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Navigating in Cloud

Name: The Clag Index — navigation difficulty in cloud for the 214 Wainwrights
Creator: hikes.guide
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

By Lee McCoy — a Lake District fell-walker Updated 9 July 2026

Navigation error in poor visibility is one of the commonest reasons walkers need rescuing in the Lake District. Some fells make it far easier to go wrong than others — a broad, featureless plateau with no fall-line to follow; flat ground perched at the lip of a crag; a maze of rocky ground ringed by drops. This is the Clag Index: a score for how hard each of the 214 Wainwrights is to stay found on when the cloud comes down, computed from the shape of the ground itself and checked against the fells everyone knows are traps.

Read this first. This is a relative, deliberately cautious guide, not a promise. On the higher-scoring tops, poor visibility is genuinely dangerous: carry a map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save the day for clearer weather. The site can’t navigate for you, and a low score never means “safe” — only that the ground gives you more to work with.

The three ways a fell gets you lost

Every fell is scored on the worst of three distinct traps — the reason shown against each fell in the table:

Get-lost

A broad, gently-sloping top with no fall-line to follow. You wander, and you can’t relocate. The featureless grass plateaux — Mungrisdale Common, the Dodds — are the classic case.

Walk-off

Flat, walkable ground perched right at a lethal drop. In cloud it’s easy to keep walking straight onto steep ground — the fatal mistake, as on Helvellyn’s edge or High Street.

Maze

A compact, rocky summit deep in crag country, with no single obvious way off — the boulder-field puzzles of Scafell Pike, Bowfell and Great End.

All 214 Wainwrights, ranked

The full list, sortable by any column and filterable by band or region. Top of the list is where getting lost matters most — Helvellyn, Great Gable, Pillar, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Swirl How, High Raise (High White Stones) and the rest of the 38 fells in the top band. Without JavaScript the table stays readable and sorted worst-first.

Region

All 214 Wainwright fells scored for navigation difficulty in cloud: band, region, height and the main reason. Sortable by any column, filterable by band and region.

