Home / Routes / Blencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Last reviewed July 2026

Atkinson Pike from below — a steep grass slope rising to a dark rocky cone seamed with crags and scree gullies, under a cloudless sky

Severe steepnessLoop

Blencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back

17.59 km

Distance

~5–7 h

Typical time

~961 m

Ascent

Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

Download GPX →Walked by Lee, July 2026

Key facts

Distance 17.59 km

Ascent ~961 m

Descent ~956 m

Time ~5–7 h

Difficulty Severe overall — hardest: Steepness

Type Loop

Blencathra by its southern ridges — Scales Fell and Doddick Fell onto Hallsfell Top — then over the back for the quieter Bannerdale Crags and Bowscale Fell, taking in Mungrisdale Common on the way. Nine tops, 17.6 km and 961 m, rated severe for steepness but only moderate for navigation and exposure. About 5.1 hours steady.

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Difficulty profile

LengthHard17.59 km — a long day out.

SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 37% around the 17.1 km mark.

TerrainModerateGraded on the ground.

NavigationModerateGraded on the ground.

ExposureModerateGraded on the ground.

Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.

Conditions on this route

We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 5 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.

OpenTopoMap

Elevation profile, shaded by steepness

1 Souther Fell2 Scales Fell3 Doddick Fell4 Blencathra - Hallsfell Top5 Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag)6 Mungrisdale Common7 Bannerdale Crags8 Bowscale Fell9 Tarn Crags Top (Bowscale Fell East Top)

⚑ escape route

Easy 69%Moderate 23%Hard 7%Severe 1%

~961 m

Total ascent

847 m

High point

230 m

Start height

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).

This walk covers about 17.59 km with around 961 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

Gates only

Buggy

Not buggy-able

Knees

Tough descent

Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
Knees: A long, steep ~37% drop around the 16.9 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 6 gates

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 2026-07-18. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

Summit	Cumulative	Ascent	Time (fast–steady)
1Souther Fell	2.5 km	310 m	1:01–1:21
2Scales Fell	5.8 km	562 m	2:05–2:47
3Doddick Fell	6.2 km	632 m	2:17–3:03
4Blencathra - Hallsfell Top	6.8 km	743 m	2:36–3:27
5Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag)	7.4 km	760 m	2:45–3:39
6Mungrisdale Common	9.2 km	763 m	3:06–4:08
7Bannerdale Crags	11.9 km	858 m	3:49–5:04
8Bowscale Fell	13.7 km	937 m	4:18–5:43
9Tarn Crags Top (Bowscale Fell East Top)	14.6 km	948 m	4:30–5:59
Finish	17.6 km	961 m	5:07–6:49

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.

