A grassy summit ridge falling away to lower fells, with the plain and the sea beyond under a clear sky

Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited May 2026

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868 mWainwright — Northern Fells+5 bonus Birketts within 3 km

Blencathra at 868m (2,847ft) was, by many accounts, Wainwright's personal favourite. Its dramatic southern face presents a series of sweeping ridges and dark corries that compose into one of the great mountain spectacles of Lakeland, visible from the A66 below.

Sharp Edge is a Grade 1 scramble with serious drops on both sides, slippery when wet and no place in wind or winter; the walking lines up Scales Fell and Blease Fell reach the summit without it. Is Blencathra - Hallsfell Top dangerous? ↓

Summit conditions on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 10° to 3°C, gusts to 51 mph, 17.5 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

68 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 46 mph times our exposure factor of 1.5. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 51 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS (opens in new tab) describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

17.5 mm of rain over the whole day, midnight to midnight

The same figure as the summit line above and the 7-day forecast.

The line Our line: 6 mm in the day, where our scorer counts a day as soaking. We read rainfall, never river levels: becks in spate.

Open-Meteo’s forecast. It says nothing about rain already in the ground.

Also checked cold: feels like −1 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 35 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Routes up Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Choose the way up before the car park: these three routes start from three places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

Compared	Blencathra via Blease Fell	Blencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back	Blencathra by Sharp Edge
Starts from	Threlkeld	Mungrisdale village hall (paid)	Scales
Distance and climb	11.88 km, 816 m of climb	17.59 km, 1,011 m of climb	7 km, 669 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~3½–5 h	~5–7 h	~2½–3½ h
Scrambling	This route deliberately avoids Sharp Edge — that classic arête is a serious, exposed scramble and a frequent accident spot.	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Graded scramble: Sharp Edge (km 2.7–3.1). Sharp Edge is a Grade 1 scramble, not a walk, and people have died on it.
Exposure	Easy	Moderate	Severe
Navigation	Hard	Moderate	Moderate
Steepest stretch	Descent of about 33% at 7.8 km (Hard)	Descent of about 30% at 16.9 km (Hard)	Climb of about 38% at 2.9 km (Severe)
After the summit	Over Doddick Fell and Scales Fell	Over Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag), Mungrisdale Common, Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell and Tarn Crags Top (Bowscale Fell East Top)	Over Doddick Fell and Scales Fell
Walked or planned	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Walked by Lee, May 2026	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Threlkeld village (no public car park, customers only)	Mungrisdale village hall (paid)	The White Horse (free)
Bus to the start	X5 at the start	509, 3.2 km walk from Mungrisdale, adjacent to Road End	X5, 2.6 km walk from Threlkeld, opposite Blencathra Centre turn

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

How hard is Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, really?

Short version: how hard Blencathra is depends entirely on the ridge you choose — from a straightforward mountain walk to one of Lakeland’s most serious scrambles. The walking lines up Scales Fell and Blease Fell are well-graded ascents that suit any fit hillwalker in reasonable conditions. Hall’s Fell (Narrow Edge) is a steeper, more exposed walkers’ scramble that wants a steady head. Sharp Edge is in a different league: our own assessment rates its terrain and exposure both Severe — a polished Grade 1 arête with unprotected drops on both sides, hands required and lethal when wet. Match the route to your experience and the day’s conditions, not to the summit. (The scrambling verdicts are editorially assessed from the routes’ documented character; we have not yet personally walked the Sharp Edge, Hall's Fell or Blease Fell routes.)

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 868 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

10° / 3°

51 mph

17.5 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

7° / 4°

43 mph

6.9 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

8° / 5°

23 mph

0.4 mm (2%)

Fri 30 Oct

8° / 4°

21 mph

0.0 mm (11%)

Sat 31 Oct

9° / -2°

5 mph

0.0 mm (21%)

Sun 1 Nov

6° / -2°

8 mph

0.0 mm (12%)

Mon 2 Nov

5° / -1°

13 mph

0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 08:13 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Getting to Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Blencathra rises straight above Threlkeld, just off the A66 east of Keswick. The walkers’ lines (Scales Fell, Blease Fell) and the scrambles (Hall’s Fell, Sharp Edge) all start from this southern side.

Park at Scales or Threlkeld

Most walks start from the small pull-ins and lane-ends around Scales (on the old road) or from Threlkeld village, with a little more roadside space at Gategill. All of it is limited and fills on fine weekends, so arrive early — the parking options listed further down the page give the nearest spots and their distances.

