Harter Fell (Mardale)
Harter Fell (Mardale) at 778m (2,552ft) stands above the south-eastern shore of Haweswater, its summit giving outstanding views of the reservoir and the high Lakeland fells beyond.
Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast
Modelled guidance for the 779 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.
On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 14° to 12°C, gusts to 38 mph, 15.1 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 779 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
Harter Fell (Mardale)
Routes up Harter Fell (Mardale)
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: Mardale Head, Haweswater (free), about 1.5 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.
Birketts near Harter Fell (Mardale) (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 Harter Fell (Mardale)
✎️ 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.
✎️ Walked and described first-hand by Lee — a big mountain day (≈13 miles / ~3,700 ft, 6–8 hours). Start early, carry OS Explorer OL7 and a compass (the eastern ridge walls and fences are vital handrails in mist), and know the escape options.
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.
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 Harter Fell (Mardale)
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 Harter Fell (Mardale), by direction
- North: High Raise (4 km)
- South-west: Swirl How (21 km), Brim Fell (22 km), The Old Man of Coniston (22 km)
- West: Dove Crag (9 km), Hart Crag (9 km), Fairfield (10 km), Cofa Pike (10 km), Dollywaggon Pike (12 km), High Crag (12 km), Crinkle Crags (21 km), Crinkle Crags (21 km), Crinkle Crags (21 km), Shelter Crags (21 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (22 km), Crinkle Crags (22 km), Bowfell (22 km), Esk Pike (22 km), Great End (23 km), Ill Crag (24 km), Broad Crag (24 km), Scafell Pike (24 km), Green Gable (24 km), Great Gable (25 km), Scafell (25 km), Kirk Fell East Top (26 km), Pillar (29 km), Black Crag (30 km), Scoat Fell (30 km), Steeple (30 km)
- North-west: High Street (3 km), Rampsgill Head (4 km), St Sunday Crag (10 km), Nethermost Pike (13 km), Catstye Cam (13 km), Helvellyn (13 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (14 km), Blencathra (23 km), Gategill Fell Top (23 km), Atkinson Pike (23 km)
On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (177 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (164 km, Wales), Aran Fawddwy (196 km, Wales), Moel Siabod (172 km, Wales), The Cheviot (120 km, England), Arenig Fawr (184 km, Wales), Yr Eifl (198 km, Wales), Craig Cwm Silyn (184 km, Wales).
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 Harter Fell (Mardale)
On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.On the clearest days the view reaches across to Wales.
- Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Wales
- Carnedd Llewelyn Wales
- Irish Sea open water
- Ingleborough Yorkshire Dales
- Whernside Yorkshire Dales
- Morecambe Bay bay/estuary
- Cross Fell North Pennines
- Great Dun Fell North Pennines
All 29 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)
Mardale Ill Bell, Kentmere Pike, Branstree, High Street, Froswick, Ill Bell, Thornthwaite Crag, Tarn Crag (Sleddale), Yoke, Kidsty Pike, Selside Pike, Rampsgill Head, High Raise (High Street), Sallows, Red Screes, Sour Howes, Hart Crag, St Sunday Crag, Fairfield, Dollywaggon Pike, Nethermost Pike, Helvellyn, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Sergeant Man, Wetherlam, Pike of Blisco, Cold Pike, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Harter Fell (Eskdale)
How Harter Fell (Mardale)’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 Harter Fell (Mardale)
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.
Buses to Harter Fell (Mardale) 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 (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.
My hikes over Harter Fell (Mardale) (Strava)
2 logged hikes pass over this summit:
- Grey Crag, Tarn Crag, Kentmere Pike & Shipman Knotts (Needed that!) (opens in new tab) — 17.7 km · 1031 m ascent · 4h 33m moving · 5 May 2026
- Mardale circuit (opens in new tab) — 17.1 km · 1001 m ascent · 4h 31m moving · 28 Feb 2025
Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.
Hazard & Incident Information for Harter Fell (Mardale)
A craggy fell above Mardale Head and Haweswater, ringed by crags that block a direct ascent so it's normally climbed by the Nan Bield or Gatescarth passes. Its catch is the narrow arête between Nan Bield Pass and the summit — airy, with dizzyingly steep drops on each side where it hugs the lip of Black John Hole. The summit overlooks crags falling to Small Water and Haweswater. Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.
- The Nan Bield arête to the summit: The ridge from Nan Bield Pass to the top is narrow, with steep drops on both sides, particularly along the lip of Black John Hole — 'not for the faint-hearted'. Take it steadily, keep to the path, and it is best avoided in strong wind or when iced.
- Summit crags above Small Water / Haweswater: Crags ring the fell and overlook Small Water and Mardale; they block any direct ascent for good reason. Keep back from the edges near the summit, especially in cloud or wind where the broad top hides the drop.
