Allen Crags & Glaramara
Start Seathwaite Farm
Getting here Parking: Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (farm field, paid), 0.1 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 77 and 78 stop at Seatoller, at National Trust car park; from there it is 2.2 km and 75 m of ascent to this start. And the same back: about 15.2 km in all, with the walk. The 77 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Severe steepness: Steepest sustained descent about 49% around the 9.5 km mark. Hands for a few steps: between Red Beck Top and Glaramara's top, and the 3 m step at the start of the descent (km 6.9–7.9).
Before you choose
- The flanks of Glaramara are craggy and carry loose rock, and rock set off by a walker above has injured a walker below. On steep, loose ground, don't climb or stand directly below another walker; keep the party within sight of each other. Stay on the path to avoid dislodging stones onto those beneath you.
- Esk Hause (and the ‘false’ Esk Hause close by, which walkers often take for it) is a notorious place to go wrong: several paths meet and in cloud it is easy to set off toward the wrong valley — Langstrath, Grains Gill, Langdale or back to Sty Head. Know exactly which path you want and take a compass bearing before committing.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 2 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.
Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →
Daylight & turnaround
Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Route map
1 Allen Crags2 High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags)3 Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)4 Looking Steads (Glaramara)5 Glaramara
Easy 55%Moderate 32%Hard 5%Severe 8%
Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Allen Crags (5.5 km, 662 m)
From the Borrowdale valley, head south on the main track, crossing the packhorse arch of Stockley Bridge. Ascend steadily up the stony ravine of Grains Gill, beside the water, until the path levels out and swings right to reach the busy crossroads of Esk Hause. From the stone cross-shelter, turn north-east for a short, rocky pull up to the summit of Allen Crags.
WaypointsSeathwaite (start), Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill, Esk Hause (crossroads), the cross-shelter, Allen Crags summit (785m).
Decision pointThe loud waters of Grains Gill serve as a clear handrail for the bulk of the ascent. Several paths meet at Esk Hause, and a large stone cruciform shelter stands close by on the path to Allen Crags; take strict care with your compass bearing here to ensure you head north-east up Allen Crags, rather than accidentally following the crowds towards Scafell Pike.
Easy to get wrongThe Grains Gill path is a long, relentless drag on hard pitched stone that gets very greasy when wet. Above Esk Hause, the weather frequently deteriorates, funneling chilling winds through the gap between the Scafells and the Glaramara ridge. The final pull up Allen Crags has minor, blocky rocky steps.
If you need to get offReversing the route back down Grains Gill is the fastest and most sheltered escape from Esk Hause or Allen Crags. Do not attempt to drop east into the remote Langstrath valley or towards Styhead Tarn unless you have explicit knowledge of those connecting paths.
- 2
Allen Crags → High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags) (0.9 km, 13 m)
Drop from the rocky summit of Allen Crags, over rocky shelves and boulder fields down into a broad, boggy depression. Weave carefully through the marshy ground past High House Tarn to the minor, rocky knoll of High House Tarn Top.
WaypointsAllen Crags northern descent, High House Tarn, High House Tarn Top.
Decision pointThe ridge here is broad but distinct. Keep the steep, craggy drops above the Langstrath valley well to your right (east). High House Tarn, in the depression, is a reliable catching feature to confirm your location.
Easy to get wrongThe descent off Allen Crags is rough and needs careful foot placement on loose scree and blocky rock to avoid twisting an ankle. Around the tarn the ground is a notorious sponge; the peat hags and deep, waterlogged hollows need zigzags and detours, especially after heavy rain.
If you need to get offIf visibility vanishes and you lose the path, your best bet is to retreat up the rocky slope to Allen Crags and descend via Esk Hause. Attempting to bail off the sides of this ridge into the flanking valleys involves dangerously steep and craggy ground.
- 3
High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags) → Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) (0.5 km, 54 m)
Continue north across the lumpy, complex ground of the central ridge. The path here is highly intermittent, linking grassy shelves and rocky outcrops past the marshy depression of Lincomb Tarns, then a short pull up a craggy slope to Red Beck Top.
WaypointsLincomb Tarns (depression), Red Beck Top (720m).
Decision pointIn poor visibility micro-navigation is critical here; use precise pacing and a strict northerly compass bearing to hop from knoll to knoll. Actively avoid drifting too far east, where the ground falls away precipitously.
Easy to get wrongThis section of the ridge is very hard to navigate in thick clag: a confusing sea of rocky knolls, hidden tarns and false summits that all look alike. The faint path often vanishes into bogs or splinters into dead-end sheep trods, and it is very easy to walk in circles.
If you need to get offDo not try to bail off the lateral flanks of this section. You must either push on to Glaramara's main summit and its northern descent, or turn round and retreat southwards to Esk Hause.
- 4
Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) → Looking Steads (Glaramara) (0.6 km, 76 m)
Drop slightly from Red Beck Top into another minor, rocky saddle, then pick your way through boulders and steep rocky steps. The gradient sharpens on the craggy climb to Looking Steads, a sub-peak just short of Glaramara's main summit.
WaypointsRed Beck Top descent, Looking Steads summit.
Decision pointThe path threads through the outcrops, generally keeping to the western side of the ridge to avoid the eastern crags. In clear weather the rocky bulk of Looking Steads is an obvious aiming point ahead.
Easy to get wrongThe ground here is very rugged, with frequent use of hands to scramble over blocky rock shelves. The rock grips well when dry but turns notoriously slick in wet or icy conditions, making these short scrambles treacherous and tiring late in the day.
If you need to get offDo not try to descend sideways off the ridge. If the rocky steps are too slippery or intimidating in bad weather, carefully retrace your steps south along the ridge all the way back to Esk Hause.
