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

Wainwright — Central FellsAlso a Birkett

Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

Steel Fell at 553m (1,814ft) is the ridge south of Dunmail Raise above Thirlmere, its long summit crest giving outstanding views of Grasmere below and the full Southern Fells beyond.

553 m
Height
~2.5–3 h
Typical time
+1
Bonus Birkett
See routes & download GPX →

Home › Fells › Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

553 mWainwright — Central Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+1 bonus Birkett within 3 km Serious in Clag

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

Modelled guidance for the 553 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 16° to 14°C, gusts to 33 mph, 9.7 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌧️
16° / 14°
💨 33 mph
🌧 9.7 mm (100%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
16° / 12°
💨 30 mph
🌧 3.7 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
13° / 6°
💨 28 mph
🌧 1.3 mm (78%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
15° / 2°
💨 24 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (78%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
15° / 4°
💨 15 mph
🌧 3.6 mm (54%)
Sun 2 Aug
🌫️
16° / 6°
💨 19 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (24%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
16° / 6°
💨 12 mph
🌧 0.2 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 553 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

Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), a Lake District fell
Photo: Shanesykes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Steel Fell at 553m (1,814ft) is the ridge south of Dunmail Raise above Thirlmere, its long summit crest giving outstanding views of Grasmere below and the full Southern Fells beyond. Wainwright described the view south from Steel Fell as one of the finest low-level fell panoramas in the district — Grasmere, Helm Crag and the Fairfield group all compose beautifully. The ascent from Grasmere via Greenburn is excellent. Often combined with Calf Crag and Gibson Knott for a fine Grasmere circuit along the quiet ridges above Greenburn.

Routes up Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

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

Helm Crag & Far Easedale
15.9 km · ~4.6 hr
Helm Crag, Gibson Knott, Calf Crag, Steel Fell and Tarn Crag
20.8 km · ~5.7 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Central
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
553 m
Height
1,814 ft
In feet
NY 3194 1115
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

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

Nearest parking: Steel End, Thirlmere (paid), about 2.2 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel 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.

1.6 km NNWWythburn Fell508 m · Central

Routes over Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

Helm Crag & Far EasedaleRevised
15.93 km · ~850 m ascent · loop · ~4.5–6 h
Summits: Helm CragGibson KnottCalf CragSteel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

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

Helm Crag, Gibson Knott, Calf Crag, Steel Fell and Tarn CragRevised
20.82 km · ~910 m ascent · loop · ~5.5–7.5 h
Summits: Helm CragGibson KnottCalf CragSteel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)Tarn Crag (Easedale)

⬇️ 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 Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel 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 Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)34 labelled tops shown (4 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 5 kmSkiddaw · 19 kmHelvellyn Lower Man · 5 kmGreat Gable · 11 kmHigh Crag · 4 kmFairfield · 4 kmBlencathra · 17 kmCrinkle Crags · 10 kmGategill Fell Top · 16 kmSt Sunday Crag · 6 kmThe Old Man of Coniston · 14 kmGreat Carrs · 11 kmGreat Rigg · 4 kmLittle Stand · 10 kmCodale Head · 4 kmLow White Stones · 4 kmClough Head · 12 kmUllscarf · 3 kmRed Beck Top · 8 kmLonscale Fell · 16 kmKnott · 22 kmPike of Blisco · 8 kmHeron Pike North Top · 4 kmHigh Seat · 8 kmDollywaggon Pike · 3 kmBell Crags · 4 kmHawk Rigg · 10 kmWard's Stone · 59 km · clear daysCalf Crag · 2 kmTop o' Selside · 19 kmGummer's How · 24 kmNab Scar · 5 kmSilver How · 4 kmnameless · 18 kmLooking Steads · 7 kmGrey Friar · 12 kmCarl Side · 18 kmHarrison Stickle · 5 kmCombe Head · 7 kmJenkin Hill · 17 kmBowscale Fell · 19 kmHeron Pike · 5 kmCofa Pike · 4 kmGreat How · 12 kmHigh Tove · 6 kmHigh Wythow · 12 kmBirk Fell Man · 10 kmSwinescar Pike · 4 kmHelm Crag · 2 kmLoughrigg Fell · 7 kmHampsfell · 33 km · clear daysCarron Crag · 17 kmWhite Hill · 63 km · clear daysBrant Fell · 18 kmHumphrey Head · 38 km · clear daysMoel y Gamelin · 165 km · a handful of days a yearWauk Hill · 93 km · a rare clear dayWinter Hill · 102 km · a rare clear dayBillinge Hill · 112 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), by direction
  • North: Helvellyn Lower Man (5 km), Clough Head (12 km), Knowe Crags (16 km), Gategill Fell Top (16 km), Blencathra (17 km), Doddick Fell (17 km), Jenkin Hill (17 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (17 km), Skiddaw Little Man (18 km), Carl Side (18 km), Skiddaw South Top (18 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (19 km), Long Side (19 km), Skiddaw (19 km), Skiddaw North Top (19 km)
  • North-east: High Crag (4 km), Helvellyn (5 km), St Sunday Crag (6 km)
  • East: Great Rigg (4 km), Fairfield (4 km)
  • South: Wetherlam (10 km), Black Sails (11 km), Brim Fell (14 km), The Old Man of Coniston (14 km)
  • South-west: Codale Head (4 km), Harrison Stickle (5 km), Crinkle Crags (9 km), Crinkle Crags (9 km), Crinkle Crags (9 km), Crinkle Crags (10 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (10 km), Little Stand (10 km), Great Carrs (11 km), Swirl How (12 km), Grey Friar (12 km)
  • West: Low White Stones (4 km), Combe Head (7 km), Glaramara (7 km), Looking Steads (7 km), Great Gable (11 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Moel y Gamelin (165 km, Wales), Cadair Berwyn (180 km, Wales), Moel Famau (149 km, Wales), Wauk Hill (93 km, Scotland), Winter Hill (102 km, England), Cyrn-y-Brain (163 km, Wales), Cairnkinna Hill (105 km, Scotland), Penycloddiau (145 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 (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
49Wainwrights in view+4 marginal
57 kmFurthest sightlineIngleborough
1Sea in viewMorecambe Bay
Far horizons
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 57 km clear
  • Morecambe Bay bay/estuaryS · 39 km in view
All 49 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Gibson Knott, Calf Crag, Helm Crag, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Seat Sandal, Ullscarf, Dollywaggon Pike, Stone Arthur, Great Rigg, Blea Rigg, Fairfield, Silver How, Helvellyn, Heron Pike (Rydal), Pavey Ark, Armboth Fell (Armboth Fell South Top), Harrison Stickle, Nab Scar, St Sunday Crag, High Tove, Loughrigg Fell, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Glaramara, High Seat, Raven Crag, Pike of Blisco, Bleaberry Fell, Cold Pike, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Black Fell, Wetherlam, Great Gable, High Rigg (Naddle Fell), Great Carrs, Clough Head, Swirl How, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Lonscale Fell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw Little Man, Carl Side, Long Side, Skiddaw, Ullock Pike, Bowscale Fell, Great Calva, Knott

How Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel 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 Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

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

Steel End, Thirlmere (paid) — 2.2 km from summit (straight line)
South end of Thirlmere for the Wythburn valley and Armboth fells.
Directions
🚺 Dob Gill Car Park (933m) — Free
Wythburn Church, Thirlmere (paid) — 2.4 km from summit (straight line)
Direct forest path up Helvellyn's south ridge (Comb Crags).
Directions
🚺 Dob Gill Car Park (931m) — Free

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 Helm Crag & Far Easedale route:

🛖 map (43 m)🚌 Stock Lane at School (43 m)🚌 School (94 m)🚌 map (270 m)🚌 Daffodil House for Dove Cottage (327 m)

On the Helm Crag, Gibson Knott, Calf Crag, Steel Fell and Tarn Crag route:

🛖 map (120 m)🚌 Stock Lane at School (47 m)🚌 School (95 m)🚌 map (254 m)🚌 Daffodil House for Dove Cottage (316 m)

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

Buses to Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell) from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.

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

My hikes over Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell) (Strava)

2 logged hikes pass over this summit:

Interactive route maps and photos load here for visitors with JavaScript. Data from Strava.

Hazard & Incident Information for Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

Hazard: Moderate

A grassy fell (its top also called Dead Pike) rising steeply above Dunmail Raise at the head of Grasmere. The ascent from Dunmail is unremittingly steep, the ridge on toward Calf Crag crosses notoriously boggy ground, and the descents (Cotra Breast and the Bracken Hause zig-zags) are steep. With a featureless boggy ridge, navigation is the main hazard. Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

  • Steep ascents & descents: The climb from the top of Dunmail Raise is relentlessly steep, and the descents (Cotra Breast and the steep zig-zags from Bracken Hause to Greenburn) are steep too. Pace the climb and take the descents carefully, especially when wet.
  • Boggy ridge & navigation toward Calf Crag: The high traverse toward Calf Crag is very boggy with an unclear path; in cloud it's easy to wander on featureless, knolly ground. Take a compass bearing and pick careful lines through the peat.
  • Exposure on the open top: Open and shelterless, the ridge can be windy and the bog freezes in winter. Dress for changeable conditions and treat it as a navigation fell in snow.
Who should attempt this fell: Steel Fell is a steep grassy climb with a boggy top — pace the unrelenting ascent, take the steep descents carefully, and treat the wet ridge toward Calf Crag as a navigation exercise, using a compass in cloud. It's exposed ground, so dress for the weather and take care in winter.

Most common causes: Slips on the steep ascent and descents, especially in the wet · Navigation errors on the boggy, featureless ridge toward Calf Crag in cloud · Floundering in deep peat bog · Exposure on the open top in poor weather

Local Mountain Rescue: Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team · 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.

Report incorrect information

Navigating Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell) in cloud

Serious in cloud

Walkable ground sits close to a lethal drop — in cloud it’s easy to walk straight onto steep ground. 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 Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell) compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Other fells near Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

Maps & guidebooks for Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell)

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