullswater over Gowbarrow Fell and Little Mell Fell — two quite different tops, the first a rocky shoulder over the lake, the second a bare grassy dome. About a fifth of it is pathless.Navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • A small stone cairn low on the grass of Great Mell Fell's top, with scattered rocks and peaty ground around itDryGreat Mell Fell3.47 km~274 m climb~1–1¾ hEasy effort Moderate: steepnessDecent · 64 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked August 2023Out and back · Park: Great Mell Fell layby · Bus: 509, 1.8 km walk from Matterdale End, outside Brook House FarmThe gentler of the two Mell Fells and an easy hour from the road — a single steady pull of 273 m to a domed summit with no mapped crags anywhere near the line.
  • DryAround Loweswater to Fellbarrow and Low Fell10.84 km~446 m climb~2¾–4 hModerate effort Severe: steepnessDecent · 62 · rated on 27 OctoberPlannedPark: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, paid) · Bus: 77, 3.2 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)A short north-western round over Low Fell, Sourfoot Fell, Smithy Fell and Fellbarrow — 10.8 km and 446 m, moderate on every axis except steepness, which is severe: the climb onto Low Fell reaches about 43%. About 2¾–4 hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 43%. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • DryHigh Rigg3.62 km~221 m climb~1–1½ hEasy effort Moderate: steepnessDecent · 58 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked April 2026Out and back · Park: St John's in the Vale verge, High Rigg (free) · Bus: 509, 2.3 km walk from Threlkeld West End (near)A round of 1–1½ hours over Naddle Fell, and a great deal of view for 221 m of climbing — with one steep pull near the top and a stretch of pathless ground to keep it honest.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 21%. Navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Thirlmere from the top of Raven Crag at first light, the reservoir stretching south below the Helvellyn range under a pink dawn skyDryRaven Crag from Thirlmere5.79 km~314 m climb~1½–2¼ hEasy effort Hard: steepnessDecent · 57 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked in partPark: Dam Triangle, Thirlmere (paid) · Bus: 555, 1.2 km walk from Stanah, at Dam road endThe short climb to the crag above Thirlmere: 5.8 km and 314 m, with a first stage averaging 20% and a steepest pull of about 25%. The path, the route-finding and the length are all easy; the gradient is the hard part. The top is a crag, so stay on the path at the viewpoint. About 1½–2¼ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 25%. Navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; that stretch not walked. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 24 September 2026.
  • Walkers on the grassy top of Wansfell Pike, bog cotton in the foreground and Windermere stretching away belowSummit likely clagged inWansfell Pike and Baystones11.92 km~560 m climb~3¼–4½ hModerate effort Hard: steepnessMarginal · 40 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked June 2023Park: Ambleside, Low Fold (paid) · Bus: 555 at the startThe pair above Ambleside — 11.9 km and 560 m, stages averaging about 12% with a 33% pull over 250 m onto Wansfell Pike, and easy for both navigation and exposure. A straightforward half-day at about 3¼–4½ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 31%. Exposure and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Loughrigg Fell - looking down over the island in Grasmere lake to the village and the fells at the head of the valley, on a bright day with woodland in full leafSummit likely clagged inAmbleside, Todd Crag, Rydal Cave10.38 km~394 m climb~2½–3¾ hModerate effort Hard: steepnessMarginal · 40 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked in partPark: Ambleside, Market Place (4 on-street bays) · Bus: 555 at the startThe classic Ambleside circuit of Loughrigg Fell — up through Rothay Park and over Todd Crag past Lily Tarn, across the undulating top to the summit trig point, then down to Loughrigg Terrace above Grasmere and back along the fell's flank via Rydal Cave. Low in height, big in views, and the best-value 10 km in the central Lakes.