Back in the village, two traditional inns sit a few minutes’ walk apart for the finish — the Horse & Farrier and the Salutation (“the Sally”). Check current opening before you count on either.

Parking

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Threlkeld village (no public car park, customers only) — 0.2 km from the start of Blencathra via Blease Fell (straight line)

Blencathra via Hall's Fell ridge; Clough Head across the valley. No public car park is mapped here - the nearest parking areas are the Horse and Farrier's and the village hall's own customer land, and one is tagged private. Do not rely on a donation box (checked August 2026).

Directions Something changed here?

Threlkeld Village Hall (~142 m straight line) — Free · Accessible Threlkeld Coffee Shop Horse & Farrier Inn Salutation Inn

Mungrisdale village hall (paid) — at the start of Blencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back

For Bowscale Fell, Bannerdale Crags, Souther Fell and The Tongue. A sign at the village hall asks £4 per day, paid into a collection slot in the hall's gable wall, and says cars are parked at the owner's risk (Lee's photo, 29 September 2026).

Parking sign at Mungrisdale village hall: £4 per day, cars parked at the owner's risk Taken September 2026

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Mosedale / Bowscale (verge) (3.7 km, 153 m up)

The White Horse (free) — at the start of Blencathra by Sharp Edge

Walking base for Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag), Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Doddick Fell and Scales Fell — the 'Blencathra by Sharp Edge' route starts 33 m away. Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

4 more places to park near Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Scales, A66 (layby) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)

Laybys near the White Horse Inn — Blencathra via Scales Fell or Sharp Edge.

Directions Something changed here?

Threlkeld Village Hall (~2208 m straight line) — Free · Accessible

Scales Fell, south-east (layby) — 1.8 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag), Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Doddick Fell and Scales Fell — the 'Blencathra by Sharp Edge' route starts 482 m away. Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Threlkeld Car Park — 2.2 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Knowe Crags (Blease Fell), Gategill Fell Top, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top and Doddick Fell — the 'Blencathra via Blease Fell' route starts 249 m away.

Directions Something changed here?

Threlkeld Cricket Club (car park) — 2.3 km from summit (straight line)

At the cricket ground on the east edge of Threlkeld, beside the A66. Privately run rather than National Trust or LDNPA.

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 509, X4 and X5 stop at Threlkeld, by Village Hall, a 160 m walk from the start of Blencathra via Blease Fell — a route we rate Hard overall (hardest: steepness and navigation). As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (X5): Tuesday to Saturday 22:02; Sunday 19:54. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 509

Penrith ↔ Keswick around Ullswater — calls at Pooley Bridge, Watermillock, Glenridding, Patterdale, Hartsop, Dockray, Matterdale, Mungrisdale and Threlkeld

Catch it from: Penrith · Keswick

The Ullswater side of the Penrith–Keswick corridor, and a second option where we previously showed only the 508. Reaches Helvellyn and Catstye Cam from Glenridding, Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes from Patterdale, the Hartsop fells, and Gowbarrow from Dockray. Frequency and season for the whole service are not listed here; where a stop's times have been checked, they are given above with the date. Note the Troutbeck on this route is the one on the A66 near Penrith, not the Troutbeck near Windermere.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Is Blencathra - Hallsfell Top dangerous?

Yes — you can climb Blencathra without Sharp Edge. The straightforward walking lines up Scales Fell and Blease Fell reach the summit without ever touching the arête, and the fell’s other south-face ridges avoid it too. Sharp Edge is a specific north-eastern approach you have to choose — not the price of admission to the summit.

Sharp Edge itself earns its reputation. Our own assessment rates it Severe for both terrain and exposure: a Grade 1 scramble on rock polished smooth by a century of boots — hands required, lethally slippery when wet or icy — along a narrow arête with serious, unprotected drops on both sides, where a fall can be fatal. The awkward slab near the far end is the usual crux, and once you are committed mid-edge there is no easy retreat. It is no place to be in wind, wet or winter.

If Sharp Edge is what makes you nervous, take the walking lines from Threlkeld or Scales instead — the same mountain and the same summit, without the arête. (These scrambling verdicts are editorially assessed from the documented character of the routes; we have not yet personally walked the Sharp Edge, Hall's Fell or Blease Fell routes.)