- 5
Looking Steads (Glaramara) → Glaramara (0.4 km, 17 m)
Make the final short traverse north from Looking Steads, dipping into a shallow, stony hollow, then scramble up to the twin rocky crowns of Glaramara. The true summit is the slightly higher one, with a modest cairn and views down the length of Borrowdale.
WaypointsLooking Steads, Glaramara twin summits (783m).
Decision pointThe twin rocky peaks are highly distinctive in clear weather. In low visibility the summit cairn can be elusive among the boulder fields; take a deliberate bearing from Looking Steads to be sure of the highest point.
Easy to get wrongA short but awkward rocky scramble reaches the true summit and can catch tired legs off guard. The summit rocks are highly polished by boots, and the hollow between the twin peaks acts as a wind tunnel in severe gales.
If you need to get offThere is no immediate escape from the summit plateau other than committing to the main descent north-west beside Hind Gill, or reversing your entire undulating ridge route southwards back to the start.
Glaramara → Finish (3.0 km, 32 m)
Descend the steep, rocky north-western nose of Glaramara, carefully negotiating a rocky down-step near the top. Below it, the route heads north-west down beside Hind Gill, steep and rough, to the valley floor near Seathwaite, then turns right (north) along the valley to finish at Seathwaite.
WaypointsGlaramara rock step, the Hind Gill descent, lower bracken slopes, the valley floor near Seathwaite, Seathwaite Farm.
Decision pointBelow the rock step, follow the path down beside Hind Gill to the north-west, keeping to the path rather than the gill itself. The walls of the valley floor are the catching feature at the bottom.
Easy to get wrongThe descent off Glaramara starts with a 10-foot rocky down-scramble; it is awkward and intimidating, though a faint, loose bypass path exists slightly to the west for those who hate scrambling. The descent beside Hind Gill is steep and rough, hard on the knees, and the lower slopes carry head-high summer bracken that hides uneven ground and loose rocks.
If you need to get offThis final descent is itself the way off. Take care on the upper rock step; if it is too wet or icy to face, go back along the ridge the way you came rather than force it.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Planned route · not yet walked
Summits bagged (5)
- 1Allen Crags785 m
- 2High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags)683 m
- 3Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)720 m
- 4Looking Steads (Glaramara)775 m
- 5Glaramara783 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Conditions and timing
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
Getting there and back
Nearest fuel to this start: High Hill, Keswick, 14.2 km by road (07:00-20:00 daily when checked on 8 August 2026; hours change, so check on the day). Nearest shop: Open All Hours, 13.3 km. Both measured along the road from the parking we publish at Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale, checked 8 August 2026. Coming in from a particular direction you may pass a closer one — the last petrol before each valley →
Parking
2 more places to park near the start
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.
If the parking is full
There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so expect them to fill on the same mornings. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.
- Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (farm field, paid) — at the start
- Thornythwaite Fell, north-west (layby) — a 1.1 km walk to the start
- Thornythwaite Fell (layby) — a 260 m walk to the start
We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.
No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.
Buses
The 77 and 78 stop at Seatoller, at National Trust car park. From there it is 2.2 km and 75 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 15.2 km in all, with the walk. The 77 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (78): Tuesday to Sunday 20:00. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Free verge parking on the Seathwaite lane, beside the start, which fills early. The farm’s own field, about 100 m away, charges £5 all day and £10 overnight, no booking needed. 6 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (Seathwaite Farm, public car parking; our parking map (the verge), checked 28 September 2026)
- Toilets Toilets are mapped about 190 m from the start. 191 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments A café is mapped about 215 m from the start. Opening hours are not recorded here. 217 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation Glaramara’s flanks are craggy and carry loose rock: on steep ground, do not climb or stand directly below another walker. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
At Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge), the closest parking we hold to where this route starts:
Distances are straight lines from the car park, not walking routes. Opening hours change; none of this is checked daily.
Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap too, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of the start and not already listed above:
Also mapped within reach: a cafe without a name on the map.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Planning detail
How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.
Difficulty profile
Severe overall — hardest: Steepness
Five independent axes, not one score. This route has not been walked yet, so none of them was set on the ground: three of the five are our judgement from the map and the route’s record, and the rest are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.
How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Allen Crags | 5.5 km | 662 m | 2:12–2:55 |
| 2High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags) | 6.3 km | 675 m | 2:24–3:11 |
| 3Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) | 6.9 km | 729 m | 2:35–3:27 |
| 4Looking Steads (Glaramara) | 7.5 km | 805 m | 2:51–3:47 |
| 5Glaramara | 7.9 km | 821 m | 2:57–3:56 |
| Finish | 10.9 km | 853 m | 3:37–4:48 |
A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?
- Buggy: No mapped stiles; terrain Moderate – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet, but the going for wheels is not recorded; not a buggy line on what we know.
- Knees: A long, steep ~55% drop over 250 m around the 9.3 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: drops and exposed ground. The steepest stretch is a sustained descent of about 49% around the 9.5 km mark.
- Drops and exposed ground: Moderate – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
- Rock and scrambling: Hands for a few steps: between Red Beck Top and Glaramara's top, and the 3 m step at the start of the descent (km 6.9–7.9). Ground underfoot: Moderate – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
- Stiles and gates: Only gates and kissing gates are mapped: no stile a dog can’t get through. That is the barriers alone; check the route’s steep or rocky ground before you bring a dog. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 26 July 2026)
- Ways off early: None recorded for this route.
- Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.
On the line: 8 gates
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 26 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
- Seatoller House (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 1.8 km
Also nearby, but not independent
- YHA Borrowdale (opens in new tab) hostelabout 2.8 km
- YHA Black Sail (opens in new tab) hostelabout 4.0 km
We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Taylor Gill Force — 1.5 km from this start
- Walks from Seatoller — 1.7 km from this start
Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.