  • Bassenthwaite Lake from the rocky top of Barf, with cloud hanging over the fells across the waterToo windy for the topsWhinlatter Loop13.56 km~712 m climb~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked May 2025Park: Spout Force, Whinlatter (free) · Bus: 77, 2.5 km walk from Lorton Winder Hall (near)A north-western round above Whinlatter that opens with a brutal climb onto Graystones, about 56% over its steepest 250 m. After that it is undulating grass and forest over Broom Fell, Lord's Seat and Barf — boggy in places, and Lord's Seat is marked by the remains of an old fence post rather than a cairn.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 48%. Terrain: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • The Howitzer on Helm Crag — a great tilted block of rock standing clear of the summit ridge, the valley hazy far beyondToo windy for the topsHelm Crag, Gibson Knott, Calf Crag, Steel Fell and Tarn Crag20.82 km~950 m climb~5¾–7¾ hHard effort Severe: distanceSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked June 2024Park: Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid) · Bus: 555 at the startThe full Far Easedale horseshoe from Grasmere, and a longer, wetter day than Helm Crag alone suggests. The true summit — the Howitzer — needs an exposed scramble, and beyond Gibson Knott the ground turns to peat hags and bog that stay wet in all seasons, with Brownrigg Moss the hardest crossing of the day.Exposure and terrain: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • St Sunday Crag - the snow-covered summit plateau in winter sunshine, the walker's long shadow on the snow, with the snowy Fairfield ridge across the valleyToo windy for the topsSt Sunday Crag10.22 km~838 m climb~3¼–4¾ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked January 2025Park: Patterdale Hotel Car Park (Patterdale Hotel, paid) · Bus: 508 at the startThree tops and an outlier on the long Patterdale ridge: Arnison Crag, Birks and St Sunday Crag, with Gavel Pike a short detour off the summit, 10 km and 838 m. The walking line stays clear of the crags, but it is not all grass: the ridge to St Sunday Crag turns rocky, and the way back off Gavel Pike crosses steep grass and small rocky steps that are treacherous when wet or icy. The descent reaches about 45% over 250 m near 8.3 km.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest descent, about 45% over 250 m. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 24 September 2026. Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Arnison Crag (14 June 2026), Birks (14 June 2026) and St Sunday Crag (13 June 2026); they draw on Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team.
  • A wooden fingerpost deep in bracken, its yellow arrows pointing to Stone Arthur and Alcock TarnToo windy for the topsStone Arthur from Grasmere6.82 km~528 m climb~2¼–3 hModerate effort Hard: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked July 2023Out and back · Park: Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid) · Bus: 555 at the startThe steep little top above Grasmere, out and back in 6.8 km with 528 m of climbing. Easy for length, navigation and exposure — it is the gradient that makes it, rated hard. About 2¼–3 hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 27%. Exposure and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • A big, broken cairn on the stony top of Bleaberry Fell, paths worn through the grass and hazy fells on the skylineToo windy for the topsWalla Crag, Bleaberry Fell, High Seat, High Tove and Armboth Fell17.02 km~812 m climb~4¾–6½ hHard effort Hard: distance and steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked August 2025Park: Walla Crag car park (free) · Bus: 78 at the startThe long boggy ridge south from Keswick: five tops in 17 km with 812 m of climbing, hard for length and steepness. Beyond Bleaberry Fell the ground is wet and knolly with a faint path, and in mist it is easy to drift off line, so bring a map and compass and be ready to use them. The easy exposure grade is for the walking line. Walla Crag's summit edge is a steep, unfenced drop, so keep back from the lip. About 4¾–6½ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained descent, about 26%. Exposure, terrain and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 24 September 2026.
  • Rusted iron posts piled on the stony top of Skiddaw Lesser Man, with Keswick and Derwentwater spread out belowToo windy for the topsLonscale Fell, Skiddaw Lesser Man, Skiddaw and Bakestall in the sun!19.25 km~1118 m climb~5½–7¾ hHard effort Hard: distance, steepness and terrainSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked June 2025Park: Latrigg car park (free) · Bus: 554, 2.5 km walk from Keswick, opposite The PheasantSkiddaw the long way, taking in Lonscale Fell and Bakestall: 19.3 km and 1,118 m, with a pull averaging 22% from Lesser Man onto Little Man and loose slate underfoot high up. The plateau is open to the wind. The easy exposure grade is for the walking line, but the route visits Lonscale Pike, which sits right on the edge of the crags above Glenderaterra, so keep well back there. From Bakestall it is 9.7 km out, with 213 m of climbing still in it.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 29%. Exposure and terrain: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 24 September 2026. Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Lonscale Fell (14 June 2026) and Skiddaw (13 June 2026); they draw on Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
  • Brae Fell — a neat conical cairn of stones on a grassy top, with mist closing in over the fields far belowToo windy for the topsNorth of Skiddaw13.22 km~729 m climb~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Hard: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked August 2024Park: Longlands Fell car parkEight tops in the grassy country north of Skiddaw — Longlands Fell, Brae Fell, the two Sca Fells, Meal Fell and Great Cockup among them. Gentle underfoot, but nearly a fifth of the line is featureless ground where a compass earns its keep.Navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • A Herdwick sheep grazing on the fellside above Easdale Tarn, the water glittering below with hazy fells beyondToo windy for the topsWest of Grasmere15.44 km~863 m climb~4½–6¼ hHard effort Hard: distanceSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked March 2025Park: Red Bank Road, Grasmere (W&F, paid) · Bus: 555, 320 m walk from Grasmere, opposite Heaton Cooper StudioSix tops on the rough ground west of Grasmere — Tarn Crag, Codale Head, Sergeant Man, Blea Rigg, Swinescar Pike and Silver How — in 15.4 km with 863 m of climbing. Hard for length, moderate for steepness; about 4½–6¼ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 24%. Terrain: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Binsey - a large stone summit cairn on grass, low cloud spilling over a patchwork of green fields belowToo windy for the topsBinsey Walk2.35 km~175 m climb~¾–1¼ hEasy effort Moderate: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked July 2024Out and back · Park: Roadside parking for Binsey (free) · Bus: 554, 3.1 km walk from Bewaldeth, on road endThe northern outlier, and the biggest view-per-minute in the Lake District. Binsey stands alone above the Solway plain with nothing between it and Scotland — about ¾–1¼ hours up and back on a grassy path, and you can see the whole Skiddaw massif on one side and the Galloway hills on the other. A first fell, an evening fell.
