Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

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859 mWainwright — Southern Fells+15 bonus Birketts within 3 km Care needed in cloud

Crinkle Crags at 859m (2,818ft) is exactly what its name suggests — a jagged, entertaining ridge of five distinct tops above the head of Great Langdale.

Summit conditions on Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 10° to 3°C, gusts to 68 mph, 10.6 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

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

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 58 mph times our exposure factor of 1.48. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 68 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.

Cloud on the top

Past the line

9 out of 100, the clear-top reading

Averaged over the daylight hours, from the forecast’s humidity and low cloud.

The line Our line: a clear-top reading under 20 out of 100, where our scorer says “summit likely clagged in”. There is no outside threshold to cite; it is our estimate. What cloud does to finding the way: navigating in cloud.

Not an observation: cloud lifts and drops within the hour.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

10.6 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 −3 °C, no ice or snow forecast. 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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

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

Compared	Langdale Horseshoe	Crinkle Crags, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco
Starts from	Great Langdale (New/Old Dungeon Ghyll)	Old Dungeon Ghyll
Distance and climb	20.9 km, 1,770 m of climb	13.78 km, 1,025 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~7–9½ h	~4¼–6 h
Scrambling	Easy scramble: Pike of Stickle's summit rocks (km 5.1–5.2). A short, awkward rock step that turns a walk into a scramble and regularly stops people dead.	Hands for a few steps: the rocky ground near Pike of Blisco (km 10.3–10.8).
Exposure	Hard	Not assessed
Navigation	Hard	Moderate
Steepest stretch	Descent of about 40% at 17.9 km (Severe)	Climb of about 32% at 4.2 km (Hard)
After the summit	Over Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle), Cold Pike and Pike of Blisco	Over Cold Pike
Walked or planned	Planned: drawn, not yet walked	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Stickle Ghyll (NT, paid)	Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid)
Bus to the start	516 at the start	516 at the start

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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), really?

Short version: yes, you can avoid the Bad Step — there is a bypass path, and taking it is the normal thing to do. Crinkle Crags is a rough, rocky switchback of five tops rather than one summit, and the walking is straightforward hill-going apart from a single short obstacle. That obstacle stops a lot of people, and it is entirely optional.

Where the Bad Step actually is — the bit nobody tells you. It is on Long Top, the Second Crinkle, on the direct line between Long Top and the South Top. Heading north (up from Cold Pike and Red Tarn towards Bowfell) you meet it as a climb; heading south, as our Langdale Horseshoe does, you meet it as a down-climb, which is harder. It is a short rock chimney with one awkward move: not long, but steep enough and polished enough that plenty of walkers get to it, look up, and stop.

How to avoid it: the bypass runs round the west side of the step, on your left heading north and on your right heading south. It is an easy path, it rejoins the ridge above the step, and it costs you nothing but a few metres. Take it if you are unsure rather than forcing the move; being stuck halfway up a chimney with a queue behind you is how a good day turns bad.

The bigger risk isn’t the Bad Step at all. It is the navigation. The path weaves among five rocky tops that look much alike, with steep ground falling away west, and the Crinkles are a classic place to descend the wrong side in cloud — know which valley you want before you are in it, and carry a map and compass. For the full traverse see the Langdale Horseshoe, which names the step and the bypass on the line.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 859 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°

68 mph

10.6 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

8° / 4°

50 mph

11.9 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

8° / 6°

29 mph

1.0 mm (26%)

Fri 30 Oct

7° / 4°

29 mph

0.0 mm (31%)

Sat 31 Oct

8° / -1°

13 mph

0.0 mm (25%)

Sun 1 Nov

7° / -1°

9 mph

0.0 mm (12%)

Mon 2 Nov

5° / 0°

19 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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Parking

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

Stickle Ghyll (NT, paid) — 0.1 km from the start of Langdale Horseshoe (straight line)

Walking base for Pavey Ark, Harrison Stickle, Thorn Crag and Loft Crag — the 'Langdale Horseshoe' route starts 67 m away. Also serves 'Langdale Pikes Round'. Paid National Trust car park - the prices we used to show here came from an aggregator rather than the Trust, so we no longer publish a figure; check the machine on arrival, and members should bring their card (National Trust car-park list, checked August 2026). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged). Height barrier (community-reported). Direct start up Stickle Ghyll for the Langdale Pikes.

Typically full before 10:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 9 August 2026.