- Nan Bield & Gatescarth passes; summit navigation: The passes are steep and rough, and the broad top (with old iron fence posts as a guide) needs a compass bearing in mist to leave on the right line. Navigate deliberately between the two passes and the summit.
Most common causes: Slips or loss of nerve on the narrow Nan Bield arête by Black John Hole · Walkers straying onto the summit crags above Small Water / Haweswater · Navigation errors off the broad top between the two passes in cloud · Exposure on the arête and passes in wind or winter
Local Mountain Rescue: Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab) · Reviewed 14 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 Harter Fell (Mardale) in cloud
Care neededA broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. 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 Harter Fell (Mardale) 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 Harter Fell (Mardale)
Is Harter Fell (Mardale) hard to climb?
No — by its usual route it's one of the more straightforward of the Far Eastern fells. Harter Fell (778 m / 2,552 ft) above Haweswater is normally climbed by walking up the well-graded Gatescarth Pass bridleway and turning up easier slopes to the top, avoiding the crags that block a direct ascent.
It's a steady climb on good paths rather than a steep or technical one, which makes it a popular Mardale outing.
What is the best route up Harter Fell from Mardale Head?
The classic round starts at the Mardale Head car park at the end of the Haweswater road. Go up Gatescarth Pass, climb to the summit, then descend over Nan Bield Pass and back along Small Water — a fine circuit of about 7.75 miles with roughly 700 m of ascent.
You can also take in Harter Fell as part of the longer Kentmere or Mardale horseshoe.
Sources: Walking Britain — Harter Fell & Nan Bield Pass from Mardale Head (opens in new tab)
How long does the Harter Fell (Mardale) walk take?
Allow around 4–5 hours for the Gatescarth–Nan Bield round from Mardale Head (about 7.75 miles, 700 m of ascent). It makes a good half-day on the fells, longer if you extend it over Mardale Ill Bell or Branstree.
Sources: Walking Britain — Harter Fell & Nan Bield Pass from Mardale Head (opens in new tab)
Is this the same as Harter Fell in Eskdale?
No — confusingly there are two Wainwright fells called Harter Fell. This one is in the Far Eastern Fells above Mardale and Haweswater (778 m); the other is the craggy Harter Fell in Eskdale/Dunnerdale in the south-west (653 m).
They're different hills with different routes, so make sure you're reading guidance for the Mardale one when planning this walk.
Sources: Wikipedia — Harter Fell (Mardale) (opens in new tab)
Is Harter Fell (Mardale) good for beginners?
It's a reasonable choice for a fit beginner on a clear day — the Gatescarth Pass route follows good, graded paths with no scrambling. The things to respect are the steep crags on the Mardale face (keep away from the edges near the top) and navigation off the summit in cloud.
Go in settled weather, carry a map and compass, and the Nan Bield return past Small Water makes a lovely, manageable circuit.
Sources: Kendal Mountain Search & Rescue Team (opens in new tab)
Where do you park for Harter Fell at Mardale?
Park at the Mardale Head car park at the very end of the Haweswater road, beyond the reservoir. It's the start point for Harter Fell, Harter's neighbours and the Mardale horseshoe.
It's a small, popular car park down a long dead-end road and fills quickly on fine days, so arrive early.
Sources: Andrew's Walks — Harter Fell Mardale (opens in new tab)
What should I wear and take up Harter Fell (Mardale)?
Wear walking boots for the rough, sometimes boggy ground, and carry warm and waterproof layers — the summit and the passes are exposed and breezy. Bring a map and compass for navigating off the top in cloud, plus water, food and a charged phone.
Check the mountain forecast, and take care on the steep ground near Nan Bield and the Mardale crags, especially in wind or winter conditions.
Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-06-15 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)
Other fells near Harter Fell (Mardale)
- Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)
- Arthur's Pike
- Baystones (Wansfell)
- Beda Fell (Beda Head)
- Bonscale Pike
- Branstree
- Brock Crags (Wainwright)
- Froswick
- Gray Crag
- Grey Crag (Sleddale Fell)
- Hallin Fell
- Hartsop Dodd
- High Raise (High Street)
- High Street
- Ill Bell
- Kentmere Pike
- Kidsty Pike
- Loadpot Hill
- Mardale Ill Bell
- Place Fell
- Rampsgill Head
- Rest Dodd
- Sallows
- Selside Pike
- Shipman Knotts
- Sour Howes
- Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts)
- Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor)
- Tarn Crag (Sleddale)
- The Knott (High Street)
- The Nab
- Thornthwaite Crag
- Troutbeck Tongue
- Wether Hill
- Yoke
Maps & guidebooks for Harter Fell (Mardale)
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