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10.94 km · ~806 m ascent · ~3.5–4.5 h · loop · 5 summits

Home / Routes / Allan Crags & Glaramara

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed

Severe steepnessLoop

Allan Crags & Glaramara

10.94 km
Distance
~3.5–4.5 h
Typical time
~806 m
Ascent
5
Summits
Download GPX →Walked by Lee, July 2026

Key facts

Distance 10.94 km
Ascent ~806 m
Descent ~806 m
Time ~3.5–4.5 h
Type Loop
Start Seathwaite Farm
Glaramara's knobbly crest and Allen Crags, five summits linked along the ridge above Borrowdale. 806 m of climbing in 10.9 km, rated severe for steepness though navigation and exposure both stay moderate. About 3.5 hours.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate10.94 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 55% around the 9.4 km mark.
TerrainModerateGraded on the ground.
NavigationModerateGraded on the ground.
ExposureModerateGraded on the ground.

Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.

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.

Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.

OpenTopoMap
Elevation profile, shaded by steepness
Elevation profile Rises from about 128 m to 783 m over 10.9 km, with the summits marked in order. The area beneath is shaded by sustained steepness over a 250 m window, in the same four bands as the route’s steepness rating: Easy under 15%, Moderate 15 to 25%, Hard 25 to 35%, Severe above 35%. 783 m 128 m 0 km 10.9 km 12345

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 53%Moderate 32%Hard 6%Severe 9%

~806 m
Total ascent
783 m
High point
128 m
Start height

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).

This walk covers about 10.94 km with around 806 m of ascent, taking in 5 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.

Access & barriers

Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.

Dog
Gates only
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~55% drop around the 9.3 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 9 gates

These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-26. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
1Allen Crags5.5 km651 m2:11–2:54
2High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags)6.3 km652 m2:21–3:08
3Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)6.9 km686 m2:31–3:21
4Looking Steads (Glaramara)7.5 km755 m2:46–3:40
5Glaramara7.9 km774 m2:53–3:49
Finish10.9 km806 m3:32–4:42

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.

The walk, stage by stage

  1. 1

    Start → Allen Crags (5.5 km, 651 m)

    Climb of about 651 m over 5.5 km (around 12% average).

    From the Borrowdale valley, head south on the main track, crossing the iconic packhorse arch of Stockley Bridge. Ascend steadily up the stony ravine of Grains Gill, following the tumbling waters until the path levels out and swings right to reach the busy, high-mountain crossroad of Esk Hause. From the stone cross-shelter, turn north-east for a short, rocky pull directly up to the summit of Allen Crags

    Waypoints

    Seathwaite (start/vicinity), Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill, Esk Hause (shelter/crossroads), Allen Crags summit (785m)

    Decision point

    The loud waters of Grains Gill serve as an unmistakable handrail for the bulk of the ascent. Esk Hause is marked by a large stone cruciform shelter and multiple intersecting paths; take strict care with your compass bearing here to ensure you head north-east up Allen Crags, rather than accidentally following the crowds south towards Scafell Pike

    Easy to get wrong

    The Grains Gill path is a long, sustained drag on hard pitched stone which can feel relentless and gets highly greasy when wet. Above Esk Hause, the weather frequently deteriorates, funneling brutal, chilling winds through the gap between the Scafells and the Glaramara ridge. The final pull up Allen Crags requires negotiating minor, blocky rocky steps

    If you need to get off

    Reversing the route back down Grains Gill is the safest, fastest, and most sheltered escape from Esk Hause or Allen Crags. Do not attempt to drop east into the remote Langstrath valley or west towards Styhead Tarn unless you have explicit knowledge of those connecting paths

  2. 2

    Allen Crags → High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags) (0.9 km, 1 m)

    Descent of about 109 m over 0.9 km.

