Home / Routes / Birketts North of Skiddaw

Written by Lee McCoy · Route guide updated 18 October 2026: directions changed on stage 10 · 171 of 214 Wainwrights with a Strava-matched summit

Bakestall - the summit's tumbled slate cairn, with the deep valley of Dash Beck falling away to the right and the Solway plain beyond under a high, streaky sky

Severe distanceLoopPlanned

Birketts North of Skiddaw

23.02 km

Distance

~7–9½ h

Estimated time

~1472 m

Ascent

Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

The full northern sweep over Skiddaw itself — Bakestall, the Middle and South Tops, Sale How and more, nine tops in 23 km with 1,472 m of climbing. Severe for length; about 7–9½ hours of walking and the biggest day in this group.

Start Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside) (free)

Getting here Parking: Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside), 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 553, 554 and X4 stop at Bassenthwaite, opposite High Side Farm; from there it is 2.5 km and 142 m of ascent to this start. And the same back: about 28.1 km in all, with the walk. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓

Hardest part Severe distance: 23.02 km — a long day out.

Before you choose

The middle third (Hare Crag to Little Calva and beyond) is trackless deep heather — some of the roughest going in the Northern Fells. Budget far more time than the distance suggests.

Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet. A route line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Download GPX →Planned route · not yet walked

Conditions on this route

We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 3 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.

Steepest descent31% at km 19.8

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.