Go deeper: the Mountain Rescue Report (what actually goes wrong, in numbers) · Walking in bad weather — including when to cancel.

Hazard & Incident Information for Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Checked by Lee McCoy, 15 July 2026. Draws on published material from Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: High

A magnificent fell with a wide range of routes — and the choice of route is everything. The walking lines up Scales Fell and Blease Fell are straightforward, but Sharp Edge is one of the most serious scrambles in the Lake District: a narrow arête of rock polished by generations of boots, with unprotected drops on both sides, where a fall can be fatal. It is lethally slippery when wet or icy.

Sharp Edge: A serious, exposed grade 1 scramble on rock polished smooth by decades of use — lethally slippery when wet or icy, with unprotected drops on both sides where a fall can be fatal. The awkward slab section at the far end is the usual crux, and there is no easy retreat once you are committed mid-edge. If conditions are poor or you are not a confident scrambler, do not attempt it — use Scales Fell instead.
Hall's Fell ridge (Narrow Edge): A fine direct line to the summit, but steep and exposed near the top. Good conditions and a steady head required.
Summit plateau in cloud: Steep drops on the southern edge; navigate carefully off the top in poor visibility.

Who should attempt this fell: Match your route to the conditions and your experience. The walking routes suit most fit walkers; Sharp Edge and Hall's Fell are for confident scramblers in good weather only. Sharp Edge is no place to be in wind, wet, or winter — there is no shame in choosing Scales Fell.

What to watch for: Slips and falls on Sharp Edge, especially when wet or icy · Scramblers caught out by deteriorating weather · Navigation errors descending the plateau

Local Mountain Rescue: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Safety: Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information (opens in new tab)

Don’t drink from Gategill Beck

On the way down on our route Blencathra via Blease Fell, you cross Gategill Beck, which runs below the old Threlkeld and Gategill lead mines. In Environment Agency samples from it, the typical levels of dissolved lead and cadmium are above the World Health Organization’s drinking-water guideline — that comparison is ours, not the Agency’s. Those samples were taken between 2010 and 2026 at 6 Agency sampling points 25 to 200 m from the route’s line, the nearest “Gategill Beck downstream of Blue Dam”: a record of past sampling, not a test of the water today. This is not the usual hill-water risk: a squeeze or hollow-fibre filter removes none of these dissolved metals, and boiling only concentrates them. Carry your own water for this walk and don’t refill from the beck.

What’s actually in this beck — we mapped every mine-fed one →

Metal-mine water data © Environment Agency (Open Government Licence v3.0).

Navigating in cloud

Not graded by the model

Our terrain model finds nothing to grade on this summit, so it gives no cloud grade here — that is not a sign of easy navigation. Read this fell’s hazard notes and the route pages before a day in cloud. Carry map and compass, and know how to use them.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Blencathra - Hallsfell Top compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (opens in new tab) (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

0.4 km EDoddick Fell742 m · Northern

0.6 km NAtkinson Pike (Foule Crag)845 m · Northern

0.7 km WSWGategill Fell Top852 m · Northern

0.8 km ENEScales Fell682 m · Northern

1.3 km WSWKnowe Crags (Blease Fell)805 m · Northern

Routes over Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Blencathra via Blease Fell

Summits: Knowe Crags (Blease Fell)Gategill Fell TopBlencathra - Hallsfell TopDoddick Fell Scales Fell

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Best season: Any season in good conditions; the grassy ridges are straightforward but exposed.

Picked for its light in: January, June, August, September, October A winter pick assumes the tops are clear of snow and ice on the day, or that you carry winter kit and know how to use it.

Warnings: This route deliberately avoids Sharp Edge — that classic arête is a serious, exposed scramble and a frequent accident spot. Steep grass on the descent ridges can be slippery when wet.

Route guide: Blencathra via Blease Fell →

Blencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back

Summits: Souther Fell Scales Fell Doddick FellBlencathra - Hallsfell TopAtkinson Pike (Foule Crag)Mungrisdale Common Bannerdale Crags Bowscale Fell Tarn Crags Top (Bowscale Fell East Top)

Download GPX Walked by Lee, May 2026

Warnings: Mungrisdale Common: The flat, near-featureless top has an indistinct path over rocky, boggy ground; in cloud you really must concentrate on navigation. The Cloven Stone is a useful checkpoint — but note it sits right on the edge of steepening ground. Carry map and compass and trust your bearings. Bannerdale Crags: The plateau ends suddenly at the curving line of crags. Keep back from the rim, especially in cloud or wind where the gentle top gives little warning of the drop.

