Clough Head

Steep rather than difficult. At 726 m Clough Head is the northern full stop of the Dodds, and its western face rises straight out of the Vale of St John in one unbroken pull — there is no gentle shoulder on that side and very little respite once you start. The ground is grass and bracken with no scrambling and no exposure, so the challenge is honest cardiovascular effort rather than anything technical. Come at it from the south along the ridge from Great Dodd and it is barely a climb at all, because you have already gained the height. The direct western ascent is the one people find hard, and it is the one most often described in guidebooks.

It can be, but not by the direct route. The steep western face is a poor introduction — relentless, pathless in places, and dispiriting in poor visibility. A more forgiving option is the Old Coach Road, the broad track running east from Threlkeld, which gains height gradually and gives an obvious line to leave for the summit. Either way this is a proper fell of over 700 m with a broad, featureless top, so treat it as a full hill day: map, compass and the ability to use them, and check the conditions before you set off.

A direct out-and-back from the Vale of St John is a half-day for most walkers — the ascent is short in distance but steep, so it takes longer than the map suggests. Most people meet Clough Head as part of a bigger Dodds day: our walked round takes it in with Great Dodd, Watson's Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Hart Side and Green Side over 24.4 km with 816 m of ascent, which we estimate at around 6 hours 10 at a steady pace. Add time for stops, and more in winter.

There is no car park at the foot of the fell, which is why this comes up so often. The closest options are the free verge parking in St John's in the Vale (about 2 km away, room for roughly five cars, so it goes early), Threlkeld village (free/donation, about 3 km, and the natural start if you want the Old Coach Road), and Legburthwaite at the southern end of the vale. Full details and directions are in the parking panel on this page.

Its position is the whole point: standing at the northern end of the Dodds with nothing in front of it, Clough Head looks straight across the valley at Blencathra and Skiddaw, with the Vale of St John directly below and the Eden valley and the Pennines away to the east. It is a far better viewpoint than its modest reputation suggests, largely because the higher Dodds behind it are rounded and grassy while this one has an edge to stand on.

The obvious continuation is south along the ridge to Great Dodd and the rest of the Dodds — Watson's Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd and on towards Raise and Helvellyn. Calfhow Pike, a rocky little top, sits on that link and is easily collected on the way. Across the valley to the west is High Rigg, a much smaller and gentler outing from the same parking.