Route map

OpenTopoMap

Elevation profile, shaded by steepness

1 Bakestall2 Skiddaw3 Skiddaw Middle Top4 Skiddaw South Top5 Sale How6 Hare Crag7 Great Calva8 Frozen Fell9 Little Calva

Easy 72%Moderate 24%Hard 5%Severe

927 m

High point

204 m

Start height

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 → Bakestall (3.1 km, 489 m)
Climb of about 489 m over 3.1 km (around 16% average).
Starting from the quiet parking areas near Peter House Farm / Orthwaite, the route follows the broad, unpaved Cumbria Way deep into the Dash valley. As you approach the impressive cascades of Whitewater Dash, the route violently kicks upward, abandoning the track for the brutally steep, grassy spur of Birkett Edge. The gradient is an unrelenting 15%, transitioning from slick fell grass to loose Skiddaw slate as you crest the subsidiary summit of Bakestall.
Waypoints
Start Point: Peter House Farm / Cumbria Way gate (approx. NY 249 323). Whitewater Dash (Dash Falls): The major waterfall at the head of the valley. Birkett Edge: The steep, unremitting north-western spur. Bakestall Summit (674 m): Marked by a cairn on the edge of the plateau, overlooking Dead Crags.
Decision point
Handrails: A dilapidated wire fence runs directly up Birkett Edge and leads you perfectly to the summit plateau of Bakestall. Visuals: Whitewater Dash serves as your pivot point to leave the valley track and begin the climb.
Easy to get wrong
The Gradient: Birkett Edge is a notorious calf-burner. The grass is highly polished and slick after rain, and the lack of switchbacks makes it a pure test of stamina. Wind Funnel: As you clear the lip of Birkett Edge, you will often be hit by a wall of wind funneling over the Skiddaw massif. Hazards: Keep well back from the sheer drop of Dead Crags to your left (north-east) as you summit Bakestall. Do not attempt to traverse the steep western slopes above Dead Crags to shortcut back to the valley. The ground is treacherous, heavily bluffed out, and prone to landslip.
If you need to get off
Retreat: Carefully retrace your steps down Birkett Edge to the Cumbria Way track.
2
Bakestall → Skiddaw (1.9 km, 264 m)
Climb of about 264 m over 1.9 km (around 14% average).
Leaving the grassy environs of Bakestall, the route merges onto the broad, barren northern ridge of Skiddaw. The terrain changes dramatically into a lunar landscape of shattered, clinking Skiddaw slate. The 14% ascent is steady rather than savage, following a heavily eroded, wide path that crunches underfoot all the way to the summit trig point.
Waypoints
Broad End: The expansive, stony shoulder leading up to the main ridge. Skiddaw North Top (922 m): A minor rise on the ridge. Skiddaw Main Summit (930 m): The highest point of the walk, featuring a trig pillar and a toposcope.
Decision point
The Path: The track here is wide, obvious, and heavily cairned. Handrails: The fence line from Bakestall continues for much of the ascent, remaining a reliable guide on your left.
Easy to get wrong
Exposure: The Skiddaw plateau is famously exposed to bitter northerly winds. Even in mid-summer, the wind chill here can be freezing. Terrain: Skiddaw slate acts like scree on the steeper sections. It is noisy, slides under your boots, and makes maintaining a rhythm difficult. Clag: The ridge is extremely wide. In low visibility, it is easy to drift perilously close to the steep eastern screes.
If you need to get off
Retreat: Turn around and descend the north ridge back to Bakestall and the Dash valley. Alternative Bail: If weather conditions at the summit are critical, bail south via the main Jenkin Hill "tourist path" to Keswick, though this commits you to a costly taxi ride back to your start point.
3
Skiddaw → Skiddaw Middle Top (0.3 km, 3 m)
Undulating section of about 0.3 km.
A virtually flat, stony stroll along the highest ridge in the Northern Fells. The terrain is entirely shattered rock and scree.
Waypoints
Skiddaw Middle Top (929 m): A subtle rise just south of the main summit.
Decision point
Handrails: The main ridge path connects these tops directly.
Easy to get wrong
Cornices: In winter, massive, deadly snow cornices build on the eastern (left) edge of this ridge, hanging out over the void. Never walk close to the edge when snow is present.
If you need to get off
Retreat: Push forward to the South Top to intercept the Keswick descent path, or retrace steps north to the Bakestall descent.
4
Skiddaw Middle Top → Skiddaw South Top (0.2 km, 1 m)
Undulating section of about 0.2 km.
The final, flat section of the main Skiddaw ridge before the plateau begins to drop away.
Waypoints
Skiddaw South Top (926 m): The southern terminus of the summit ridge.
Decision point
Path/Cairns: Well-trodden and marked.
Easy to get wrong
Whiteout Navigation: While short, this plateau is utterly disorienting in a whiteout. A compass bearing is vital if the clouds drop, as the topography offers zero shelter or distinct landmarks.
If you need to get off
Retreat: The main Jenkin Hill path down to Keswick lies immediately south of this top and is the fastest way off the mountain in an emergency.
5
Skiddaw South Top → Sale How (1.8 km, 10 m)
Descent of about 260 m over 1.8 km.
You now abandon the busy main paths and plunge into the wilderness. Dropping steeply off the eastern flank of the Skiddaw massif, you descend toward the desolate basin of Skiddaw Forest. The terrain reverts to steep, slippery fell grass and heather, on a bridleway and then a path OSM maps down this flank (on the ground it may be faint), targeting the prominent, sprawling lump of Sale How.
Waypoints
Skiddaw East Flank: The steep drop-off, on a path OSM maps (it may be faint on the ground). Sale How Summit (666 m): A rounded, grassy Birkett.
Decision point
Visual Targeting: Sale How is obvious below you as you descend. Beyond it, the lone, whitewashed building of Skiddaw House in the valley bottom serves as a perfect distant bullseye.
Easy to get wrong
Steep Descent: Hard on the knees. OSM maps a path down here, but on the ground it may be faint through thick vegetation. Terrain Transition: The ground rapidly goes from bone-dry slate to sodden, spongy moss as you lose elevation.
If you need to get off
Retreat: No escape from this descent has been checked for this guide; the way back is the way you came, up to the South Top.
6
Sale How → Hare Crag (3.4 km, 97 m)
Descent of about 228 m, then a climb of about 97 m, over 3.4 km.
A brutal, energy-sapping traverse across the notorious bogs of the Skiddaw Forest basin. You will drop from Sale How, cross the infant River Caldew, and navigate a sprawling expanse of deep heather, hidden streams, and peat hags, on paths OSM maps along this stage (they may be faint on the ground), to reach the minor elevation of Hare Crag. The 2% average gradient hides the constant micro-ascents required to haul yourself out of peat trenches.
