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Glade How

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440 mBirkett — Western (not a Wainwright summit)

Glade How at 440m (1,444ft) is a Birkett top in the Western Fells, 0.3 km north-west of Buckbarrow, above the hamlet of Greendale (1.2 km to the south-east) in Wasdale.

Summit conditions on Glade How

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 13° to 7°C, gusts to 58 mph, 5.9 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

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 Glade How

Choose the way up before the car park: these three 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.

ComparedVery Long Day OutThe Greendale HorseshoeMiddle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow
Starts fromOverbeck BridgeGreendaleLow Greendale Car Park
Distance and climb26.63 km, 1,810 m of climb8.56 km, 789 m of climb17.8 km, 1,298 m of climb
Time, fast to steady~8¼–11¼ h~3–4¼ h~5½–7¾ h
ScramblingGraded scramble: Stirrup Crag, at Yewbarrow's north end (km 2.9–3.2). Yewbarrow: The north end drops in a steep set of ledges and chimneys — a genuine scramble that catches people out, especially as a descent.Not mentioned in the route’s notesNot mentioned in the route’s notes
ExposureModerateNot assessedNot assessed
NavigationHardHardHard
Steepest stretchClimb of about 49% at 1.2 km (Severe)Climb of about 38% at 3.6 km (Severe)Climb of about 38% at 5.6 km (Severe)
After the summitOver BuckbarrowOver BuckbarrowOver Buckbarrow
Walked or plannedPlanned: drawn, not yet walkedPlanned: drawn, not yet walkedPlanned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the startOverbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, paid)Greendale (layby) (free)Greendale (layby) (free)
Bus to the startNot measuredNot measuredNot measured

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 Glade How?

The shortest way up we hold is The Greendale Horseshoe — 8.56 km, 789 m of ascent, ~3–4¼ h. On our scale its hardest axis is steepness — Severe.

All axes: steepness: Severe · navigation: Hard · length: Moderate · terrain: Not assessed · exposure: Not assessed.

These are the route page’s grades, set by the rules on how we grade: length and steepness measured from its GPX track, the others set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap. The route page says which. How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 440 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast
Tue 27 Oct
13° / 7°
58 mph
5.9 mm (100%)
Wed 28 Oct
10° / 8°
38 mph
3.0 mm (100%)
Thu 29 Oct
10° / 8°
27 mph
0.7 mm (26%)
Fri 30 Oct
10° / 7°
27 mph
0.0 mm (31%)
Sat 31 Oct
11° / 4°
7 mph
0.0 mm (25%)
Sun 1 Nov
9° / 2°
7 mph
0.0 mm (12%)
Mon 2 Nov
8° / 2°
17 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)

Parking & buses for Glade How

Parking

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

Overbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, paid) — 0.1 km from the start of Very Long Day Out (straight line)
Approx 20 spaces. By Overbeck Bridge on the lakeshore road. 'Very Long Day Out' and 'Wastwater Shore (the Screes view)' start here. Added from the 5 August 2026 OSM candidate review. Small NT pay-and-display car park at the foot of Yewbarrow on the lakeshore road. Fees: £7 up to 2 hours; £8 up to 4 hours; £9.50 all day. Charges apply at all times (NT, checked August 2026). Free for NT members (checked August 2026). No overnight parking (National Trust, checked August 2026).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Greendale (layby) — at the start of The Greendale Horseshoe and Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow
Walking base for Middle Fell, Haycock, Little Gowder Crag and Caw Fell — the 'Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow' route starts 22 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Roadside Parking, Harrow Head Farm, Wasdale (free) — 1.0 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Buckbarrow (0.9 km), Glade How (1.0 km). Free (community-reported).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
3 more places to park near Glade How
Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free) — 1.3 km from summit (straight line)
Free verge parking for Middle Fell, Seatallan and Buckbarrow. OSM records the mapped parking area here as access=private - it may not be open to the public; the free verge parking is the roadside, not the yard (OSM element way/859299301, 2026-07-24 extract).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Greendale, 0.8 km SE, north (layby) — 2.0 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Buckbarrow (1.7 km), Whin Rigg (Wasdale) (1.8 km), Illgill Head (1.9 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Greendale, 0.8 km E (layby) — 2.0 km from summit (straight line)
Roadside on the valley road along Wast Water's north-west shore, about 50 m from the water. 'Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow' and 'The Greendale Horseshoe' start at Greendale, about 0.7 km west in a straight line. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)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

We don’t know yet. Wasdale Explorer (seasonal) serves this area, but we don’t hold its stop positions, so we can’t measure the walk from it — and we won’t tell you to drive on the strength of a gap in our own data. The Wasdale Action Group lists it as running Saturdays, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays from the start of May to the end of August (read 30 September 2026): check before you travel.

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

Hazards on Glade How

Notes from a planned route, not walked: Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow

If you need to get off (the leg from Seatallan): You are now on the descent back to the start. The better option is to continue along the ridge toward Buckbarrow and the valley floor.

Quoted from the route page of a planned route, drawn from the map and not yet walked: the note for the leg that reaches Glade How.

We have not written a hazard card for this fell yet, and that is not a sign that it is low-hazard. Read the warnings on the route pages that climb it, check the forecast, carry a map and compass, and turn back in cloud if the ground is not what you expected. The National Park Authority’s What to pack page, AdventureSmart’s hill walking kit list and Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s safety page are linked from our what to carry guide.

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 Glade How

No bonus Birketts within 3 km.

