Birketts North of Skiddaw
Key facts
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.
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.
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.
1 Bakestall2 Skiddaw3 Skiddaw Middle Top4 Skiddaw South Top5 Sale How6 Hare Crag7 Great Calva8 Frozen Fell9 Little Calva
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 23.02 km with around 1434 m of ascent, taking in 9 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: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~33% drop around the 19.6 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 18 gates · 1 step-over stile · 2 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).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakestall | 3.1 km | 478 m | 1:25–1:53 |
| Skiddaw | 4.9 km | 741 m | 2:13–2:57 |
| Skiddaw Middle Top | 5.2 km | 744 m | 2:17–3:02 |
| Skiddaw South Top | 5.4 km | 744 m | 2:19–3:05 |
| Sale How | 7.2 km | 744 m | 2:41–3:34 |
| Hare Crag | 10.6 km | 830 m | 3:30–4:40 |
| Great Calva | 12.6 km | 1088 m | 4:20–5:46 |
| Frozen Fell | 16.0 km | 1234 m | 5:15–7:00 |
| Little Calva | 18.9 km | 1434 m | 6:10–8:12 |
| Finish | 23.0 km | 1434 m | 7:00–9:18 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Bakestall (3.1 km, 478 m)
Climb of about 478 m over 3.1 km (around 15% average).
Bakestall → Skiddaw (1.9 km, 263 m)
Climb of about 263 m over 1.9 km (around 14% average).
Skiddaw → Skiddaw Middle Top (0.3 km, 3 m)
Undulating section of about 0.3 km.
Skiddaw Middle Top → Skiddaw South Top (0.2 km, 0 m)
Undulating section of about 0.2 km.
Skiddaw South Top → Sale How (1.8 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 269 m over 1.8 km.
Sale How → Hare Crag (3.4 km, 85 m)
Climb of about 85 m over 3.4 km (around 2% average).
Hare Crag → Great Calva (2.0 km, 259 m)
Climb of about 259 m over 2.0 km (around 13% average).
Great Calva → Frozen Fell (3.4 km, 146 m)
Climb of about 146 m over 3.4 km (around 4% average).
Frozen Fell → Little Calva (2.9 km, 200 m)
Climb of about 200 m over 2.9 km (around 7% average).
Little Calva → Finish (4.2 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 433 m over 4.2 km.
Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.
Summits bagged (9)
- Bakestall 674 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Skiddaw 930 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
- Skiddaw Middle Top 929 m · Northern · Birkett
- Skiddaw South Top 926 m · Northern · Birkett
- Sale How 666 m · Northern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
- Hare Crag 538 m · Northern · Birkett, Synge
- Great Calva 691 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
- Frozen Fell 625 m · Northern · Birkett
- Little Calva 642 m · Northern · Birkett, Synge
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
💧 Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
🚌 Buses
No regular bus serves the start — this is one for the car. Nearest hubs: Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
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.
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 11.3 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Birketts North of Skiddaw
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