Waypoints
River Caldew Crossing: The valley bottom waterway. No crossing point has been checked for this guide. Skiddaw House (nearby): The highest, most remote hostel in Britain (often passed nearby). Hare Crag: A minor, rocky/heather bump in the wilderness.
Decision point
Watercourses: The River Caldew flows east then north. Use it to orient yourself in the valley bottom. Compass Bearings: Hare Crag is a minor bump and difficult to distinguish from the surrounding moorland in poor light. Trust your compass.
Easy to get wrong
The Bogs: This basin holds water like a sponge. Prepare for sodden boots. The mossy green sections often conceal thigh-deep black peat. Exhaustion: Walking 3.4 km through knee-high heather and bog is wildly more tiring than walking on a path. Progress will be very slow. Do not try to shortcut east down the Caldew valley towards Mosedale; it is an agonizingly long, trackless gorge that strands you miles from civilization.
If you need to get off
Retreat: The Cumbria Way track runs right through this valley past Skiddaw House. No line to it or along it has been checked for this guide as an escape.
7
Hare Crag → Great Calva (2.0 km, 263 m)
Descent of about 72 m, then a climb of about 263 m, over 2.0 km.
A brutally steep, direct assault up the southern flank of Great Calva. Having crossed the bogs, you now face a 13% average climb through deep heather. The path is intermittent, mostly relying on animal trods until you hit the upper ridge.
Waypoints
Wiley Gill Confluence: The stream at the base of the climb. South Ridge: The steep pull up. Great Calva Summit (691 m): A Wainwright summit, heavily adorned with a fence line and cairn, offering incredible views back to Skiddaw.
Decision point
Handrails: A dilapidated fence line runs directly up the southern spine of Great Calva, guiding you straight to the summit.
Easy to get wrong
Deep Heather: The lower slopes of Great Calva are choked with thick heather, requiring high-stepping that drains the legs. False Summits: The climb features several distinct steps that trick you into thinking you’ve reached the top. Do not bail off the steep eastern or western flanks of Great Calva; stick rigidly to the southern spur if retreating.
If you need to get off
Retreat: Turn back, drop down the southern ridge, and rejoin the Cumbria Way track in the valley.
8
Great Calva → Frozen Fell (3.4 km, 146 m)
Descent of about 134 m, then a climb of about 146 m, over 3.4 km.
The ultimate 'Back o' Skiddaw' wilderness. Leaving Great Calva, you head north-west and then west past Little Calva, before swinging north and north-east into a vast, rolling plateau of desolate moorland, where OSM maps a path along most of the line (the last 0.3 km to Frozen Fell is unmapped, and on the ground the path may be faint). The terrain is a labyrinth of deep peat hags, hidden watercourses, and heavy tussocks. It is a long 3.4 km slog requiring constant detours around black bogs to reach the subtle summit of Frozen Fell.
Waypoints
Great Calva North Ridge: The initial descent off the Wainwright. Mosedale Moss / The Peat Hags: The treacherous ground bridging the fells. Frozen Fell Summit (approx. 625 m): A bleak, rounded Birkett with minimal defining features.
Decision point
Strict Compass Bearings: You must break this leg down into paced compass bearings. There are zero landmarks, walls, or distinct peaks to guide you.
Easy to get wrong
Peat Hags: The primary hazard. You will spend hours navigating around, or climbing in and out of, deep trenches of eroded black peat. Total Isolation: This is remote ground, a long way from help: a twisted ankle here is a serious emergency. Clag Navigation: In mist, this plateau is utterly featureless. It is terrifyingly easy to walk in circles. Do NOT bail east off Frozen Fell. It drops you into the remote Carrock Fell/Mosedale area, completely severing you from your transport and the main valley networks.
If you need to get off
Retreat: The usual bail is to retrace your steps to Great Calva and descend south.
9
Frozen Fell → Little Calva (2.9 km, 200 m)
Descent of about 81 m, then a climb of about 200 m, over 2.9 km.
Swinging south and eventually southwest, you must traverse the headwaters of the remote Wiley Gill and Burntod area to loop back toward the main Calva ridge. This is more of the same grueling terrain: boggy, heavily tussocked moorland, with a path OSM maps along most of it (not the first 0.35 km from Frozen Fell, and on the ground it may be faint), and a final, steady 7% pull up to Little Calva.
Waypoints
Wiley Moor / Burntod: The marshy catchment area you must cross. Little Calva Summit (642 m): A flat, boggy plateau marked by a small pile of stones.
Decision point
Catch Features: If you aim west, you will eventually hit the fence line that connects Great Calva and Little Calva, which can act as a catch feature.
Easy to get wrong
Hidden Streams: The headwaters here are often concealed by overhanging heather and grass. Test your footing carefully to avoid dropping into a hidden gill. Mental Fatigue: After nearly 20 km of walking, the heavy terrain here is mentally draining.
If you need to get off
Retreat: No escape from this stage has been checked for this guide; the route's own line goes on over Little Calva to the start.
Little Calva → Finish (4.2 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 433 m over 4.2 km.
The final descent off the moorland. You drop off the western/north-western flank of Little Calva, plunging steeply through deep grass, bracken, and heather. You are aiming for the valley floor to reunite with the Cumbria Way track near Whitewater Dash, delivering a fast, flat walk-out back to Peter House Farm.
Waypoints
Little Calva West Flank: The steep descent, on a path OSM maps (it may be faint on the ground). Dash Beck / Whitewater Dash: The river crossing / valley floor. Cumbria Way Track: The broad stony path out of the valley. Finish Point: Peter House Farm area.
Decision point
Visual Targeting: The valley floor and the wide ribbon of the Cumbria Way track are visible for the entire descent. Use the track as your ultimate handrail once reached.
Easy to get wrong
Steep Descent: The drop off Little Calva is incredibly steep. In late summer, waist-high bracken hides the uneven ground and loose rocks beneath your feet. Crag Avoidance: You must ensure you descend far enough north to completely bypass the sheer drops of Dead Crags, which guard the valley side closer to Bakestall. Do not descend too early (too far south) off Little Calva, or you risk being bluffed out above the waterfalls of Whitewater Dash or the precipices of Dead Crags. Keep your descent line trending northwest until you are on the valley floor.