    Drop north-west from the rocky summit of Allen Crags, navigating a series of rocky shelves and boulder fields down into a broad, boggy depression. Weave carefully through the marshy ground, passing the dark, still waters of High House Tarn before reaching the minor, rocky prominence of High House Tarn Top

    Waypoints

    Allen Crags northern descent, High House Tarn, High House Tarn Top

    Decision point

    The ridge line here is broad but distinct. Keep the steep, craggy drops overlooking the Langstrath valley well to your right (east). High House Tarn itself is a reliable catching feature nestled perfectly in the depression to confirm your location

    Easy to get wrong

    The descent off Allen Crags is rough and requires careful foot placement on loose scree and blocky volcanic rock to avoid twisting an ankle. Once at the tarn, the ground turns into a notorious sponge; navigating the peat hags and deep, waterlogged depressions requires significant zigzagging and detours, especially after heavy Lake District rain

    If you need to get off

    If visibility completely vanishes and you lose the path, your best bet is to retreat back up the rocky slope to Allen Crags and descend safely via Esk Hause. Attempting to bail off the sides of this ridge into the flanking valleys involves dangerously steep, trackless, and craggy ground

  3. 3

    High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags) → Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) (0.5 km, 34 m)

    Undulating section of about 0.5 km.

    Continue north across the notoriously lumpy, complex terrain of the central ridge. The path here is highly intermittent, linking grassy shelves and rocky outcrops, traversing past the marshy depression of Lincomb Head before making a short pull up a craggy slope to reach Red Beck Top

    Waypoints

    Lincomb Head (depression), Red Beck Top (721m)

    Decision point

    Micro-navigation is absolutely critical here in poor visibility; rely on 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 into the dangerous bowl of The Combe

    Easy to get wrong

    This entire section of the Glaramara ridge is a navigational nightmare in thick clag. It is a confusing sea of undulating rocky knolls, hidden tarns, and false summits that all look identical. The faint path frequently vanishes into bogs or splinters into dead-end sheep trods, making it incredibly easy to walk in circles

    If you need to get off

    There are zero safe bailout routes off the lateral flanks of this specific section. You must either push forward to the main summit of Glaramara to use the northern descent, or turn 180 degrees and retreat southwards to Esk Hause

  4. 4

    Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) → Looking Steads (Glaramara) (0.6 km, 69 m)

    Climb of about 69 m over 0.6 km (around 12% average).

    Drop slightly from Red Beck Top into another minor, rocky saddle before picking your way through a jumble of boulders and steep rocky steps. The gradient sharpens as you ascend the imposing, craggy ramparts of Looking Steads, a prominent sub-peak just shy of the main Glaramara summit

    Waypoints

    Red Beck Top descent, Looking Steads summit

    Decision point

    The path naturally threads through the rocky outcrops, generally favoring the western side of the ridge line to avoid the eastern crags. The rocky bulk of Looking Steads is obvious ahead in clear weather, serving as a massive visual aiming point

    Easy to get wrong

    The terrain here is highly rugged, requiring frequent use of hands to scramble over blocky rock shelves. The rock provides excellent friction when dry but turns notoriously slick in wet or icy conditions, making these short scrambles surprisingly treacherous and physically demanding late in the day

    If you need to get off

    Do not attempt to descend sideways off the ridge. If the rocky steps prove too slippery or intimidating in bad weather, carefully retrace your steps south along the undulating ridge all the way back to the safety of Esk Hause

  5. 5

    Looking Steads (Glaramara) → Glaramara (0.4 km, 19 m)

    Undulating section of about 0.4 km.

    Make the final, short traverse north from Looking Steads, dipping into a shallow, stony hollow before scrambling up the twin rocky crowns of Glaramara. The true summit is the slightly higher peak, capped with a modest cairn offering spectacular, plunging views down the length of Borrowdale

    Waypoints

    Looking Steads, Glaramara twin summits (783m)

    Decision point

    The twin rocky peaks are highly distinctive and cannot be missed in clear weather. In low visibility, the summit cairn can be elusive among the sprawling boulder fields; take a deliberate bearing from Looking Steads to ensure you hit the highest point

    Easy to get wrong

    A short but awkward rocky scramble is required to access the true summit, which can catch tired legs off guard. The summit rocks are highly polished from thousands of boots, and the hollow between the twin peaks acts as a natural wind tunnel during severe gales

    If you need to get off

    There is no immediate escape from the summit plateau other than committing to the main descent north via Thornythwaite Fell, or reversing your entire undulating ridge route southwards back to the start

  6. Glaramara → Finish (3.0 km, 32 m)

    Descent of about 654 m over 3.0 km.

