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802 m · Wainwright — Western Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Wainwright — Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Kirk Fell

Kirk Fell at 802m (2,631ft) is the often overlooked giant between Great Gable and Pillar, its steep, grassy northern face rising directly from Black Sail Pass in a great dome.

802 m
Height
~5–6 h
Typical time
+3
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

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802 mWainwright — Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+3 bonus Birketts within 3 km Serious in Clag

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 802 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 13° to 12°C, gusts to 38 mph, 5.4 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
13° / 12°
💨 38 mph
🌧 5.4 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
13° / 10°
💨 31 mph
🌧 10.6 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
11° / 5°
💨 29 mph
🌧 2.8 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 1°
💨 23 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
12° / 3°
💨 15 mph
🌧 4.5 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
14° / 5°
💨 19 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 5°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 802 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

About the walk

Key information

Kirk Fell

Kirk Fell, a Lake District fell
CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Kirk Fell at 802m (2,631ft) is the often overlooked giant between Great Gable and Pillar, its steep, grassy northern face rising directly from Black Sail Pass in a great dome. Wainwright noted it as a fell of simple, uncompromising bulk — the summit is a broad, somewhat featureless plateau, but the views of Great Gable from the connecting ridge are among the finest close-up views of that mountain available to walkers. The ascent from Wasdale via Black Sail gives excellent views throughout. Often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours, it rewards those who make the effort.

Routes up Kirk Fell

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Great Gable & Kirk Fell
14.1 km · ~4.7 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
Marilyn
802 m
Height
2,631 ft
In feet
NY 1949 1048
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Wasdale Head (NT car park), about 4.0 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Kirk Fell (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.

0.5 km ENEKirk Fell East Top (Kirk Fell North Top)787 m · Western
1.6 km NWLooking Stead (Pillar)628 m · Western
2.3 km SWYewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag)617 m · Western

Routes over Kirk Fell

Great Gable & Kirk FellLive
14.12 km · ~1146 m ascent · loop · ~4.5–6.5 h
Summits: Great GableKirk Fell

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

The View from Kirk Fell

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
Computed 360-degree skyline from Kirk Fell36 labelled tops shown (16 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 4 kmScafell · 4 kmHelvellyn · 16 kmBroad Crag · 4 kmSkiddaw · 20 kmGreat End · 4 kmBowfell · 6 kmPillar · 3 kmHigh Crag · 15 kmRaise · 16 kmFairfield · 16 kmBlencathra · 22 kmGreat Dodd · 18 kmGrasmoor · 10 kmScoat Fell · 4 kmCrag Hill · 10 kmHigh Stile · 5 kmGrisedale Pike · 12 kmAllen Crags · 5 kmDale Head · 6 kmHarrison Stickle · 9 kmClough Head · 18 kmBlack Combe · 26 kmGreat Gable · 2 kmBlack Crag · 3 kmRed Pike · 3 kmHigh Crag · 4 kmSeatallan · 6 kmCausey Pike · 11 kmStarling Dodd · 8 kmYewbarrow · 3 kmYewbarrow North Top · 2 kmIllgill Head · 6 kmWhin Rigg · 8 kmGreat How · 6 kmCapplebarrow · 32 km · clear daysIll Crag · 4 kmSkiddaw Little Man · 19 kmStybarrow Dodd · 17 kmHigh Stile · 5 kmWandope · 9 kmRobinson · 6 kmJenkin Hill · 19 kmLong Side · 19 kmCalfhow Pike · 17 kmSteeple · 4 kmThirdgill Head Man · 9 kmThunacar Knott · 9 kmWhernside · 62 km · clear daysBleaberry Fell · 13 kmLittle Dodd · 7 kmSeat · 3 kmBell Crags · 11 kmSouther Fell · 25 kmHesk Fell · 16 kmStoupdale Head · 24 kmWhite Pike · 16 kmGreat Worm Crag · 14 kmLad Hows · 9 kmStickle Pike · 18 kmBirker Fell · 13 kmPonsonby Fell · 12 kmIrton Pike · 12 kmSnowdon · 167 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 107 km · a rare clear dayAran Fawddwy · 191 km · a handful of days a yearSnaefell · 83 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 106 km · a rare clear dayWindlestraw Law · 134 km · a handful of days a yearYr Eifl · 185 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 106 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 164 km · a handful of days a yearSlieve Binnian · 182 km · a handful of days a yearCairn Table · 123 km · a handful of days a yearPen-y-ghent · 74 km · a rare clear daySighty Crag · 81 km · a rare clear dayGreat Whernside · 89 km · a rare clear dayEllson Fell · 91 km · a rare clear dayMull Hill · 109 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Kirk Fell, by direction
  • North: Wandope (9 km), Crag Hill (10 km), Grasmoor (10 km), Grisedale Pike (12 km), Skiddaw Little Man (19 km), Skiddaw South Top (19 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (20 km), Skiddaw (20 km)
  • North-east: White Side (16 km), Raise (16 km), Watson's Dodd (17 km), Stybarrow Dodd (17 km), Little Dodd (17 km), Great Dodd (18 km), Green Side (18 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (19 km), Knowe Crags (20 km), Gategill Fell Top (21 km), Blencathra (22 km)
  • East: Green Gable (2 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (15 km), High Crag (15 km), Nethermost Pike (15 km), Dollywaggon Pike (15 km), Helvellyn (16 km), Fairfield (16 km), Cofa Pike (16 km), Hart Crag (17 km), High Raise (26 km)
  • South-east: Broad Crag (4 km), Great End (4 km), Scafell Pike (4 km), Ill Crag (4 km), Allen Crags (5 km), Bowfell (6 km)
  • South: Scafell (4 km)
  • West: Scoat Fell (4 km)
  • North-west: Pillar (3 km), High Stile (5 km), High Stile (5 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snowdon (167 km, Wales), Carnedd Llewelyn (155 km, Wales), Merrick (107 km, Scotland), Aran Fawddwy (191 km, Wales), Snaefell (83 km, Isle of Man), Moel Siabod (163 km, Wales), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (106 km, Scotland), Corserine (104 km, Scotland).

