Bowfell
Bowfell at 902m (2,959ft) was one of Wainwright's great favourites — he described it as 'a mountaineer's mountain, as satisfying in detail as in general outline.' The summit is a magnificent rocky pyramid visible from much of southern Lakeland, and the views from the top encompass the full sweep of the Southern Fells, the Coniston group, the Langdale Pikes and — on a clear day — the sea to the south.
Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast
Modelled guidance for the 903 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.
On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 13° to 12°C, gusts to 39 mph, 11.9 mm of rain forecast.
Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 903 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.
About the walk
Bowfell
Routes up Bowfell
Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.
Map & nearby Birketts
Skip mapFree mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.
Nearest parking: Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid), about 4.2 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.
Birketts near Bowfell (within 3 km)
These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.
Routes over Bowfell
✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.
The View from Bowfell
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.
What you can see from Bowfell, by direction
- North: Crag Hill (15 km), Grisedale Pike (17 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (21 km), Skiddaw Little Man (22 km), Knowe Crags (22 km), Gategill Fell Top (22 km), Skiddaw South Top (22 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (22 km), Skiddaw (23 km), Blencathra (23 km)
- North-east: Dollywaggon Pike (12 km), High Crag (12 km), Nethermost Pike (13 km), Fairfield (13 km), Cofa Pike (13 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (13 km), Helvellyn (13 km), White Side (14 km), St Sunday Crag (14 km), Raise (15 km), Stybarrow Dodd (16 km), Little Dodd (17 km), Great Dodd (17 km)
- East: Hart Crag (13 km), Dove Crag (14 km), Red Screes (15 km), Thornthwaite Crag (19 km), High Street (20 km), Rampsgill Head (21 km), Kidsty Pike (21 km), High Raise (22 km)
- South: Brim Fell (8 km), The Old Man of Coniston (9 km)
- West: Scafell Pike (3 km), Scafell (4 km)
- North-west: Esk Pike (1 km), Great End (3 km), Great Gable (5 km), Pillar (9 km), Grasmoor (16 km)
On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (165 km, Wales), Slieve Donard (182 km, Ireland), Carnedd Llewelyn (153 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (188 km, Wales), Snaefell (87 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (161 km, Wales), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (112 km, Scotland), The Cheviot (132 km, England).
Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.
Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.
What you can see from Bowfell
On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales and the Isle of Man.
- Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Wales
- Carnedd Llewelyn Wales
- Snaefell Isle of Man
- Ingleborough Yorkshire Dales
- Solway Firth bay/estuary
- Whernside Yorkshire Dales
- Great Dun Fell North Pennines
- Cross Fell North Pennines
- Irish Sea open water
- Morecambe Bay bay/estuary
All 113 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)
Rossett Pike, Esk Pike, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Allen Crags, Great End, Scafell Pike, Pike of Stickle, Loft Crag, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco, Scafell, Slight Side, Harrison Stickle, Thunacar Knott, Glaramara, Pavey Ark, Hard Knott, High Raise (High White Stones), Sergeant Man, Great Gable, Green Gable, Base Brown, Sergeant's Crag, Great Carrs, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Brandreth, Grey Friar, Kirk Fell, Eagle Crag, Swirl How, Grey Knotts, Wetherlam, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Ullscarf, Silver How, Fleetwith Pike, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Dow Crag, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Dale Head, Pillar, Green Crag, High Spy, Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Loughrigg Fell, Hindscarth, Stone Arthur, Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top), Black Fell, High Tove, Nab Scar, Seat Sandal, Robinson, Heron Pike (Rydal), Great Rigg, Dollywaggon Pike, High Seat, Fairfield, Low Pike, Helvellyn, Hart Crag, High Pike (Scandale), Cat Bells (Catbells), Dove Crag, Raven Crag, White Side, Bleaberry Fell, Whiteless Pike, St Sunday Crag, Wandope, Sail, Causey Pike, Raise, Scar Crags, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Walla Crag, Red Screes, Grasmoor, Middle Dodd, Baystones (Wansfell), Watson's Dodd, Grisedale Pike, Great Dodd, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Troutbeck Tongue, Clough Head, Sour Howes, Latrigg, Thornthwaite Crag, Ill Bell, Froswick, Yoke, Sallows, Lord's Seat, Barf, Dodd (Skiddaw), Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Lonscale Fell, Kidsty Pike, Skiddaw Little Man, High Raise (High Street), Carl Side, Long Side, Kentmere Pike, Ullock Pike, Skiddaw, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Bannerdale Crags, Great Calva, Souther Fell, Knott, Binsey, High Pike (Caldbeck)
How Bowfell’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.
Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), 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.
Best parking to hike Bowfell
Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).
Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.
Water & shelter on the way up
On the Langdale Horseshoe route:
On the Rosett Pike, Allen Crags, Great End and more route:
💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.