From the hazard notes for Mungrisdale Common · Bannerdale Crags, each with its sources.

Route guide: Blencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back →

Blencathra by Sharp Edge

Summits: Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag)Blencathra - Hallsfell TopDoddick Fell Scales Fell

Blencathra deserves its reputation and Sharp Edge deserves its own. This route is here because people are going to walk it and they should walk it with clear information: it is a scramble with genuine consequences, its danger is governed almost entirely by whether the rock is dry, and there is an excellent, safe alternative up the same fell. Mountain rescue attend this ridge every year.

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Best season: Dry, still, clear conditions only. Not in the wet, not in wind, not in winter, not in cloud. If you arrive and it is greasy, walk up Scales Fell instead — the summit is the same and it will still be there next month.

Warnings: Sharp Edge is a Grade 1 scramble, not a walk, and people have died on it. You will use your hands. There is serious exposure on both sides, and a slip in the wrong place is not survivable. If you are not certain you want to be there, you do not want to be there. The rock is polished to a shine by a century of boots and is lethal when wet. Rain, dew, damp mist or a light greasiness are all enough. This is the single commonest factor in accidents here. If it is not dry, do not step on to it. The crux is not the crest — it is the far end. Where the edge meets the mountain there is a short, steep, awkward slabby step onto Foule Crag. It catches people who have relaxed because the narrow bit is behind them. Wind is disqualifying. A gust on an arete you are straddling is exactly the wrong problem to have. There is no easy retreat from the middle of the edge. Committing is the decision you make at Scales Tarn, not halfway across. If you have any doubt at all: Blease Fell gives you the same summit by a straightforward walk. Choosing it is good judgement, not cowardice.

Route guide: Blencathra by Sharp Edge →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Blencathra via Blease Fell route:

bus shelter (4 m off the line) War Memorial (W bound) (106 m from the start, straight line) War Memorial (E bound) (114 m from the start, straight line) Horse & Farrier (E bound) (285 m from the start, straight line) West End (E bound) (400 m from the start, straight line)

On the Blencathra by Sharp Edge route:

The Bunkhouse (26 m from the start, straight line)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

About Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

The traverse of Sharp Edge from Scales Tarn is one of the finest scrambles in the district — narrower and more exposed than Striding Edge. Hall's Fell Ridge climbs straight to the summit, an exposed Grade 1 scramble near the top. The views from the summit across to Skiddaw and south to the main Lakeland groups are outstanding.

Field notes

It's good to be sceptical of the famous fells. We have the most famous of all: Cat Bells which is ok, nothing special. Then you have Blencathra which is another one in that A list where people up for a break want to visit. And they're every right to have it on their list. It's a superb fell with great views. There's also variety in how to summit. You can either try the treacherous Sharp edge - which should be avoided by anyone that isn't very experienced. There's also the nice hike up from Mungrisdale village and Souther Fell which has a good pull up at the end. Or you can take it from the east - starting at Threlkeld. There's plenty of space on the summit of this popular fell to relax, have some lunch and enjoy the weather - hopefully. There's a middle option with a bit of excitement which is Hall's fell ridge. As detailed below there have been some incidents on this exposed ridge so take care - not one for wind, rain or snow.

— Lee McCoy, who walked it on our Blencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back route in May 2026

My Strava hikes over Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

On the 7th Day God Created Blencathra (opens in new tab) — 17.6 km · 960 m ascent · 4h 23m moving · 25 May 2026

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Blencathra - Hallsfell Top a Wainwright?

Blencathra - Hallsfell Top is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list, the Marilyn list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

868 m

Height

2,847 ft

In feet

NY 3234 2771

Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Other tops of Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Gategill Fell Top: 852 m (2,796 ft)Our routes over it: Blencathra via Blease Fell

