10.84 km · ~417 m ascent · ~2.5–4 h · loop · 4 summits
Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.
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 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.
1 Low Fell2 Sourfoot Fell3 Smithy Fell4 Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell
Easy 86%Moderate 7%Hard 3%Severe 4%
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 10.84 km with around 417 m of ascent, taking in 4 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.
On the line: 16 gates · 1 kissing gate · 9 stiles (type unmapped)
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 (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-26. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Low Fell | 2.7 km | 320 m | 1:04–1:26 |
| 2Sourfoot Fell | 3.7 km | 331 m | 1:17–1:43 |
| 3Smithy Fell | 4.2 km | 331 m | 1:23–1:51 |
| 4Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell | 4.7 km | 365 m | 1:33–2:03 |
| Finish | 10.8 km | 417 m | 2:52–3:48 |
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.
Leave the valley floor and begin the steep, unrelenting slog up the grassy eastern flanks towards the ridge line. The initial ascent usually follows old farm tracks or field boundaries before breaking out onto the open, pathless fellside, requiring a sustained physical push straight up the bank. Once you crest the main ridge, keep climbing north along the rolling, grassy tops to reach the phenomenal, steep-sided viewpoint of Low Fell, which looks straight down the barrel of Crummock Water
Valley approach path, eastern grassy rake, Low Fell ridge, Low Fell viewpoint (summit)
Follow the drystone walls and boundary fences up the fellside until you hit the ridge; from there, the topography is obvious, and you simply follow the highest ground north to the prominent cairn overlooking the lake
The eastern grassy ascent is punishingly steep and becomes a slick, slippery nightmare after typical Lake District rainfall, requiring a lot of trust in your boot treads. During summer, the lower slopes can be heavily choked with bracken, hiding uneven ground and deep runnels, while the final southern viewpoint has a sheer, sudden drop-off to the west that demands respect in high winds
If the ascent proves too much, the only safe retreat is to carefully retrace your steps straight back down the grassy eastern slope to the valley; never attempt to bail out to the west, as the ground plummets over formidable, hidden crags towards the lake
Turn your back on the Crummock Water viewpoint and retrace your steps northwards along the broad, grassy crest of the ridge. The walking here is highly enjoyable and relaxed, dipping into a shallow saddle before rolling gently over the barely perceptible, rounded top of Sourfoot Fell
Low Fell summit, the broad grassy col, Sourfoot Fell crest
A dilapidated, old wire fence line runs along much of this ridge system; keeping this fence roughly in sight provides a foolproof linear handrail directly across the grassy plateau
The terrain is exceptionally straightforward, but this open, western-facing ridge offers zero shelter from prevailing weather fronts blasting in off the Solway Firth. The shallow depressions between these minor tops can hold standing water and form spongy, boot-soaking bogs after prolonged wet weather
There are no immediate, safe descents down the steep western escarpment; if conditions deteriorate rapidly, either push north to lower, safer ground or retreat eastwards back down your original ascent path
Continue your northerly march across the wide, grassy upland pasture. The elevation barely changes on this section, making for a fast, striding traverse across the moorland grass to cross the indistinct elevation of Smithy Fell, which is often difficult to distinguish from the surrounding plateau
Sourfoot Fell, the grassy plateau, Smithy Fell top
Continue utilizing the remains of the boundary fence line as your primary guide, or if the fence is lost, maintain a strict northerly compass bearing to ensure you stay central on the main crest of the fell system
Navigation is the primary hazard on this section; in thick clag, the lack of distinct geographical features on this broad, rolling expanse makes it incredibly easy to become disoriented and wander off course
If lost in poor visibility, do not wander west; take a deliberate bearing east to safely drop off the ridge into the gentler, rolling agricultural slopes of the Lorton valley
Proceed north from Smithy Fell, dropping into one final, shallow grassy depression before tackling the short but distinct pull up to the summit of Fellbarrow. The top is marked by an Ordnance Survey trig pillar sitting proudly amidst the sprawling, grazing lands of Mosser Fell
Smithy Fell col, Fellbarrow summit, Ordnance Survey trig pillar
The white OS trig pillar on Fellbarrow is the definitive geographical target for this entire ridge and becomes visible from a distance in clear weather, serving as a perfect visual waypoint
The saddle immediately preceding the Fellbarrow ascent is notorious for hiding deep, boot-sucking peat bogs beneath innocent-looking bright green moss; careful route-picking is required to avoid going in over your ankles
Reaching Fellbarrow puts you in an excellent position to retreat; dropping eastward down the grassy slopes towards the old Mosser Road track provides a highly reliable, low-angle escape from the high ground
Descend steadily from the Fellbarrow plateau, dropping south-west and then south to intercept the ancient Mosser Road trackway. From here, follow this old corpse road and a network of lower farm lanes, contouring gently back along the valley flanks to complete the long, rolling walk-out to your starting point near Loweswater
Fellbarrow summit, Mosser Road (ancient trackway), valley lanes, Loweswater finish
Once you lock onto the Mosser Road or the walled farm tracks, navigation is entirely bombproof; these distinct, physical lanes will guide you dependably off the fellside and straight back into the valley road network
This long 6.2 km return features minor, tiring undulations and heavily rutted tracks that often transform into running streams during heavy rain. Expect to encounter numerous grazing sheep and cattle on these lower pastoral sections, requiring strict gate discipline and close control of any dogs
This final stage is inherently non-committing; the route itself acts as your safe, low-level bailout, placing you on solid tracks that lead directly to valley shelter, farmhouses, and civilization
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
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 →
💧 No mapped drinking water or shelter on this route — that doesn’t mean there is none, and never drink untreated from a beck. (Facilities data © OpenStreetMap contributors.)
The 77 stops at Lanthwaite Green Farm (opp). From there it is 3.2 km and 121 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day, and it is not daily before then — a bus on 31 of the 56 days from 7 September. We don’t know when it returns. Confirmed with the operator, 29 August 2026. The last bus is 18:03 towards Keswick (77), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 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.
There is a fallback here, but it is a weak one. Some of the 3 below tend to fill for the same reasons at the same time. Treat the list as one-and-a-bit options rather than 3.
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.
Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later. The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.
Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.
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.
Short version: turn back at about 4.2 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
about 0.9 km from the start, in a straight line
Foulsyke was a 16th-century manor house; the three cottages are its former barn and stables, and you reach the courtyard through an arched carriage entrance dated 1797.
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 (opens in new tab).