Severe	Helvellyn	Eastern	950	Walk-off
Severe	Great Gable	Western	899	Maze
Severe	Pillar	Western	892	Maze
Severe	Crag Hill (Eel Crag)	North Western	839	Maze
Severe	Swirl How	Southern	802	Walk-off
Severe	High Raise (High White Stones)	Central	762	Get-lost
Severe	Sergeant Man	Central	736	Get-lost
Severe	Thunacar Knott	Central	723	Get-lost
Severe	Loft Crag	Central	682	Maze
Severe	Loadpot Hill	Far Eastern	672	Get-lost
Severe	Wether Hill	Far Eastern	672	Get-lost
Severe	Great Sca Fell	Northern	651	Get-lost
Severe	Grey Crag (Sleddale Fell)	Far Eastern	638	Get-lost
Severe	Mungrisdale Common	Northern	632	Get-lost
Severe	Haystacks (Buttermere)	Western	597	Maze
Severe	Whin Rigg (Wasdale)	Southern	537	Maze
Severe	Arthur's Pike	Far Eastern	533	Get-lost
Severe	Bonscale Pike	Far Eastern	524	Get-lost
Severe	Eagle Crag	Central	523	Maze
Severe	High Tove	Central	515	Get-lost
Severe	Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top)	Central	475	Get-lost
Severe	Barf	North Western	469	Maze
Severe	Walla Crag	Central	379	Get-lost
Severe	Dollywaggon Pike ∗	Eastern	858	Walk-off
Severe	High Spy	North Western	653	Walk-off
Severe	High Crag (Buttermere)	Western	745	Maze
Severe	Ullscarf	Central	723	Get-lost
Severe	Nethermost Pike	Eastern	891	Maze
Severe	High Street	Far Eastern	828	Walk-off
Severe	Whiteless Pike	North Western	660	Maze
Severe	Rampsgill Head	Far Eastern	792	Walk-off
Severe	High Stile	Western	806	Maze
Severe	Great Crag (Stonethwaite)	Central	449	Get-lost
Severe	Hart Crag	Eastern	823	Maze
Severe	Pavey Ark	Central	702	Get-lost
Severe	Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)	Western	841	Maze
Severe	Bowfell	Southern	903	Maze
Severe	Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor)	Far Eastern	764	Get-lost
Serious in cloud	Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top)	Western	511	Maze
Serious in cloud	Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit)	Southern	601	Maze
Serious in cloud	Calf Crag	Central	537	Get-lost
Serious in cloud	Burnbank Fell	Western	475	Get-lost
Serious in cloud	Wandope	North Western	774	Maze
Serious in cloud	Buckbarrow	Western	423	Get-lost
Serious in cloud	Illgill Head	Southern	609	Walk-off
Serious in cloud	Fairfield	Eastern	873	Maze
Serious in cloud	Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)	Central	553	Walk-off
Serious in cloud	Brae Fell	Northern	585	Get-lost
Serious in cloud	Kirk Fell	Western	802	Maze
Serious in cloud	Sail	North Western	773	Maze
Serious in cloud	Scafell Pike	Southern	978	Maze
Serious in cloud	Gray Crag	Far Eastern	698	Walk-off
Serious in cloud	Bannerdale Crags	Northern	684	Walk-off
Serious in cloud	Caw Fell	Western	697	Get-lost
Serious in cloud	Red Screes	Eastern	779	Walk-off
Serious in cloud	Red Pike (Buttermere)	Western	755	Walk-off
Serious in cloud	Fleetwith Pike	Western	649	Walk-off
Serious in cloud	Tarn Crag (Sleddale)	Far Eastern	664	Get-lost
Serious in cloud	The Knott (High Street)	Far Eastern	739	Maze
Serious in cloud	Thornthwaite Crag	Far Eastern	784	Walk-off
Serious in cloud	Great End	Southern	910	Maze
Serious in cloud	High Hartsop Dodd	Eastern	519	Maze
Serious in cloud	Hart Side	Eastern	756	Get-lost
Serious in cloud	Hartsop Dodd	Far Eastern	619	Walk-off
Care needed	Maiden Moor	North Western	575	Walk-off
Care needed	Branstree	Far Eastern	712	Get-lost
Care needed	Brim Fell	Southern	796	Walk-off
Care needed	Selside Pike	Far Eastern	655	Get-lost
Care needed	Silver How	Central	394	Get-lost
Care needed	Scafell	Southern	964	Maze
Care needed	Bleaberry Fell	Central	590	Get-lost
Care needed	Sheffield Pike	Eastern	676	Maze
Care needed	Tarn Crag (Easedale)	Central	549	Maze
Care needed	Grey Knotts	Western	697	Get-lost
Care needed	Base Brown	Western	646	Maze
Care needed	Kentmere Pike	Far Eastern	730	Get-lost
Care needed	High Raise (High Street)	Far Eastern	804	Maze
Care needed	Grasmoor	North Western	852	Walk-off
Care needed	Grange Fell (Brund Fell)	Central	417	Get-lost
Care needed	Ill Bell	Far Eastern	757	Maze
Care needed	Blea Rigg	Central	542	Get-lost
Care needed	Crag Fell	Western	523	Maze
Care needed	Yoke	Far Eastern	707	Walk-off
Care needed	Yewbarrow	Western	629	Walk-off
Care needed	Slight Side	Southern	762	Walk-off
Care needed	Shipman Knotts	Far Eastern	587	Walk-off
Care needed	Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top)	Eastern	637	Walk-off
Care needed	Brandreth	Western	715	Get-lost
Care needed	Knott	Northern	710	Get-lost
Care needed	White Side	Eastern	863	Maze
Care needed	Red Pike (Wasdale)	Western	826	Walk-off
Care needed	Gibson Knott	Central	420	Walk-off
Care needed	Watson's Dodd	Eastern	789	Get-lost
Care needed	Hopegill Head	North Western	770	Maze
Care needed	Harter Fell (Mardale)	Far Eastern	779	Get-lost
Care needed	Lank Rigg	Western	541	Get-lost
Care needed	Graystones (Graystones North Top)	North Western	450	Get-lost
Care needed	Grisedale Pike	North Western	790	Maze
Care needed	The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)	Southern	802	Maze
Care needed	Rossett Pike	Southern	651	Maze
Care needed	Clough Head	Eastern	726	Maze
Care needed	Sergeant's Crag	Central	571	Maze
Care needed	Dove Crag	Eastern	792	Get-lost
Straightforward	Binsey	Northern	447	Get-lost
Straightforward	Birks	Eastern	624	Get-lost
Straightforward	Grike	Western	488	Get-lost
Straightforward	Dale Head	North Western	754	Walk-off
Straightforward	Sour Howes	Far Eastern	483	Get-lost
Straightforward	Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts)	Far Eastern	432	Walk-off
Straightforward	Mardale Ill Bell	Far Eastern	761	Maze
Straightforward	Green Gable	Western	800	Maze