  • Atkinson Pike from below — a steep grass slope rising to a dark rocky cone seamed with crags and scree gullies, under a cloudless skyToo windy for the topsBlencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back17.59 km~1011 m climb~5–7 hHard effort Hard: distance and steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked May 2026Park: Mungrisdale village hall (paid) · Bus: 509, 3.2 km walk from Mungrisdale, adjacent to Road EndBlencathra by its southern ridges — Scales Fell and Doddick Fell onto Hallsfell Top — then over the back for Bannerdale Crags and Bowscale Fell, taking in Mungrisdale Common on the way. Nine tops, 17.6 km and 1,011 m, rated hard for steepness but only moderate for navigation and exposure. About 5–7 hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 30%. Exposure and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Castle Crag — a tall cairn of stacked slates on a spoil heap of loose slate, larches behind and the wooded valley beyond under heavy cloudToo windy for the topsCastle Crag, Brund Fell & Great Crag14.11 km~838 m climb~4–5¾ hHard effort Hard: distance and steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked August 2025Park: Rosthwaite (NT, paid) · Bus: 78 at the startBorrowdale's small rough summits in one round: Castle Crag, King's How, Brund Fell and Great Crag, 14.1 km and 838 m. None is higher than 449 m, and that is not the same as easy. One pull reaches about 36% over 250 m early on, the ground between the tops is rough, and with 58 path junctions near the line it is easy to wander off in cloud.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 31%. Terrain and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 24 September 2026.
  • Cat Bells rising above DerwentwaterToo windy for the topsCatbells, Maiden Moor & High Spy12.59 km~726 m climb~3½–5 hModerate effort Hard: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked May 2026Park: Skelgill Bank, north car park · Bus: 77 at the startA ridge walk above the western shore of Derwentwater: from Hawes End over Catbells and Maiden Moor to High Spy, 12.6 km and 726 m. The pull onto Catbells is short and steep, about 36% over its steepest 250 m, with rocky steps where you may want your hands, and they are slippery when wet. High Spy has steep crags on both sides, so keep to the crest in wind or cloud. The ridge path is clear in good weather, but carry a map and compass for the cloud. The reward is Derwentwater and the Newlands valley below you the whole way.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 29%. Navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 24 September 2026. Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Cat Bells (Catbells) (13 June 2026), Maiden Moor (14 June 2026) and High Spy (14 June 2026); they draw on Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
  • Winter grass in the foreground and a long fell shoulder streaked with old snow, its top lost in low cloudToo windy for the topsHartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike, Thornthwaite Crag and Gray Crag10 km~858 m climb~3¼–4¾ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked February 2025Park: Hartsop village (donation) · Bus: 508, 590 m walk from Hartsop, adjacent to road endFour tops above Hartsop in 10 km with 858 m of climbing, including a stage averaging 35% — as steep as anything on the site. Severe for steepness but only moderate for navigation and exposure. About 3¼–4¾ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 51%. Exposure and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • High Hartsop Dodd — a steep green cone rising straight from flat valley meadow and scattered trees, cloud sitting on the tops behindToo windy for the topsHartsop Fells and Hart Crag11.87 km~837 m climb~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked July 2025Park: Cow Bridge, Hartsop (paid) · Bus: 508 at the startSix tops from Gale Crag over Hartsop Above How to Hart Crag: 11.9 km and 837 m, about 3¾–5¼ hours. Severe for steepness: the push onto Hart Crag is loose and rocky, with simple steps where you may need your hands, and the way down off High Hartsop Dodd is a very steep grass nose, about 43% over 250 m near 9.5 km and slippery when wet. The rest is moderate, though the ridge from Hart Crag to Dove Crag is rocky and hard on the ankles.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 41%. Terrain: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 24 September 2026.