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone. Planned route · not yet walked

Summits bagged (9)

1Bakestall674 mNorthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
2Skiddaw930 mNorthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn, Hewitt
3Skiddaw Middle Top929 mNorthern · Birkett
4Skiddaw South Top926 mNorthern · Birkett
5Sale How666 mNorthern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
6Hare Crag538 mNorthern · Birkett, Synge
7Great Calva691 mNorthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP, Hewitt
8Frozen Fell625 mNorthern · Birkett
9Little Calva642 mNorthern · Birkett, Synge

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

Keep to the built line. The notes on this route mention eroded or braided ground. Where it is mud or standing water, walk through the puddle rather than round it, stay on the pitched stone even where it is a staircase you would rather not use, take the zig-zags the long way, leave loose stones and cross-drains where they lie, and build no cairns. Deep or moving water is a different question — turn back or take the safest way past rather than wade for the sake of a path. Fix the Fells’ volunteers keep these paths: what a metre costs, and how to give a day or a few pounds.

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.

When the sun reaches the tops

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.

Bakestall — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Skiddaw — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Great Calva — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in late December — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.

How to read these times

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.

Getting there and back

Parking

Peter House Farm, Bassenthwaite (roadside) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)

Dash Falls track — Bakestall, Great Calva, Skiddaw the quiet way.

Directions Something changed here?

