⛰️ Great Calva

📖 Key Information

Great Calva at 690m (2,264ft) is an isolated summit in the heart of the Back o' Skiddaw country, its rounded top giving wide, spacious views across a landscape that feels genuinely remote. Wainwright described the Back o' Skiddaw as Lakeland at its most lonely and spacious — the very antithesis of the crowded tourist paths to the south. The ascent from Caldbeck or Orthwaite crosses open moorland. Combined naturally with Knott for a Back o' Skiddaw circuit. The views north towards the Solway are distinctive.

🎯 Bonus Birketts 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.

🦶 My hikes over Great Calva (Strava)

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🅿️ Potential parking

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

🚌 Buses from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

No regular bus serves the start points for this fell — this is one for the car (or a long approach from the nearest served valley). The nearest hubs are Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

🌦️ 7-day summit forecast

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Other fells in this region

• Bakestall
• Bannerdale Crags
• Binsey
• Blencathra - Hallsfell Top
• Bowscale Fell
• Brae Fell
• Carl Side
• Carrock Fell
• Dodd (Skiddaw)
• Great Cockup
• Great Sca Fell
• High Pike (Caldbeck)
• Knott
• Latrigg
• Ling Fell
• Long Side
• Longlands Fell
• Lonscale Fell
• Meal Fell
• Mungrisdale Common
• Sale Fell
• Skiddaw
• Skiddaw Little Man
• Souther Fell
• Ullock Pike