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

The 360° skyline from Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys

The skyline as a list, by direction

South-east: High Street (20 km)
South: Great Dodd (7 km), Stybarrow Dodd (9 km), Raise (10 km), Catstye Cam (12 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (12 km), Helvellyn (13 km), St Sunday Crag (15 km), Fairfield (16 km), Hart Crag (17 km), Bowfell (23 km), Shelter Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags (24 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (24 km)
South-west: Crag Hill (15 km), Eel Crag (15 km), Grasmoor (17 km), High Stile (20 km), Great Gable (21 km), Great End (22 km), Pillar (22 km), Esk Pike (22 km), Lingmell (23 km), Broad Crag (23 km), Ill Crag (23 km), Scoat Fell (23 km), Steeple (23 km), Scafell Pike (23 km), Red Pike (23 km), Scafell (24 km)
West: Skiddaw Lesser Man (6 km), Skiddaw Little Man (6 km), Skiddaw (6 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (6 km), Skiddaw South Top (6 km), Skiddaw North Top (6 km), Broad End (7 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Goatfell [Goat Fell] (175 km, Scotland), Slieve Donard (193 km, Ireland), Merrick (107 km, Scotland), Snaefell (101 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (101 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (110 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (91 km, Scotland), Corserine (102 km, Scotland).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Blencathra - Hallsfell Top catches the sun before the valley does. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does this summit wait for first light — the eastern horizon falls away rather than standing over you, and at midsummer the light reaches it 7 minutes before almanac sunrise.

Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.

Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
	First light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:29 BST ±5.0 min	04:36	-7 min
Equinox	06:13 GMT ±5.0 min	06:15	-2 min
Midwinter	08:29 GMT ±5.0 min	08:33	-4 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.56°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 April) last light is only 3 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
	Last light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:59 BST ±5.0 min	21:53	+6 min
Equinox	18:28 GMT ±5.0 min	18:26	+2 min
Midwinter	15:53 GMT ±5.0 min	15:48	+5 min

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

What you can see from Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

118Wainwrights in view+22 marginal

198 kmFurthest sightlineSlieve Binnian · possible under favourable refraction

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.

Far horizons

Slieve Binnian Northern IrelandWSW · 198 km clear
Slieve Donard Northern IrelandWSW · 193 km clear
Merrick ScotlandWNW · 108 km clear
Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 101 km clear
Whernside Yorkshire DalesSE · 62 km clear
Criffel ScotlandNW · 51 km clear
Irish Sea open waterW · 51 km in view
Great Dun Fell North PenninesE · 39 km clear
Solway Firth bay/estuaryNW · 39 km in view
Cross Fell North PenninesE · 37 km clear

All 118 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Bannerdale Crags, Mungrisdale Common, Bowscale Fell, Souther Fell, Lonscale Fell, Great Calva, Clough Head, Skiddaw Little Man, Knott, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Carrock Fell, Skiddaw, Bakestall, High Pike (Caldbeck), Great Dodd, Great Mell Fell, Walla Crag, Watson's Dodd, Hart Side, Bleaberry Fell, Raven Crag, High Seat, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), Raise, Little Mell Fell, White Side, Cat Bells (Catbells), Barrow, High Tove, Lord's Seat, Catstye Cam, Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top), Causey Pike, Binsey, Helvellyn, Maiden Moor, Outerside, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Grisedale Pike, Scar Crags, Place Fell, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), Hallin Fell, Castle Crag, Ard Crags, High Spy, Sail, Hopegill Head, Beda Fell (Beda Head), St Sunday Crag, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Bonscale Pike, Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts), Knott Rigg, Arthur's Pike, Hindscarth, Wandope, Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top), Dale Head, Fairfield, Eagle Crag, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, The Nab, Brock Crags (Wainwright), Sergeant's Crag, Wether Hill, Rest Dodd, Hartsop Dodd, Grey Knotts, Tarn Crag (Easedale), High Raise (High White Stones), The Knott (High Street), High Raise (High Street), Glaramara, Base Brown, Rampsgill Head, Sergeant Man, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Kidsty Pike, Middle Dodd, High Crag (Buttermere), Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit), Blea Rigg, High Stile, Green Gable, Red Screes, Red Pike (Buttermere), Great Gable, Harrison Stickle, Allen Crags, Silver How, Kirk Fell, Rossett Pike, Great End, Starling Dodd, Pillar, Esk Pike, Froswick, Lingmell, Bowfell, Harter Fell (Mardale), Ill Bell, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Steeple, Scafell Pike, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Red Pike (Wasdale), Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Scafell, Haycock, Cold Pike, Wetherlam, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Lank Rigg, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Dow Crag

How the view from Blencathra - Hallsfell Top compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Blencathra - Hallsfell Top. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. Corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Places to stay near this fell

From Threlkeld: 6 places in Keswick

Frequently asked questions about Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Is Blencathra suitable for beginners?