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 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Kirk Fell

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
70Wainwrights in view+8 marginal
167 kmFurthest sightlineSnowdon (Yr Wyddfa) · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

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

Far horizons
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) WalesSSW · 167 km clear
  • Carnedd Llewelyn WalesSSW · 152 km clear
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 109 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 83 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 61 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 58 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 46 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterSW · 42 km in view
All 70 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth, Lingmell, Haystacks (Buttermere), Pillar, Red Pike (Wasdale), Yewbarrow, Grey Knotts, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Great End, High Crag (Buttermere), Fleetwith Pike, Scafell Pike, Steeple, Scafell, Allen Crags, High Stile, Middle Fell, Dale Head, Seatallan, Illgill Head, Bowfell, Robinson, Hindscarth, High Spy, Starling Dodd, Whin Rigg (Wasdale), Knott Rigg, Pike of Stickle, Whiteless Pike, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Thunacar Knott, Harrison Stickle, Wandope, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Sail, Ullscarf, Grasmoor, Causey Pike, High Tove, Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top), Hopegill Head, Barrow, High Seat, Grisedale Pike, Green Crag, Blake Fell, Bleaberry Fell, Nethermost Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, Helvellyn, White Side, Raise, Fairfield, Watson's Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Hart Crag, Dodd (Skiddaw), Great Dodd, Clough Head, Carl Side, Skiddaw Little Man, Long Side, Ullock Pike, Lonscale Fell, Skiddaw, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Carrock Fell, High Pike (Caldbeck)

How Kirk Fell’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 Kirk Fell

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Wasdale Head (NT car park) — 4.0 km from summit (straight line)
National Trust, pay & display (free for members). The classic base for Scafell Pike, Great Gable, Kirk Fell, Yewbarrow. Fills very early.
Directions
🍺 Wasdale Head Inn
Honister Pass (paid, slate mine) — 4.3 km from summit (straight line)
Pay & display at the top of the pass — Dale Head, Fleetwith Pike, Grey Knotts with minimal ascent.
Directions
🚺 Public toilets (61m) — Free🚺 Public toilets (1787m) — Free☕ Sky Hi Cafe

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.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the Great Gable & Kirk Fell route:

💧 possible water source (2 m)💧 possible water source (24 m)💧 possible water source (39 m)🚺 Campsite toilet (32 m)⛺ Wasdale Campsite (114 m)

💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.

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

Buses to Kirk Fell from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

Hazard & Incident Information for Kirk Fell

Hazard: Moderate

A big, steep-sided fell between Great Gable and Pillar, rising in roughly 2,000 ft of unremitting grass and scree straight out of Wasdale Head. Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team is called here repeatedly — to walkers who become cragfast on the direct ascent through Kirkfell Crags, and to serious tumbling falls in the gullies. The flanks are punishing, the summit plateau is boggy and easily misread in cloud, and the usual passes either side are themselves steep and rough.