  • Helm Crag above GrasmereToo windy for the topsHelm Crag & Far Easedale15.93 km~870 m climb~4½–6¼ hHard effort Hard: distance and steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked January 2025Park: Stock Lane Car & Coach Park (LDNPA, paid) · Bus: 555 at the startFrom Grasmere along the ridge above Far Easedale — Helm Crag's rocky top first, then Gibson Knott and Calf Crag — and round the head of Greenburn to Steel Fell. A long day at 15.9 km, and the head of Easedale can be vague in cloud.Navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Grike - a stone cairn and a low shelter on a grassy summit, the view lost in thick mistToo windy for the topsGrike, Crag Fell and Lank Rigg13.07 km~623 m climb~3½–5 hModerate effort Moderate: distance, steepness and navigationSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked May 2025Park: Flat Fell (verge)Four tops in the far western fells — Grike, Crag Fell, Whoap and Lank Rigg — in 13.1 km and 623 m. Rough grass and big skies, a steep drop into Ennerdale beside Crag Fell's top, and faint, featureless ground over Whoap and Lank Rigg Moss where a compass bearing matters in cloud.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 20%. Terrain and navigation: graded by Lee on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Skiddaw's trig pillar and a squat stone shelter on the slate-strewn summit ridge, the Cumbrian plain hazy far belowToo windy for the topsUp to Skiddaw Round Trip12.01 km~849 m climb~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Hard: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked in partPark: Latrigg car park (free) · Bus: 555, 2.6 km walk from Keswick, at Latrigg CloseA compact way onto Skiddaw over Lonscale Fell — 12 km and 849 m — keeping off the tourist path for most of the climb. Burnt Horse Ridge is steep and often wet underfoot, the summit plateau is fully exposed to whatever the weather is doing, and the return is a sustained 527 m descent on stone and gravel.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 30%; the steepest descent, about 31% over 250 m. Exposure and terrain: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; that stretch not walked. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026. Hazard notes checked by Lee McCoy: Lonscale Fell (14 June 2026) and Skiddaw (13 June 2026); they draw on Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.
  • A low cairn of stones on Knott's broad, grassy summit, with mist hiding everything beyond.Too windy for the topsCoomb Height, Knott and Great Calva17.62 km~658 m climb~4½–6¼ hHard effort Hard: distance, steepness and terrainSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked in partPark: Tarn Crags Top (layby) (free)Coomb Height, Knott and Great Calva in the empty country behind Skiddaw — 17.6 km and 658 m, with a steepest sustained descent of about 35%. Hard for length, terrain and steepness; about 4½–6¼ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest descent, about 36% over 250 m. Terrain: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; that stretch not walked. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • A worn path through heather climbs to the rocky crown of Carrock Fell, its tall summit cairn on the skyline in thick mist.Too windy for the topsCarrock Fell and Knott16.62 km~751 m climb~4½–6¼ hHard effort Severe: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberWalked in partPark: Roadside parking for Carrock Fell (free)Five northern tops from Carrock Fell over Miton Hill and High Pike to Knott — 16.6 km and 751 m, with one stage climbing at an average of 25%. Severe for steepness, hard for length, but only moderate to navigate. About 4½–6¼ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the distance; the steepest sustained climb, about 42%. Navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; that stretch not walked. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Ard Crags, on this walkToo windy for the topsArd Crags & Knott Rigg19.31 km~708 m climb~5–6¾ hHard effort Hard: distance and steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberPlannedOne-way: finishes at Keswick · Start: Braithwaite village (roadside/small areas) · Bus: 77 at the start
  • Too windy for the topsEsk Pike and Great End17.69 km~1103 m climb~5¼–7¼ hHard effort Hard: distance and steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberPlannedPark: Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid) · Bus: 516 at the startEsk Pike and Great End, the two big tops at the head of Eskdale, reached by a 17.7 km round with 1,103 m of climbing. It is a long, rough mountain day with steep sections, the steepest about 29% on the way down around the 13.8 km mark, and both navigation and exposure are rated moderate. Allow around 5¼–7¼ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 29%. Exposure, terrain and navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Too windy for the topsAllen Crags & Glaramara10.94 km~853 m climb~3½–5 hModerate effort Severe: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberPlannedPark: Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge) · Bus: 78, 2.2 km walk from Seatoller, at National Trust car parkGlaramara's knobbly crest and Allen Crags, five summits linked along the ridge above Borrowdale. 