Orthwaite Bank (layby) — 0.8 km from the start (straight line)

Nearest fells: Orthwaite Bank (0.7 km), Little Cockup (1.2 km), Cockup (1.8 km). Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Watches (layby) — 1.8 km from the start (straight line)

Nearest fells: Watches (0.7 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

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.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

Buses

The 553, 554 and X4 stop at Bassenthwaite, opposite High Side Farm. From there it is 2.5 km and 142 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 28.1 km in all, with the walk. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Carlisle (553): Saturday and Sunday 18:24 only. Towards Wigton (554): Tuesday to Friday 18:13; Saturday 20:43; Sunday 16:23. Towards Workington (X4): Tuesday to Saturday 20:28 only. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach X4 / X5

Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington

Catch it from: Penrith

Year-round, every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday between Penrith and Keswick and hourly on Sundays, from outside Penrith station. One ticket from any station on the West Coast Main Line to Keswick includes this bus: search for ‘Keswick Bus (KWK)’ when you book the train. From Penrith this is your way into Keswick and the Northern fells — Threlkeld/Scales stops serve Blencathra directly, Braithwaite serves the Coledale fells.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.

Toilets and refreshments

The essentials

Arrival Roadside parking at Peter House Farm, about 30 m from the start: free, with room for about five cars, as mapped. 32 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (our parking map, from OpenStreetMap, checked 2 August 2026)
Toilets No toilets are mapped within 250 m of the start. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
Refreshments No café or pub is mapped within 250 m of the start: bring what you need. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
Limitation The biggest day in this group: 23 km and about 1,430 m. The middle third, from Hare Crag to Little Calva, is trackless deep heather: allow far more time than the distance suggests. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 1 October 2026)

Water, shelter & getting away

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 4 m off the line)

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: Length; exposure not assessed on the ground

LengthSevere23.02 km — a long day out.

SteepnessHardSteepest sustained descent about 31% around the 19.8 km mark.

TerrainHardA desk estimate: the middle third is trackless deep heather. Hard – estimated from the map, not checked on the ground

NavigationHardA desk estimate: the stages describe featureless, trackless ground; carry a map and compass for cloud. Hard – estimated from the map, not checked on the ground

ExposureNot assessedNot assessed on the ground; the map suggests Moderate. Graded from slope only (~33% max); treat exposure as unverified. Exposure (drops, scrambling, how bad a slip would be) needs the ground, so a map estimate is not given a grade here and does not count towards the overall grade. A rating appears once the ground is assessed.

Five independent axes, not one score. None of them was set on the ground: they 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)
1Bakestall	3.1 km	489 m	1:26–1:54
2Skiddaw	4.9 km	753 m	2:15–2:59
3Skiddaw Middle Top	5.2 km	755 m	2:18–3:03
4Skiddaw South Top	5.4 km	757 m	2:21–3:07
5Sale How	7.2 km	767 m	2:43–3:37
6Hare Crag	10.6 km	864 m	3:34–4:44
7Great Calva	12.6 km	1127 m	4:24–5:51
8Frozen Fell	16.0 km	1272 m	5:19–7:05
9Little Calva	18.9 km	1472 m	6:13–8:17
Finish	23.0 km	1472 m	7:03–9:23

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?

Dog

Mostly gates

Buggy

Not buggy-able

Knees

Tough descent

Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
Knees: A long, steep ~33% drop over 250 m around the 19.6 km mark — hard on the knees.

With a dog

Hardest for a dog here: stiles and gates. The steepest stretch is a sustained descent of about 31% around the 19.8 km mark.

Stiles and gates: Stiles of unmapped type at 5.9 and 14.0 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 26 July 2026)
Rock and scrambling: Ground underfoot: Hard – estimated from the map, not checked on the ground. A desk estimate: the middle third is trackless deep heather.
Drops and exposed ground: Not assessed on the ground; the map suggests Moderate. Graded from slope only (~33% max); treat exposure as unverified.
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: 9 gates · 2 stiles (type unmapped)

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

Bassenfell Manor Christian Centre (opens in new tab) hostelabout 3.1 km
Puddleduck Cottages (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 1.9 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).

Appears in these collections

Picked for its light in April Picked for its light in September

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