Buses to Bowfell from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.
Hazard & Incident Information for Bowfell
A big, rocky fell at the head of Langdale with a boulder-piled summit and steep, craggy flanks. Incidents typically involve navigation errors off the top in cloud, slips on steep rock, and walkers straying onto the climbing ground of Bowfell Buttress and the Great Slab. It is often combined with Crinkle Crags, lengthening the day.
- Summit boulderfield and navigation in cloud: The rocky top has crags on several sides and the paths are not always obvious in mist; know your bearing for the descent before you set off.
- Great Slab and Bowfell Buttress: Impressive sweep of rock on the Langdale side — climbing terrain, not a walking line. The path skirts above it; don't be drawn down onto it.
- Steep descent to Three Tarns / The Band: Rough and steep in places; a common spot for slips, especially when tired at the end of the day.
Most common causes: Navigation errors off the summit in cloud · Slips on steep, rocky ground · Fatigue on the long Crinkle Crags link
Local Mountain Rescue: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Reviewed 13 Jun 2026
Safety: Hazard guidance compiled from published Mountain Rescue reports and well-documented accident history - editorial background, not a live feed of callouts. 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.
Navigating Bowfell in cloud
SevereA rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.
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 Bowfell compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.
Frequently asked questions about Bowfell
Is Bowfell hard to climb?
Bowfell is a proper mountain day and a step up from the easier fells. At 902 m (2,960 ft) it stands at the head of Great Langdale, and the usual route is a long, steep climb finishing with some easy hands-on scrambling over boulders to the rocky summit.
There's no exposed ridge you must cross, but it demands fitness, sure footing on rock, and good navigation — the boulder-strewn top is a known place to get disorientated in cloud.
Sources: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)
What is the best route up Bowfell?
The classic and most direct line is up The Band from the Old Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale — a long, steep, grassy ridge on a clear path, then a rockier finish to the summit.
A fine variation takes the Climbers' Traverse beneath Bowfell Buttress to the foot of the dramatic Great Slab, then a zigzag path up beside it. Bowfell also combines superbly with Crinkle Crags for a bigger horseshoe.
How long does it take to climb Bowfell?
Allow around 5 hours for the round trip up and down The Band from Langdale — roughly 13 km (8 miles) with about 900 m of ascent. A circular taking in Crinkle Crags or Esk Pike makes a longer 6–7 hour day.
Don't underestimate the rocky upper section and descent, and leave a margin for the weather.
Is there scrambling on Bowfell, and what is the Great Slab?
The final pull to the summit involves some easy scrambling over boulders, but no exposed ridge. The Great Slab is a huge, dramatic sweep of tilted rock below the top, passed on the Climbers' Traverse route.
Don't be tempted onto the middle of the slab — it's smooth and dangerously slippery when wet. Keep to the zigzag path beside the boulders at its edge.
Is Bowfell suitable for beginners?
It's best kept for when you've a few easier fells behind you. A fit, confident walker can manage Bowfell by The Band in good conditions, but the steep climb, rocky scrambly summit and serious navigation make it harder than starter mountains like Skiddaw or Catbells.
If you go, pick a clear, dry, settled day, carry proper kit and a map and compass, and be ready to turn back if cloud comes down on the boulderfield top.
Sources: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)
Is it easy to get lost on Bowfell?
Yes — the summit is a confusing jumble of boulders with several paths radiating off it, and in cloud it's easy to set off down the wrong one (toward Three Tarns, Esk Hause or the steep Mickleden side). Crag edges lie close by.
Take a compass bearing before leaving the top, keep clear of the edges, and treat it as full winter mountaineering when there's snow or ice.
Sources: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)
What should I wear and take up Bowfell?
Wear proper walking boots with good grip for the steep, rough, rocky ground, and carry warm and waterproof layers — the high summit is cold, windy and quick to cloud over.
Take a map and compass (and know how to use them), food, water and a charged phone, and check the mountain forecast. Avoid the Great Slab and rocky scrambles when wet, and carry winter kit when there's snow.
Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)
Other fells near Bowfell
- Allen Crags
- Black Fell
- Brim Fell
- Cold Pike
- Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)
- Dow Crag
- Esk Pike
- Glaramara
- Great Carrs
- Great End
- Green Crag
- Grey Friar
- Hard Knott
- Harter Fell (Eskdale)
- Holme Fell
- Illgill Head
- Lingmell
- Lingmoor Fell (Brown How)
- Pike of Blisco
- Rossett Pike
- Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot
- Scafell
- Scafell Pike
- Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit)
- Slight Side
- Swirl How
- The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)
- Wetherlam
- Whin Rigg (Wasdale)
Maps & guidebooks for Bowfell
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