853 m of climbing in 10.9 km, rated severe for steepness though navigation and exposure both stay moderate. About 3½–5 hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained descent, about 49%. Exposure and navigation: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Walla Crag - looking over bracken and birch from the summit to Derwentwater, with the Borrowdale fells and Cat Bells beyond in morning lightToo windy for the topsWalla Crag and Bleaberry Fell from Keswick12.53 km~658 m climb~3½–5 hModerate effort Hard: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberPlannedPark: Keswick, Central Car Park (paid) · Bus: 555 at the startA proper fell day that starts and finishes on foot from Keswick — no car needed. Walla Crag gives one of the great Derwentwater views for very little effort; Bleaberry Fell behind it is a rougher, boggier proposition. Together they make a satisfying half-day horseshoe straight out of the town.Terrain: our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
  • A small tarn edged with trees in a green valley below a bracken slope, with cloud resting on the craggy fells above.Too windy for the topsLingmoor Fell from Elterwater11.51 km~489 m climb~3–4¼ hModerate effort Moderate: distance, steepness, terrain, navigation and exposureSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberPlannedPark: Elterwater (NT, paid) · Bus: 516 at the startThe best low fell in Langdale, and the one that shows you the valley properly. Lingmoor sits between Great and Little Langdale, so the Pikes rear up across the dale in front of you the whole way along the ridge. Side Pike at the far end throws in a famous rock squeeze. Half the effort of the big Langdale rounds and arguably a better view of them.
  • Too windy for the topsAround Loweswater19.13 km~1068 m climb~5½–7½ hHard effort Severe: steepnessSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberPlannedPark: Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater (NT, paid) · Bus: 77, 3.2 km walk from Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite)The full circuit of the fells around Loweswater — six tops from Darling Fell round to Blake Fell, 19.1 km and 1,068 m, with one early pull a sustained 40% over 250 m. A long day with one steep start: roughly 5½–7½ hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 35%. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
  • Watendlath & the packhorse bridge10.33 km~298 m climb~2½–3½ hModerate effort Hard: steepnessWalked in partPark: Surprise View (NT) (paid) · Bus: 78 at the startA roughly 6.4-mile Borrowdale loop up to the hidden hamlet of Watendlath, its tarn and the much-photographed packhorse bridge, returning down the valley. A satisfying low-level half-day with one steep descent of about 33% over 250 m near the end.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest descent, about 33% over 250 m.

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Common questions

What makes a walk lower-risk in poor weather?
Two things, and we only include routes graded as having both: a low exposure grade — our scale weighs edges, scrambles and big drops, and these routes come out low on it — and a navigation grade of Easy or Moderate, for clearer paths and lines than the broad tops where you can go wrong in cloud. Both grades must be ours, set on the ground or editorially; an estimate from map data does not count. A grade is not a survey: a route can grade low and still have a scrambly step or an unfenced edge, so read its own warnings. Most we have walked, and each card says which; the ones marked Planned carry our editorial grades, from the map and the route's record. It's about reducing risk, not removing it.
Does that mean these walks are safe in cloud?
No. No fell walk is ‘safe’ in poor visibility. These are lower-risk than the edges and high plateaus, but you still need a map and compass and the skills to use them, the right kit, and to check the mountain forecast. Cold, wind and disorientation catch people out even on gentle ground. Turn back if conditions worsen.
How is "good today" decided for a whole route?
We take the worst of the route's summits that our daily fell score covers — the 214 Wainwrights. A round is only as good as its hardest top, but a Birkett or Outlying top on the route is not scored, so on those routes the figure covers the Wainwrights only. As always it's a prediction from the forecast (clear summits, wind, rain, visibility), not a guarantee.

More collections

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Lake District walks by difficultyEvery route grouped by the size of the day — Easy to Severe — with the exposure grade alongside.234 walksQuick fells — about 3 hours or lessSummits you can climb and be back down from in about three hours or less at a brisk pace — a half-day walk, each with live conditions.69 fellsWalks that are kind on the kneesNo sustained steep descent anywhere on the route — measured from the GPS track, because going down is the part that hurts.47 walks