    Descend the steep, rocky north-western nose of Glaramara, carefully negotiating a notorious rocky down-step. Follow the long, sprawling spur of Thornythwaite Fell as it plunges aggressively towards the valley, eventually weaving through bracken-covered lower slopes to intersect the farm tracks leading back into the Borrowdale valley

    Waypoints

    Glaramara rock step, Thornythwaite Fell ridge, lower bracken slopes, valley farm tracks

    Decision point

    Keep the deep ravines of Combe Gill to your right (east) and Hind Gill to your left (west). The broad ridge of Thornythwaite Fell is the only safe line down; use the drystone walls of the valley floor as your ultimate, unavoidable catching feature

    Easy to get wrong

    The initial descent off Glaramara includes a notorious 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 subsequent descent down Thornythwaite Fell is relentlessly steep, severely testing knee joints, and the lower sections are choked with head-high summer bracken that hides uneven ground and loose rocks

    If you need to get off

    You are on the final, committed escape route. Take extreme care on the upper rock step; once past it, simply endure the steep grassy descent, strictly avoiding the temptation to drift off the spur into the dangerous, crag-lined gills on either side of the ridge

Summits bagged (5)

  1. 1Allen Crags785 mSouthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  2. 2High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags)683 mSouthern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
  3. 3Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara)720 mSouthern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
  4. 4Looking Steads (Glaramara)774 mSouthern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
  5. 5Glaramara783 mSouthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP

In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.

Getting there & parking

⛽ Nearest fuel to this start: High Hill, Keswick, 14.2 km by road (07:00-20:00 daily). 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 →

Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
Free verge parking on the Seathwaite lane — the honeypot start for the Scafells, Great Gable and Glaramara. Arrive very early.
🕑 Typically full before 09:00 on fine weekends, Apr-Oct — Lee McCoy, local observation, 2026-08-09.
Directions Something changed here?
If it is full: Honister Pass (paid, slate mine) (1.8 km); Seatoller (NT, paid) (2.0 km); Rosthwaite (NT, paid) (3.8 km)
🚺 Public toilets (~188 m straight line) — Free
Thornythwaite Fell (layby) — 0.1 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Allen Crags, High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags), Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) and Looking Steads (Glaramara) — the 'Allan Crags & Glaramara' route starts 135 m away. Also serves 'Scafell Pike via the Corridor Route'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Thornythwaite Fell, north-west (layby) — 0.3 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Allen Crags, High House Tarn Top (High House - Allen Crags), Red Beck Top (Glaramara South Top) (Lincomb Head - Glaramara) and Looking Steads (Glaramara) — the 'Allan Crags & Glaramara' route starts 255 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Grey Knotts car park — 1.4 km from the start (straight line)
Nearest fells: Grey Knotts (1.7 km), Dale Head (1.9 km), Honister Crag (Black Star) (1.9 km). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.
Directions Something changed here?
Honister (NT, paid) — 1.6 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts — the 'Great Gable from Honister Slate Mine' route starts 61 m away. Also serves 'Haystacks'. Paid National Trust car park - the prices we used to show here came from an aggregator rather than the Trust, so we no longer publish a figure; check the machine on arrival, and members should bring their card (National Trust car-park list, checked Aug 2026). The machine takes cards, and National Trust members park free on production of their membership card (Lee McCoy, local observation, recorded 12 Aug 2026).
Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

Water, shelter & getting away

⛺ Seathwaite Farm Campsite (185 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.

Buses

We don’t know yet. The path network around this start isn’t mapped well enough for us to measure a walk from the nearest stop. That’s a gap in our data, not a sign that no bus comes here.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.

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 if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.

  • Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge)
  • Thornythwaite Fell, north-west (layby)
  • Thornythwaite Fell (layby)

Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.

Toilets and refreshments

At Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale (free verge), the closest parking we hold to where this route starts:

🚺 Public toilets (~188 m straight line) — Free

Distances are straight lines from the car park, not walking routes. Opening hours change; none of this is checked daily.

Safety & conditions

Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast before you set off.

Make it easier or harder

Short version: turn back at about 6.3 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

Places to stay near this start

Seatoller House guest house

about 1.8 km from the start, in a straight line

The strongest family answer in this radius and the only one that names its rooms: two large family rooms (Rabbit and Stag, both with a private bathroom opposite) plus two downstairs bedrooms (Badger and Hedgehog) for anyone who does not want stairs after Glaramara. Food is on site at a fixed hour rather than a drive away. The costs of that: breakfast does not start until 8.00, dinner is a single set menu at 7pm with none at all on Wednesdays and 48 hours notice needed if you booked through an agent, and arrival after 7pm has to be arranged in advance with no hot food after it.

