Revised
Key facts
- Distance 11.88 km
- Ascent ~749 m
- Descent ~751 m
- Time ~3.6 h
- Difficulty Easy
- Direction Clockwise
- Best season Any season in good conditions; the grassy ridges are straightforward but exposed.
- Type Loop
- Start Threlkeld
A shorter, easier way up the great northern fell of Blencathra than my favourite round from Mungrisdale over Souther Fell. From Threlkeld it climbs the grassy shoulder of Blease Fell (Knowe Crags) to the summit, with a fine high traverse over Gategill Fell Top, Doddick Fell and Scales Fell, and it avoids the boggy ground of Mungrisdale Common. A grand viewpoint over the northern fells and the Eden valley for relatively modest effort — and well clear of the notorious Sharp Edge.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
Elevation profile
Summits bagged (5)
- Knowe Crags (Blease Fell) 804 m · Northern · Birkett, Synge
- Gategill Fell Top 852 m · Northern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
- Blencathra - Hallsfell Top 868 m · Northern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
- Doddick Fell 742 m · Northern · Birkett
- Scales Fell 682 m · Northern · Birkett, Synge
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Threlkeld village (free/donation) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
Blencathra via Hall's Fell ridge; Clough Head across the valley.
Directions ↗Scales, A66 (layby) — 1.8 km from the start (straight line)
Laybys near the White Horse Inn — Blencathra via Scales Fell or Sharp Edge.
Directions ↗Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
🚌 Buses
Stagecoach X4 / X5
Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington
Catch it from: Penrith
Year-round, frequent. 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 or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
- This route deliberately avoids Sharp Edge — that classic arête is a serious, exposed scramble and a frequent accident spot.
- Steep grass on the descent ridges can be slippery when wet.
Hazard & incident notes: Blencathra - Hallsfell Top
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast before you set off.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.