Yes — provided you pick the right route and the right day. A reasonably fit beginner can manage Blencathra by the walking ridges, but should steer well clear of Sharp Edge.

Best for beginners: up Blease Fell from the Blencathra Centre, or the Scales Fell / Doddick Fell paths from Scales — steep but straightforward grass with no scrambling.
Avoid as a beginner: Sharp Edge and the upper Hall's Fell ridge, which are exposed scrambles.

Go in good, clear weather, carry a map and compass, and be ready to turn back — the summit is broad and can be disorienting in cloud, with steep ground on several sides.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Can you climb Blencathra without doing Sharp Edge?

Absolutely. Sharp Edge is just one of many ways up, and most walkers reach the summit without ever setting foot on it. The ridge is entirely optional.

To avoid it, use any of the southern or western routes — Blease Fell, Scales Fell, Doddick Fell or the Scaley Beck approach. These give a grand mountain day with big views and no scrambling. If you want a hands-on ridge but find Sharp Edge too much, Hall's Fell is a fine alternative, though it is still an exposed Grade 1 scramble near the top.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Which is harder, Striding Edge or Sharp Edge?

Most experienced fellwalkers rate Sharp Edge (on Blencathra) as the harder and more intimidating of the two. Although both are Grade 1 scrambles on exposed arêtes, Sharp Edge is narrower, the rock is notoriously polished and slippery, and the crux involves committing moves above big drops.

Striding Edge (on Helvellyn) is longer but a little more forgiving, with a path that can be followed just below the crest in places. Both have claimed lives, and both become full winter mountaineering in snow and ice — needing an axe, crampons and experience. In the wet, Sharp Edge in particular is best avoided altogether.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Met Office — Lake District mountain forecast (opens in new tab)

How long does it take to climb Blencathra, and how far is it?

Most routes up Blencathra are 4 to 7 miles (6–11 km) round trip and take 3 to 5 hours, depending on your line and pace.

Direct ridges (Hall's Fell, Doddick Fell) are short and sharp — under 4 miles, but steep and slow on the scrambly sections.
A horseshoe linking Scales Fell, the summit and Sharp Edge or Hall's Fell makes a fuller day of 5 to 7 miles.

Allow extra time for navigation on the broad summit, for photos, and for descending carefully.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

What is Blencathra known for?

Blencathra is one of the best-loved and most distinctive fells in the Lake District, famous for several things:

Its profile: the long, scooped summit ridge gives it the nickname Saddleback, and it stands proudly on its own above the A66 north of Keswick.
Sharp Edge: a classic, fearsome scramble that draws (and occasionally catches out) walkers from all over.
Hall's Fell ridge: the classic direct way to the summit.
Its views and ridges: a fan of grassy ridges and deep gills on the southern face, with huge views over the Northern Fells and across to the Helvellyn range.

One more thing the guidebooks skip: the old Threlkeld workings above Gategill leave a mark on the water. Environment Agency sampling puts the Woodend adit discharge at a median 453 µg/L lead — about 45 times the World Health Organization’s drinking-water guideline. It is nowhere near the ridge lines, but it is a reason not to fill a bottle from the becks low on this side.

Sources: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Environment Agency Water Quality Archive (OGL v3.0) (opens in new tab)

How do I check it is safe to climb Blencathra today?

Always check a mountain forecast rather than the valley forecast — conditions on the tops are often far worse, and Sharp Edge and the ridges become dangerous in wind, rain, snow or ice.

Met Office Lake District mountain forecast.
Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS).

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, tell someone your route and return time, and turn back if cloud, wind or wet rock make the scrambles unsafe. In an emergency call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Sources: Met Office — Lake District mountain forecast (opens in new tab) · Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) (opens in new tab)

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-07-27 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Summit conditions on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Wind on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

How hard is Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, really?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Getting to Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Park at Scales or Threlkeld

Parking

Buses

Hazards on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Is Blencathra - Hallsfell Top dangerous?

Hazard & Incident Information for Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Don’t drink from Gategill Beck

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Routes over Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

On the hill: terrain and water on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Water & shelter on the way up

About Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Field notes

My Strava hikes over Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Classifications & hill data

Is Blencathra - Hallsfell Top a Wainwright?

Selected lists

Other tops of Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

The view from Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

The 360° skyline from Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Sunrise and sunset on Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Last light — when the sun leaves Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

What you can see from Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Blencathra - Hallsfell Top

Other fells near Blencathra - Hallsfell Top