Routes over Glade How

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: Middle Fell: The Wast Water-facing side falls away in tiers of crag. Don't be tempted to drop straight off the ridge — descend by the established lines at the ends. In cloud keep to the ridge crest and well back from the eastern edge. Seatallan: The way up is not obvious from below and the path is faint and indistinct in places; the wide, flat summit gives little to navigate by. In cloud, take a compass bearing to find the top and to choose the right line down. Haycock is a long, rough walk from any direction, with narrow paths. A minor injury, navigation error or late finish turns serious here because you are a long way from a road, and any rescue takes time to reach you. Carry full kit, food and water, a means of calling for help, and allow generous daylight. Caw Fell is a long way from any road or car park (Blengdale or Bowness Knott are the usual, distant, starts). A minor injury, navigation slip or late finish becomes serious because you are a long way from a road, and any rescue takes time to reach you. Carry full kit, food, water and a means of calling for help, and leave a generous time margin. Caw Fell: The wide, flat top has little to fix on and the connecting ground (e.g. toward Lank Rigg) is pathless and boggy in places. In cloud, navigate by compass — the ridge wall is a useful handrail, but don't rely on finding a trodden path.

From the hazard notes for Middle Fell · Caw Fell · Seatallan, each with its sources.

Route guide: Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow →

A planned line, drawn from the map; not yet walked. From Buckbarrow it comes down to Greendale by the same path as our longer Middle Fell, Haycock, Seatallan and Buckbarrow round.

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Warnings: Middle Fell: The Wast Water-facing side falls away in tiers of crag. Don't be tempted to drop straight off the ridge — descend by the established lines at the ends. In cloud keep to the ridge crest and well back from the eastern edge. Seatallan: The way up is not obvious from below and the path is faint and indistinct in places; the wide, flat summit gives little to navigate by. In cloud, take a compass bearing to find the top and to choose the right line down. OpenStreetMap marks a ford on the line at about 7.7 km, on the way down from Buckbarrow. OpenStreetMap maps crag edges within about 50 m of the line in several places: beside Middle Fell’s top (about 1.6–2.2 km), below Seatallan’s top (about 3.7 and 4.1 km), at Buckbarrow’s top (about 6.8 km) and on the way down to Greendale (about 7.8–8.1 km, the nearest about 10 m from the path).

From the hazard notes for Middle Fell · Seatallan, each with its sources.

Route guide: The Greendale Horseshoe →

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Picked for its light in: May, July

Warnings: Middle Fell: The Wast Water-facing side falls away in tiers of crag. Don't be tempted to drop straight off the ridge — descend by the established lines at the ends. In cloud keep to the ridge crest and well back from the eastern edge. The ground here is broad and confusingly similar, and the path forks on the ascent of Red Pike; walkers have taken the wrong line in mist. The link between Red Pike, Little Scoat Fell and Pillar is easy to misjudge. Navigate deliberately by compass and account for the steep drops to the east. Yewbarrow: The north end drops in a steep set of ledges and chimneys — a genuine scramble that catches people out, especially as a descent. Walkers regularly become cragfast here unable to climb down, and falls have caused head and leg injuries. Tackle it only if you are comfortable scrambling on steep rock; if in doubt, avoid the traverse and return the way you came. Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell): The short ridge out to Steeple is narrow and exposed, with a steep drop, and becomes serious when banked with snow or iced. Cross it carefully and avoid it in fierce wind; it is the spot most likely to catch you out here. Caw Fell is a long way from any road or car park (Blengdale or Bowness Knott are the usual, distant, starts). A minor injury, navigation slip or late finish becomes serious because you are a long way from a road, and any rescue takes time to reach you. Carry full kit, food, water and a means of calling for help, and leave a generous time margin. Caw Fell: The wide, flat top has little to fix on and the connecting ground (e.g. toward Lank Rigg) is pathless and boggy in places. In cloud, navigate by compass — the ridge wall is a useful handrail, but don't rely on finding a trodden path. Seatallan: The way up is not obvious from below and the path is faint and indistinct in places; the wide, flat summit gives little to navigate by. In cloud, take a compass bearing to find the top and to choose the right line down. Haycock is a long, rough walk from any direction, with narrow paths. A minor injury, navigation error or late finish turns serious here because you are a long way from a road, and any rescue takes time to reach you. Carry full kit, food and water, a means of calling for help, and allow generous daylight. Steeple: The link to the main ridge is a short, narrow crest with steep, rocky drops on both sides. A fall here can be fatal. It is straightforward in dry, calm conditions but genuinely exposed; take care with foot placement, and treat it with great caution in wind, wet or cloud. The steep scree slope off Dore Head (toward Mosedale) is severely eroded, loose and unpleasant — once a scree run, now a notorious leg-breaker. The steep ground beside it has left walkers cragfast. Avoid it as a descent; safer ground exists, and the screes are best left alone. Red Pike (Wasdale): The summit and the ridge northward run along the lip of steep crags dropping into Mosedale. In wind or cloud a slip near the edge is serious. Keep to the western side of the crest and well back from the brink. Steeple: The summit and its ridge are flanked by steep coves dropping toward Ennerdale. A trip near the edge runs into serious ground. Keep to the crest and don't stray onto the steep grass and rock above the coves. Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell): The summit slopes gently to the south but breaks into impressive crags on its northern side, above the Ennerdale coves. In cloud or wind keep well back from the northern edge — the easy boulder top gives little warning before the drop.

From the hazard notes for Yewbarrow · Red Pike (Wasdale) · Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) · Steeple · Caw Fell · Middle Fell · Seatallan, each with its sources.

Route guide: Very Long Day Out →

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.

About Glade How

Both our routes over it are long Wasdale rounds that take it with Buckbarrow near the end.

Classifications & hill data

Is Glade How a Wainwright?

Glade How is not a Wainwright. It is on the Birkett list.

Selected lists

440 m
Height
1,444 ft
In feet
NY 1338 0640
Grid ref

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

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 →

Places to stay near this fell

Also nearby, but not independent

We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Other fells near Glade How