  • Kirkfell Crags / direct ascent from Wasdale Head: The direct line up the western nose toward Black Sail Pass climbs through Kirkfell Crags — a steep, broken band where the path is faint and easy to lose. Walkers regularly get cragfast here, unable to climb on or retreat safely, and serious falls have happened in the gullies (a walker was airlifted with multiple injuries from high in one of these gullies). Don't push into steepening rock looking for the path; if it disappears, back off.
  • The steep Wasdale flanks (grass and scree): Around 2,000 ft of relentlessly steep grass and scree above Wasdale. A slip on the upper grass when wet, or on loose scree, can run a long way. Tiring on the way up and treacherous coming down — pace yourself and pick a careful line.
  • Summit plateau navigation in cloud: The broad top has twin summits and small tarns and few clear landmarks. In mist it is easy to set off down the wrong steep flank toward Beck Head or the wrong pass. Take a bearing before leaving the summit.
  • Black Sail Pass & Beck Head approaches: The passes either side are the standard ways up, but both are steep and rough, with loose ground and steep drops nearby. Care needed on descent, especially tired or in poor visibility.
Who should attempt this fell: Kirk Fell is a strenuous fell with a genuinely awkward direct route. Fit, confident walkers can take the line through Kirkfell Crags in good conditions, but if you are unsure, use the gentler approaches via Black Sail Pass or Beck Head instead — and treat the crags as no-go in wet or poor visibility. The summit needs careful navigation in cloud, and the long steep flanks demand respect on the descent.

Most common causes: Walkers becoming cragfast in Kirkfell Crags on the direct ascent · Tumbling falls in the gullies and on the steep grass/scree flanks · Navigation errors off the boggy twin-topped summit in cloud · Exhaustion and cold on the long, steep ground above Wasdale

Local Mountain Rescue: Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team · Reviewed 13 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.

Report incorrect information

Navigating Kirk Fell in cloud

Serious in cloud

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.

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 Kirk Fell 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 Kirk Fell

Is Kirk Fell hard to climb?

Yes — Kirk Fell (802 m / 2,631 ft) has a reputation as one of the more punishing fells in Wasdale. The direct line straight up from Wasdale Head is relentlessly, unremittingly steep on grass, with no real respite and no easy way to the top.

It's a serious test of stamina rather than a technical climb, and it's far longer than it looks from below. Pick your route and your day carefully.

What is the easiest route up Kirk Fell?

There's no genuinely easy way, but the kindest line is to avoid the brutal direct slope and instead go round via Black Sail Pass (from Wasdale Head, between Kirk Fell and Pillar) or up the valley of Gable Beck to Beck Head, then onto the summit by the gentler spur of Rib End.

These add distance but spread the climb out more sensibly than the merciless front face.

Sources: Knowledge.me.uk — Ascent of Kirk Fell

How long does it take to climb Kirk Fell?

Allow around 3–4 hours for Kirk Fell on its own from Wasdale Head — short in distance (about 3.5 miles) but with roughly 750 m of steep ascent. Combined with Great Gable as a horseshoe it's a much bigger day of around 6–7 hours over 13 km.

Is it easy to get lost on Kirk Fell?

It can be. Kirk Fell has a broad, flat summit plateau with two tarns and little to aim for, so in mist it's easy to lose your bearings and stray toward steep, craggy ground on the Wasdale and Ennerdale sides.

Take a compass bearing before leaving the top, don't wander to the edges in poor visibility, and treat the descent with as much care as the climb.

Sources: Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team

Is Kirk Fell suitable for beginners?

It's not a good first fell. The relentless steepness, rough ground and confusing plateau make it hard work and demanding to navigate — better tackled once you're fit, sure-footed and confident with a map and compass.

If you're newer to the fells, build up on gentler hills first, then come to Kirk Fell on a clear, dry day by one of the less savage approaches.

Sources: Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team

Where do you start the walk up Kirk Fell?

The usual start is Wasdale Head, at the head of Wast Water, using the National Trust car park or parking near the Wasdale Head Inn. It's a remote spot reached by narrow lanes, and it's the springboard for Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Pillar and Scafell Pike.

It fills early on fine days, so arrive in good time.

Sources: go4awalk — Walks up Kirk Fell

What should I wear and take up Kirk Fell?

Wear proper walking boots with good grip for the steep grass and rough, rocky ground, and carry warm and waterproof layers — the summit is high, exposed and remote. A map and compass are essential for the featureless plateau, along with water, food and a charged phone.

Check the mountain forecast, and treat the steep slopes as serious terrain in wind, wet or winter conditions, when grass becomes treacherous.

Sources: MWIS — Lake District forecast

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

Other fells near Kirk Fell

Maps & guidebooks for Kirk Fell

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