Worth knowing: “Well behaved dogs are allowed, they are not allowed in the dining room at any time,Please clean and dry all dogs on entering Seatoller via the back door.”

A 400-year-old house that has taken guests for over a century and is the biggest building in Seatoller; the bedrooms are named for animals (Badger, Osprey, Otter, Squirrel, Stag), and it is run by managers Nigel and Patricia Dixon, Patricia having lived in the valley most of her life.

  • Dogs “Well behaved dogs are allowed, they are not allowed in the dining room at any time,Please clean and dry all dogs on entering Seatoller via the back door.”
  • Family rooms “Rabbit Large Family room, Private bathroom directly opposite, great views of garden & Fells”
  • Evening meal “DINNER MUST BE PRE-BOOKED 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE if not booked direct,dinner is a set menu served at 7.00pm with the exception of Wednesdays, when Dinner is not served, Alternatively a reservation can be made for you locally.”
  • Parking “There are 10 bedrooms all with private bathrooms, a large award winning garden surrounding the house and ample private car parking.”

Also nearby, but not independent

YHA Borrowdale hostel

about 2.8 km from the start, in a straight line

The only property in this radius whose own page states a cot, a highchair, ground-floor rooms, accessible rooms and a shared drying room in one place, plus meals until 20:30 and a self-catering kitchen if you arrive after that. It is also the one with the hardest arrival: the door opens at 17:00 and reception shuts at 22:00, there is no email and no contact form so booking is online only, parking is charged, and their own facility list warns 'No mobile coverage' - so agree a plan before you drop into the valley. Dogs go only in the camping pods, tents and Landpods, never in the hostel rooms.

Worth knowing: “Dogs: Pets are not permitted at YHA Borrowdale, except in our Camping & Cabins accommodation. Assistance dogs are welcome - please notify us at the time of booking.”

The hostel dates from Easter 1939, when YHA opened Longthwaite-in-Borrowdale to replace an earlier Grange-in-Borrowdale hostel that had closed in 1937; its own facilities list still carries 'No mobile coverage'.

  • Drying room “Shared drying room”
  • Family rooms “What our private rooms offer Accessible rooms available Bed linen Central heating Cot available Ground floor rooms available Heating Hot water Lock on doors Smoke alarm”
  • Evening meal “Food and drink: Breakfast is served to guests from 07:30”
  • Packed lunch “With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Borrowdale (see sample menu ).”
  • Parking “Parking: This hostel has on-site parking (subject to availability). Charges apply though overnight guests benefit from a discounted rate of £5 per vehicle for 24 hours. To claim these rates, please notify reception once you've parked. There is no access for coaches - the nearest drop off is 400m away.”
  • Children “Guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over to stay at YHA.”

YHA Black Sail hostel

about 4.0 km from the start, in a straight line

Include it for the one fact that matters: you cannot drive here. The straight-line 4.04 km from Seathwaite is honest and useless - their own page says the nearest road is 2.5 miles away over Scarth Gap, or six miles up Ennerdale from Bowness Knott, and vehicles are stopped at the gate. A party finishing Great Gable on foot can use it; a family arriving by car cannot. Doors are 17:00 to 20:30 with meals ending at 20:00, there is no signal to ring ahead from the valley, and no dogs unless you hire the whole hut.

Worth knowing: “Dogs: Pets are not permitted at YHA Black Sail, except when hiring the whole hostel through YHA Exclusive Hire.”

The hostel calls itself England's remotest, sits 2.5 miles from the nearest road with 15 mountains round it, and its own facilities list reads 'Intermittent mobile coverage' and 'No WiFi' - the self-catering kitchen runs off an oven and a wood stove.

  • Family rooms “What our private rooms offer Bed linen Cot available Ground floor rooms available Lock on doors Smoke alarm”
  • Evening meal “Take your pick from today's selection of hearty classics and delicious desserts. Vegan and vegetarian options available.”
  • Packed lunch “This hostel offers group catering for pre-booked groups of 16 people or more.”
  • Parking “YHA Black Sail is only accessible by foot or bike. The nearest road is 2.5 miles away in the Buttermere valley, accessing the hostel via 'Scarth Gap pass'. Guests can leave their cars in the Bowness Knott car park and walk or cycle 6 miles up the Ennerdale valley to the hostel. Vehicles are not authorised beyond the gate at Bowness Knott.”
  • Children “Guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over to stay at YHA.”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

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