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid) (1.0 km); Blea Tarn (NT, paid) (3.2 km, 93 m up)

Public toilets (~147 m straight line) — Free

Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid) — at the start of Crinkle Crags, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco

Head of Great Langdale — Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco, the Langdale Pikes. Free for NT members (checked August 2026).

Typically full before 10:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 9 August 2026.

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Stickle Ghyll (NT, paid) (1.0 km, 24 m up); Great Langdale, valley road verge (free) (0.8 km) a few spaces only; Side Pike (verge) (0.8 km) a few spaces only

Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel Sticklebarn

Hard Knott (verge) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)

1.7 km from Hard Knott.

Directions Something changed here?

4 more places to park near Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Hard Knott car park — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Hard Knott (1.2 km), Border End (1.3 km), Yew Bank (1.7 km). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.

Directions Something changed here?

Hell Gill Pike (verge) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)

0.9 km from Hell Gill Pike.

Directions Something changed here?

Side Pike (verge) — 3.6 km from summit (straight line)

0.9 km from Side Pike.

Directions Something changed here?

Wrynose Fell (layby) — 3.6 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Hell Gill Pike, Little Carrs, Great Carrs and Swirl How — the 'Black Sails & Great How' route starts 131 m away. Also serves 'Stonesty Pike, Great Knott & Wrynose Fell'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

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 516 stops at Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, a 160 m walk from the start of Crinkle Crags, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco — a route we rate Hard overall (hardest: steepness). Last bus: Monday to Thursday 21:10 towards Ambleside (516) and 20:10 towards Kendal (516); Friday 22:30 towards Kendal (516); Saturday 22:30 towards Kendal (516); Sunday 21:10 towards Ambleside (516) and 20:10 towards Kendal (516). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 23 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”

Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll

Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)

The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.

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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Hazard & Incident Information for Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Checked by Lee McCoy, 13 June 2026. Draws on published material from Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

A superb but rugged switchback of five rocky tops. The two recurring problems are the Bad Step — a short rock obstacle on the popular south-to-north traverse — and navigation, since the undulating ridge is genuinely confusing in mist. The ground is rough throughout, so slips and ankle injuries are common.

The Bad Step (Second Crinkle): A short rock chimney on the direct line below Long Top, with an awkward move that stops many walkers. There is an easy bypass round the west side (left heading north, right heading south) — take it if you're unsure rather than forcing the move.
Navigation over the five tops in cloud: The path weaves among the crinkles and is easy to lose in mist, with steep ground to the west. Carry a map and compass and know your bearings.

Who should attempt this fell: A rugged ridge that fit walkers will enjoy in clear weather. No scrambling is forced — the Bad Step has an easy bypass — so the real challenges are navigation in mist and the relentlessly rough underfoot terrain. Allow time and watch the weather.

What to watch for: Difficulty or falls at the Bad Step · Navigation errors in cloud · Slips and ankle injuries on rough ground

Local Mountain Rescue: Langdale Ambleside 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)

Navigating in cloud

Care needed ∗

Five rocky tops that look much alike; a classic place to come off the wrong side in cloud. Take care in poor visibility — 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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) 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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

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

0.2 km NNECrinkle Crags - Fourth Crinkle832 m · Southern

0.3 km NNECrinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle)822 m · Southern

0.3 km SSECrinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle)834 m · Southern

0.5 km NNEShelter Crags815 m · Southern

0.8 km SStonesty Pike765 m · Southern

1.2 km ESEGreat Knott695 m · Southern

1.5 km SLittle Stand740 m · Southern

1.7 km NEWhite Stones - The Band568 m · Southern

2.1 km WNWHigh Gait Crags572 m · Southern

2.2 km WSWThrostlehow Crag404 m · Southern

2.2 km WScar Lathing439 m · Southern

2.3 km NNWPike de Bield810 m · Southern

2.4 km SWYew Bank499 m · Southern

2.8 km WSWSilverybield Crag395 m · Southern

2.9 km NBuck Pike (Mickleden)606 m · Southern

Routes over Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Crinkle Crags, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco

Summits: Shelter Crags Crinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle)Crinkle Crags - Fourth CrinkleCrinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)Cold Pike

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Route guide: Crinkle Crags, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco →

Langdale Horseshoe

Summits: Pavey Ark Harrison Stickle Thorn Crag Loft Crag Pike of Stickle Black Crags (Mickleden)Rossett Pike Bowfell Shelter Crags Crinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle)Crinkle Crags - Fourth CrinkleCrinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle)Cold Pike Pike of Blisco

