19.13 km · ~1019 m ascent · ~5.5–7.5 h · loop · 6 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 4 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 Darling Fell2 Smithy Fell3 Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell4 Burnbank Fell5 Blake Fell6 Gavel Fell
Easy 81%Moderate 12%Hard 6%Severe 1%
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 19.13 km with around 1019 m of ascent, taking in 6 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: 30 gates · 2 kissing gates · 12 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 2026-07-25. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Darling Fell | 3.3 km | 270 m | 1:06–1:28 |
| 2Smithy Fell | 5.3 km | 428 m | 1:47–2:22 |
| 3Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell | 5.8 km | 459 m | 1:56–2:34 |
| 4Burnbank Fell | 12.5 km | 817 m | 3:52–5:08 |
| 5Blake Fell | 13.8 km | 922 m | 4:18–5:43 |
| 6Gavel Fell | 15.3 km | 983 m | 4:41–6:14 |
| Finish | 19.1 km | 1019 m | 5:31–7:21 |
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 Loweswater valley floor and tackle the initial ascent up the southern flanks of Darling Fell. The route follows agricultural tracks before breaking out onto open fell, where the grassy gradient steepens significantly, requiring a sustained push up the broad shoulder to reach the airy summit, which offers a phenomenal vantage point straight down the length of Loweswater
Loweswater valley approach, southern grassy shoulder, Darling Fell summit
Utilize the drystone walls and field boundaries on the lower slopes to guide your ascent; once on the open fell, simply take the path of least resistance directly up the fall line to the summit plateau
The lower sections of this ascent are heavily prone to thick bracken in the summer months, which can obscure the trod and soak your legs after a morning dew. The steep grassy pitches higher up become slick and treacherous in wet conditions, requiring sturdy boots with deep lugs for traction
If the climb proves too arduous, turn around and carefully retrace your steps straight back down the grassy bank to the valley floor; avoid drifting west into steeper, craggier terrain overlooking the lake
Descend north-east from Darling Fell into a broad, grassy saddle near the headwaters of Crabtree Beck, losing some hard-earned elevation before grinding back up the sweeping, rolling moorland to cross the indistinct top of Smithy Fell
Darling Fell descent, Crabtree Beck depression (col), Smithy Fell upland plateau
An old wire fence line runs across much of this upland plateau; keeping this boundary feature in sight provides a highly reliable linear handrail across the featureless expanse
The depression between these two fells is a notorious catchment area for water, harboring spongy, boot-soaking peat bogs that expand rapidly after heavy Lake District rain. Finding a dry line requires weaving through the tussocks and accepting that a direct bearing may result in wet feet
If the weather turns foul, the safest retreat is to head east from the col, picking up the sheep trods that drop gently down towards the sheltered agricultural lanes above Lorton valley
Continue your northerly traverse across the broad grassy pasture, dropping into one final, shallow depression before making the short, distinct pull up to the summit of Fellbarrow, marked by its prominent Ordnance Survey trig pillar
Smithy Fell saddle, Fellbarrow summit, Ordnance Survey trig pillar
The white OS trig pillar on Fellbarrow is the definitive geographical target and will become visible from a distance as you crest the rise, serving as a perfect visual waypoint
This is a fast and straightforward section, but the lack of distinct geographical features in thick clag makes it incredibly easy to drift off course. The wind can also howl across this exposed expanse with nothing to break its momentum
From Fellbarrow, dropping eastward down the grassy slopes towards the old Mosser Road track provides a highly reliable, low-angle escape from the high ground into the valley
Descend off the Fellbarrow ridge system to cross the valley floor via Fangs Brow, navigating minor lanes and farm tracks before tackling the brutal, unrelenting northern ascent of Burnbank Fell. The climb up Burnbank is a lung-busting slog up a steep, uniform wall of grass that eventually relents as you crest the high, flat summit plateau
Fellbarrow descent, Fangs Brow valley crossing, Burnbank Fell steep northern flank, Burnbank Fell summit
The valley road at Fangs Brow acts as a massive linear catch-feature between the two hill systems. During the ascent of Burnbank, an old fence line runs directly up the spine of the fell, serving as a perfect handrail in low visibility
This long transition stage covers multiple terrain types, but the true challenge is the ascent of Burnbank Fell; it is famously steep, highly exposed, and physically draining, with the slick grass offering little purchase in the wet. The valley crossing also involves navigating working farm environments with potential livestock
The valley crossing at Fangs Brow is the perfect midpoint bailout; simply utilize the minor roads to walk comfortably back around the lake to your starting point, completely avoiding the second set of fells
Turn south and enjoy a magnificent high-level ridge walk, dipping into a shallow saddle before pushing up the final, rockier dome to the summit of Blake Fell, the highest point of the route, marked by a substantial stone wind shelter
Burnbank Fell plateau, the grassy col, Blake Fell summit, stone wind shelter
The well-worn ridge trod and a dilapidated boundary fence will guide you across the saddle; the large stone wind shelter on Blake Fell is unmistakable and marks the true summit
While the walking is superb, this broad, western-facing ridge offers zero shelter from violent weather fronts blasting in off the Solway Firth. In thick mist, the vast, rounded topography of Blake Fell makes it notoriously easy to lose your bearings on the final approach
Do not attempt to bail blindly to the west into the dense, disorienting forestry plantations; if conditions are unmanageable, immediately retreat north back over Burnbank Fell to access your ascent route
Descend south-east off the steep, rocky dome of Blake Fell, dropping into the deep, often boggy depression of Fothergill Head. From the col, ascend the steady, grassy, pathless slope to reach the unremarkable, flat summit of Gavel Fell
Blake Fell descent, Fothergill Head (col), Gavel Fell summit
An old wire fence line guides you dependably down into the col and straight up the opposite bank to Gavel Fell, acting as a foolproof handrail through the featureless bogs
Fothergill Head is a notorious wet spot that holds deep peat bogs and standing water year-round; route-picking is essential to avoid sinking over your boots. The descent off Blake Fell is also unexpectedly steep and stony compared to the surrounding grassy ridges
Fothergill Head serves as an excellent escape hatch; rather than climbing Gavel Fell, you can turn east and drop directly down into the sheltered High Nook Beck valley for a safe walk-out
Plunge north-east off the summit of Gavel Fell, picking your way down the steep, grassy flanks to enter the deeply cut valley of High Nook Beck. Follow the increasingly distinct path alongside the watercourse, eventually meeting the solid farm tracks at High Nook Farm that lead you back out to the Loweswater valley road and your starting point
Gavel Fell northern slopes, High Nook Beck ravine, High Nook Farm, Loweswater finish
High Nook Beck provides a bombproof linear handrail; once you locate the watercourse, simply follow it downstream all the way off the fell and into the safety of the valley
The initial descent off Gavel Fell is trackless, steep, and punishing on tired knees. As you drop into the valley, summer bracken can completely choke the narrow path beside the beck, hiding slippery, eroded drops down to the water
This entire final stage operates as your bailout; once you commit to the descent into the High Nook Beck valley, you are on a non-committing, sheltered route that funnels you directly back to 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 118 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, 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.
If the first one is full, these do not all fill together. The 3 below sit in different places or are different kinds of parking, so a busy morning at one does not mean a busy morning at all of them.
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 9.0 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).