Straightforward	Great Rigg	Eastern	766	Walk-off
Straightforward	Hindscarth	North Western	727	Walk-off
Straightforward	Robinson	North Western	738	Get-lost
Straightforward	Rest Dodd	Far Eastern	696	Maze
Straightforward	Baystones (Wansfell)	Far Eastern	487	Get-lost
Straightforward	Latrigg	Northern	369	Get-lost
Straightforward	Brock Crags (Wainwright)	Far Eastern	561	Walk-off
Straightforward	Low Pike	Eastern	508	Walk-off
Straightforward	St Sunday Crag	Eastern	841	Maze
Straightforward	Black Fell	Southern	323	Get-lost
Straightforward	Harrison Stickle	Central	735	Maze
Straightforward	Esk Pike	Southern	885	Maze
Straightforward	Souther Fell	Northern	522	Get-lost
Straightforward	Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)	North Western	707	Maze
Straightforward	Dow Crag	Southern	778	Walk-off
Straightforward	Wetherlam	Southern	763	Walk-off
Straightforward	Scar Crags	North Western	672	Walk-off
Straightforward	Middle Fell	Western	582	Walk-off
Straightforward	Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell	Western	416	Get-lost
Straightforward	Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)	North Western	517	Get-lost
Straightforward	Longlands Fell	Northern	483	Get-lost
Straightforward	The Nab	Far Eastern	576	Maze
Straightforward	High Rigg (Naddle Fell)	Central	356	Get-lost
Straightforward	High Pike (Caldbeck)	Northern	658	Get-lost
Straightforward	Broom Fell	North Western	510	Get-lost
Straightforward	Pike of Blisco	Southern	703	Maze
Straightforward	Knott Rigg	North Western	556	Walk-off
Straightforward	Allen Crags	Southern	785	Maze
Straightforward	Bakestall	Northern	674	Maze
Straightforward	Great Borne	Western	616	Maze
Straightforward	Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)	Eastern	481	Get-lost
Straightforward	Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)	Southern	859	Maze
Straightforward	Holme Fell	Southern	316	Maze
Straightforward	Place Fell	Far Eastern	657	Maze
Straightforward	Sale Fell	North Western	359	Get-lost
Straightforward	Long Side	Northern	734	Walk-off
Straightforward	Seatallan	Western	693	Walk-off
Straightforward	Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)	Far Eastern	566	Walk-off
Straightforward	Lonscale Fell	Northern	715	Get-lost
Straightforward	Sallows	Far Eastern	516	Get-lost
Straightforward	Ard Crags	North Western	581	Maze
Straightforward	Ling Fell	North Western	374	Get-lost
Straightforward	High Seat	Central	609	Get-lost
Straightforward	Seat Sandal	Eastern	737	Maze
Straightforward	Lingmell	Southern	807	Walk-off
Straightforward	Bowscale Fell	Northern	702	Get-lost
Straightforward	Low Fell	Western	422	Walk-off
Straightforward	Cold Pike	Southern	700	Get-lost
Straightforward	Great Cockup	Northern	526	Get-lost
Straightforward	Carl Side	Northern	747	Maze
Straightforward	Birkhouse Moor	Eastern	718	Get-lost
Straightforward	Arnison Crag	Eastern	433	Maze
Straightforward	Dodd (Skiddaw)	Northern	502	Maze
Straightforward	Great Mell Fell	Eastern	537	Get-lost
Straightforward	Glenridding Dodd	Eastern	442	Maze
Straightforward	Nab Scar	Eastern	450	Maze
Straightforward	Glaramara	Southern	783	Get-lost
Straightforward	Stybarrow Dodd	Eastern	844	Walk-off
Straightforward	Hartsop Above How (Gill Crag - Hartsop Above How)	Eastern	586	Maze
Straightforward	Skiddaw	Northern	930	Get-lost
Straightforward	Catstye Cam	Eastern	890	Get-lost
Straightforward	Raise	Eastern	883	Get-lost
Straightforward	Blencathra - Hallsfell Top	Northern	868	Get-lost
Straightforward	Skiddaw Little Man	Northern	865	Get-lost
Straightforward	Great Dodd	Eastern	857	Get-lost
Straightforward	Steeple	Western	819	Get-lost
Straightforward	Haycock	Western	797	Get-lost
Straightforward	Great Carrs	Southern	785	Get-lost
Straightforward	Kidsty Pike	Far Eastern	781	Get-lost
Straightforward	Grey Friar	Southern	773	Get-lost
Straightforward	Froswick	Far Eastern	720	Get-lost
Straightforward	Pike of Stickle	Central	708	Get-lost
Straightforward	Great Calva	Northern	691	Get-lost
Straightforward	Ullock Pike	Northern	690	Get-lost
Straightforward	Carrock Fell	Northern	662	Get-lost
Straightforward	High Pike (Scandale)	Eastern	657	Get-lost
Straightforward	Middle Dodd	Eastern	654	Get-lost
Straightforward	Harter Fell (Eskdale)	Southern	653	Get-lost
Straightforward	Causey Pike	North Western	637	Get-lost
Straightforward	Starling Dodd	Western	633	Get-lost
Straightforward	Heron Pike (Rydal)	Eastern	612	Get-lost
Straightforward	Blake Fell	Western	573	Get-lost
Straightforward	Outerside	North Western	568	Get-lost
Straightforward	Lord's Seat	North Western	552	Get-lost
Straightforward	Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot	Southern	551	Get-lost
Straightforward	Hard Knott	Southern	550	Get-lost
Straightforward	Meal Fell	Northern	549	Get-lost
Straightforward	Gavel Fell	Western	524	Get-lost
Straightforward	Beda Fell (Beda Head)	Far Eastern	509	Get-lost
Straightforward	Hen Comb	Western	506	Get-lost
Straightforward	Little Mell Fell	Eastern	505	Get-lost
Straightforward	Stone Arthur	Eastern	504	Get-lost
Straightforward	Green Crag	Southern	489	Get-lost
Straightforward	Lingmoor Fell (Brown How)	Southern	470	Get-lost
Straightforward	Raven Crag	Central	461	Get-lost
Straightforward	Barrow	North Western	455	Get-lost
Straightforward	Cat Bells (Catbells)	North Western	451	Get-lost
Straightforward	Helm Crag	Central	405	Get-lost
Straightforward	Hallin Fell	Far Eastern	388	Get-lost
Straightforward	Troutbeck Tongue	Far Eastern	364	Get-lost
Straightforward	Rannerdale Knotts	North Western	355	Get-lost
Straightforward	Loughrigg Fell	Central	335	Get-lost
Straightforward	Castle Crag	North Western	290	Get-lost