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Picked for its light in: June, August

Warnings: The Bad Step (Crinkle Crags, Long Top). A short, awkward rock step that turns a walk into a scramble and regularly stops people dead. There is a bypass path round its west side, on your right as you come south off Long Top — use it if you are unsure. Do not attempt Jack’s Rake on Pavey Ark unless you know what you are taking on. It is a graded scramble with real exposure, not a path. The walkers’ line goes round. 21 km, 1,660 m and fifteen tops. This is a full, committing day. Start early, and decide your turn-back time before you leave the car. The Crinkles are the classic place to descend the wrong side in cloud. Know which valley you want before you are in it. Bowfell: 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. Loft Crag: The small abrupt summit stands right above Gimmer Crag, a sheer climbing buttress falling to Langdale. Keep well back from the southern edge near the top, especially in cloud or wind — and if scrambling on the south side, be aware climbers may be on the crag below.

From the hazard notes for Loft Crag · Bowfell, each with its sources.

Route guide: Langdale Horseshoe →

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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Langdale Horseshoe route:

possible water source (5 m off the line) possible water source (6 m off the line) possible water source (81 m off the line) toilets (10 m off the line) toilets (11 m off the line) New Dungeon Ghyll (144 m from the start, straight line)

Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is not proof the water is drinkable, so carry your own or use a supply you know is safe. Never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock upstream and leave you seriously ill. Use a treatment method suited to what might be in the water, and follow the device’s own instructions. Boiling and ordinary filters do not make water with dissolved metals or chemicals safe: where that is possible, choose another source.

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

About Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), a Lake District fell — Photo: Personal photo taken by Mick Knapton at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wainwright was enthusiastic about it as a fell of real mountaineering character, and the traverse of the full ridge — including the Bad Step scramble on the second crinkle — is one of the classic expeditions in the Lake District. The views from the crest are superb: Bowfell, the Scafells, the Coniston fells and the sea all visible on a good day. Best approached from the Old Dungeon Ghyll via Red Tarn and the Three Tarns col, combining easily with Bowfell for a full day's circuit.

Classifications & hill data

Is Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) a Wainwright?

Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list, the HuMP list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

859 m

Height

2,818 ft

In feet

NY 2486 0487

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.

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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

The 360° skyline from Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

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

North: Crag Hill (16 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (23 km), Skiddaw Little Man (23 km), Knowe Crags (23 km), Gategill Fell Top (24 km), Skiddaw South Top (24 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (24 km), Blencathra (24 km), Skiddaw (24 km)
North-east: Dollywaggon Pike (13 km), High Crag (13 km), Fairfield (13 km), Cofa Pike (13 km), Nethermost Pike (13 km), Hart Crag (14 km), Dove Crag (14 km), Helvellyn (14 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (14 km), White Side (15 km), St Sunday Crag (15 km), Gavel Pike (15 km), Raise (16 km), Stybarrow Dodd (17 km), Little Dodd (18 km), Great Dodd (18 km), High Raise (22 km)
East: Red Screes (15 km), Thornthwaite Crag (19 km), High Street (20 km), Rampsgill Head (21 km), Kidsty Pike (21 km), Harter Fell (22 km)
South-east: Swirl How (5 km)
South: Brim Fell (7 km), Dow Crag (7 km), The Old Man of Coniston (7 km)
West: Scafell (4 km)
North-west: Broad Crag (4 km), Scafell Pike (4 km), Great End (4 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (164 km, Wales), Slieve Donard (182 km, Ireland), Carnedd Llewelyn (151 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (186 km, Wales), Snaefell (87 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (160 km, Wales), Arenig Fawr (173 km, Wales), South Barrule (103 km, Isle of Man).

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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) 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.

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	04:38 BST ±5.0 min	04:38	—
Equinox	06:13 GMT ±5.0 min	06:16	-3 min
Midwinter	08:26 GMT ±5.0 min	08:33	-7 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.1°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (at midsummer) last light is only 9 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle).

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	21:43 BST ±5.0 min	21:52	-9 min
Equinox	18:33 GMT ±5.0 min	18:27	+6 min
Midwinter	15:58 GMT ±5.0 min	15:50	+8 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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

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

94Wainwrights in view+9 marginal

182 kmFurthest sightlineSlieve Donard · possible under favourable refraction

2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Morecambe Bay

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

Far horizons

Slieve Donard Northern IrelandW · 182 km clear
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 163 km clear
Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 148 km clear
Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 87 km clear
Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesESE · 58 km clear
Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 54 km clear
Cross Fell North PenninesNE · 53 km clear
Irish Sea open waterWSW · 43 km in view
Morecambe Bay bay/estuarySSE · 38 km in view

All 94 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Bowfell, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco, Esk Pike, Hard Knott, Pike of Stickle, Loft Crag, Slight Side, Scafell Pike, Great End, Harrison Stickle, Thunacar Knott, Scafell, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Pavey Ark, Swirl How, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Wetherlam, Sergeant Man, Glaramara, High Raise (High White Stones), Harter Fell (Eskdale), Blea Rigg, Sergeant's Crag, Dow Crag, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Eagle Crag, Silver How, Illgill Head, Green Crag, Ullscarf, Helm Crag, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Black Fell, Loughrigg Fell, Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Stone Arthur, Nab Scar, Heron Pike (Rydal), Grange Fell (Brund Fell), Seat Sandal, Great Rigg, High Tove, Dollywaggon Pike, Low Pike, Fairfield, High Pike (Scandale), Nethermost Pike, Hart Crag, High Seat, Dove Crag, Helvellyn, White Side, St Sunday Crag, Raven Crag, Bleaberry Fell, Red Screes, Baystones (Wansfell), Middle Dodd, Raise, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Walla Crag, Watson's Dodd, Troutbeck Tongue, Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor), Sour Howes, Great Dodd, Sallows, Thornthwaite Crag, Ill Bell, Froswick, Yoke, Gray Crag, Clough Head, Latrigg, The Knott (High Street), Kidsty Pike, High Raise (High Street), Kentmere Pike, Shipman Knotts, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw Little Man, Carl Side, Long Side, Ullock Pike, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw, Bannerdale Crags, Souther Fell, Knott, Binsey, High Pike (Caldbeck)

How the view from Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) 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 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle). 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 Great Langdale: 3 places in Grasmere

Frequently asked questions about Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

What is the Bad Step on Crinkle Crags, and can you avoid it?

The Bad Step is a short gully on the second (and highest) crinkle, blocked by a chockstone — a roughly 12-foot rock step that turns the direct line into a brief scramble. Many walkers find it awkward, especially the polished, committing move, and it's much harder to descend than ascend.

Yes, you can avoid it: a clear bypass path loops round the west side, on your left heading north and on your right heading south, letting you reach the top without any scrambling. If you're unsure, take the bypass — and don't try to down-climb the Bad Step.

How long does it take to walk Crinkle Crags? Answered above: Routes up Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle).

What is the best route up Crinkle Crags?

The most popular start is the Old Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale, following Oxendale Beck up past Red Tarn and onto the first crinkle, then traversing the ridge over all five. It pairs naturally with Bowfell for a fine horseshoe back down The Band.

However you go, it's rough, rocky ground throughout — there's no soft option once you're on the crinkles.

Is Crinkle Crags suitable for beginners?

It's best left until you've a few easier fells behind you. There's no scrambling you can't avoid, but the rough, bouldery ground, the length, and the navigation among five similar tops make it a demanding day for a newcomer.

A fit, sure-footed walker can enjoy it in clear, dry weather with proper kit and a map and compass — but it's not a first-fell choice, and the ridge is bewildering in mist.

Sources: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Is it easy to get lost on Crinkle Crags?

Yes — the five rocky crinkles look much alike, the path weaves among boulders and outcrops, and in cloud it's easy to lose the line or stray toward the steep western edge above Eskdale. The Bad Step also forces route-finding decisions.

Carry a map and compass, count the crinkles, and take care on the rough ground. 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 for Crinkle Crags?

Wear proper walking boots with good grip — the ground is rough, rocky and bouldery throughout, and trainers struggle. Carry warm and waterproof layers; the high ridge is exposed and quick to cloud over.

Take a map and compass (essential among the crinkles), food, water and a charged phone, and check the mountain forecast. Save the Bad Step for dry conditions, and carry winter kit when there's snow.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast (opens in new tab)

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-06-14 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Summit conditions on Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Wind on the top

Cloud on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

How hard is Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), really?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Parking

Buses

Hazards on Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Hazard & Incident Information for Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Routes over Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

On the hill: terrain and water on Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Water & shelter on the way up

About Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Classifications & hill data

Is Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) a Wainwright?

Selected lists

The view from Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

The 360° skyline from Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Sunrise and sunset on Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Last light — when the sun leaves Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

What you can see from Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)

Other fells near Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)