∗ graded from Lee’s first-hand knowledge where the bare terrain model can’t see the danger. Sort by any column; filter by band or region.

A word on winter

Whatever a fell’s band above, it describes summer or poor-visibility navigation only. Add snow and the picture changes completely — and not evenly. A broad, gentle top — the kind that can score low here — is often the most dangerous place of all in a whiteout, where the ground gives you nothing to steer by, cornices hide the edge and every feature is buried. In winter conditions every one of these fells demands full winter navigation skills, regardless of its band. See our guide to walking in bad weather and the navigation guide before you go.

How it’s worked out

Computed from the terrain. For each summit we grow the walkable top from a bare-earth elevation model (Copernicus GLO-30, 30 m) and score the worst of the three traps above — the shape of the ground, not an accident count.
Relative and ranged. Four named bands, never a number of “dangerous days”. The aim is to over-warn, not to look precise.
Face-validated. The model has to light up the fells everyone already knows are traps — Helvellyn, Scafell Pike, High Street, Bowfell all score high — while the easy, obvious tops (Catbells, Latrigg, Loughrigg) sit safe. Where it does both, the middle can be trusted.
Human overrides (∗). A handful of fells whose danger the bare geometry can’t see are graded from first-hand knowledge — Dollywaggon Pike, for instance, whose steep little summit hides a serious walk-off risk the terrain model reads as gentle.
What’s deliberately not in it. No winter modelling (summer / poor-visibility only, as above); no cloud-frequency cross yet (how often each top actually sits in cloud is a separate, regional signal we may add later); and mapped features like walls and cairns aren’t counted — a bare-earth guide, not a survey.

Related: the navigation guide, walking in bad weather, the Mountain Rescue report (navigation error is a leading call-out cause), what you can see from each summit in the View Report, Summer on the Fells (summer thunderstorms — and why a low fell offers no protection — have their own chapter there), and today’s conditions. Spot a grading that looks wrong for a fell you know? Tell us.

By Lee McCoy, a Lake District fell-walker working through the 214 Wainwrights, who built and writes hikes.guide. The Clag Index is computed and face-validated for this site; methodology open above.