The walk, stage by stage

1
Start → Souther Fell (2.5 km, 310 m)
Climb of about 310 m over 2.5 km (around 12% average).
Starting from Mungrisdale village, head straight onto the fellside and tackle the steep, grassy eastern flank of Souther Fell, following the path as it works its way up to the summit ridge
Waypoints
Mungrisdale village, River Glenderamackin bridge, Souther Fell summit
Decision point
Once you crest the initial climb, the path along the ridge line heading south-west is clear and obvious
Easy to get wrong
A solid 12% average climb right out of the gate to warm up the legs. The grassy slopes are steep but technically simple, offering a relatively quiet alternative to the busier Blencathra approaches
If you need to get off
Turn around and descend the grassy slopes directly back to Mungrisdale
2
Souther Fell → Scales Fell (3.3 km, 252 m)
Climb of about 252 m over 3.3 km (around 8% average).
Drop slightly off the south-western nose of Souther Fell, cross the valley floor near the Glenderamackin, and begin the long, steady haul up the sweeping grassy shoulder of Scales Fell
Waypoints
Glenderamackin crossing, Mousthwaite Comb (skirted), Scales Fell lower ridge
Decision point
The massive, sweeping ridge of Scales Fell dominates the view ahead and serves as an unmistakable visual target
Easy to get wrong
A long transition stage. The ground in the valley can be heavily waterlogged, but once you start the 8% climb up Scales Fell, the path becomes firmer and much more defined
If you need to get off
From the valley floor near the Glenderamackin crossing, you can follow the river path east directly back toward Mungrisdale
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs
3
Scales Fell → Doddick Fell (0.4 km, 69 m)
Climb of about 69 m over 0.4 km (around 17% average).
Continue ascending the steepening ridge. The grassy path narrows and becomes rockier as you transition from Scales Fell onto the upper reaches of Doddick Fell
Waypoints
Scales Fell ridge, Doddick Fell top
Decision point
The ridge line funnels you directly upward with no real chance of taking a wrong turn
Easy to get wrong
The gradient ramps up significantly here to a lung-busting 17%. The views down into the steep coves between the ridges are magnificent, but the effort required is intense
If you need to get off
Descend the ridge line back to the valley. Do not attempt to drop into the steep, craggy ravines of Scales Beck or Doddick Gill on either side
4
Doddick Fell → Blencathra - Hallsfell Top (0.6 km, 111 m)
Climb of about 111 m over 0.6 km (around 18% average).
The final, punishing push. Follow the heavily eroded, rocky path up the last steep incline to pop out onto the main summit of Blencathra at Hallsfell Top
Waypoints
Doddick Fell, Hallsfell Top (Blencathra summit)
Decision point
The prominent concrete summit marker ring at Hallsfell Top is your ultimate target
Easy to get wrong
At an 18% average gradient, this is the steepest section of the day. The terrain is loose, rocky, and demands careful footwork, though it avoids the severe scrambling of Sharp Edge
If you need to get off
Retrace your steps carefully down the Doddick/Scales ridge
© Lee McCoy
5
Blencathra - Hallsfell Top → Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag) (0.6 km, 17 m)
Undulating section of about 0.6 km.
Turn north-east and enjoy the glorious, slightly undulating walk across the famous "Saddleback" plateau, taking in the spectacular edge above Tarn Crags before arriving at Atkinson Pike
Waypoints
Hallsfell Top, Blencathra plateau, Atkinson Pike
Decision point
The plateau edge provides a massive, dramatic handrail. Stay well clear of the precipitous drops to the east
Easy to get wrong
A beautiful, easy stroll after the grueling ascent. Keep an eye out for the white quartz cross laid into the stones on the ground along the way
If you need to get off
The safest retreat in poor weather is to retrace your steps to the Scales Fell ridge and descend south-east
© Lee McCoy · 3 photographs
6
Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag) → Mungrisdale Common (1.8 km, 3 m)
Descent of about 208 m over 1.8 km.
Drop north off Atkinson Pike, descending the grassy, often trackless slopes into the vast, boggy depression of Mungrisdale Common to find the small pile of stones that marks its summit
Waypoints
Atkinson Pike descent, Mungrisdale Common cairn
Decision point
You must rely heavily on a compass bearing if visibility is low, as the "summit" is just a tiny cairn in a sea of marshy grass
Easy to get wrong
A steep descent onto what is widely considered the most featureless Wainwright of them all. It is incredibly boggy, completely exposed, and remarkably easy to get disoriented here in thick clag
If you need to get off
If the bogs are too deep, abort the common and head east directly toward the River Glenderamackin to pick up the valley path
© Lee McCoy
7
Mungrisdale Common → Bannerdale Crags (2.8 km, 95 m)
Climb of about 95 m over 2.8 km (around 3% average).
Slog east across the wet expanse of the common, crossing the upper reaches of the River Glenderamackin before climbing the grassy western slopes of Bannerdale Crags to reach its spectacular eastern edge
Waypoints
Glenderamackin crossing, Bannerdale Crags summit
Decision point
Aim for the high ground to the east. Once you reach the top of Bannerdale Crags, the sheer drop to the east is an unmistakable boundary
Easy to get wrong
This crossing is wet, energy-sapping, and feels like a real trudge. However, arriving at the sheer eastern drop-off of Bannerdale Crags is a fantastic visual reward
If you need to get off
From the Glenderamackin crossing, you can follow the river path south and then east all the way back to Mungrisdale
© Lee McCoy · 5 photographs
8
Bannerdale Crags → Bowscale Fell (1.8 km, 79 m)
Climb of about 79 m over 1.8 km (around 4% average).
Follow the path north-west along the escarpment edge, dropping slightly into a shallow saddle before a gentle climb to the large wind shelter on Bowscale Fell
Waypoints
Bannerdale Crags edge, Bowscale Fell summit shelter
Decision point
The large stone wind shelter at the summit of Bowscale Fell is an excellent visual marker
Easy to get wrong
Very straightforward, grassy walking. The exposure to the wind can be brutal here, but mechanically it is very easy on the legs
If you need to get off
Push forward; you are nearing the final descent ridges
© Lee McCoy
9
Bowscale Fell → Tarn Crags Top (Bowscale Fell East Top) (0.9 km, 11 m)
Undulating section of about 0.9 km.
Turn east and walk across the grassy plateau toward the subsidiary top of Tarn Crags, which offers superb views down over Bowscale Tarn
Waypoints
Bowscale Fell summit, Tarn Crags Top
Decision point
Aim directly east toward the obvious high ground overlooking the tarn
Easy to get wrong
A virtually flat, highly enjoyable transition. Keep a safe distance from the steep craggy edges above the tarn
If you need to get off
Retrace steps to Bowscale Fell and descend via the main paths
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs
Tarn Crags Top (Bowscale Fell East Top) → Finish (3.0 km, 13 m)
Descent of about 425 m over 3.0 km.
Descend the long, sweeping grassy ridge heading east/south-east. The path eventually drops you off the high fells, connecting with the lower valley tracks that lead back into Mungrisdale village
Waypoints
East ridge descent, valley farm tracks, Mungrisdale finish
Decision point
The ridge line naturally funnels you downward toward the farmlands of the Glenderamackin valley
Easy to get wrong
A massive, sustained grassy descent that will test your knees at the end of a long day. The grass can be exceptionally slick and treacherous after rain. The final 13 m of ascent is distributed over the undulating valley track back to the car
If you need to get off
You are on the final exit route; simply continue the descent off the fell
© Lee McCoy

Summits bagged (9)

1Souther Fell522 mNorthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
2Scales Fell682 mNorthern · Birkett, Synge
3Doddick Fell742 mNorthern · Birkett
4Blencathra - Hallsfell Top868 mNorthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
5Atkinson Pike (Foule Crag)845 mNorthern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
6Mungrisdale Common632 mNorthern · Wainwright, Synge
7Bannerdale Crags684 mNorthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
8Bowscale Fell702 mNorthern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
9Tarn Crags Top (Bowscale Fell East Top)665 mNorthern · Birkett, Synge

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

Getting there & parking

Mungrisdale village hall (donation) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)

For Bowscale Fell, Bannerdale Crags, Souther Fell and The Tongue. Honesty box at the village hall - OpenStreetMap recorded a suggested £2 a day in 2021, so bring change and read the box (2026-07-24 extract).

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Mosedale / Bowscale (verge) (2.7 km); Scales, A66 (layby) (4.4 km)

Souther Fell, north-east (layby 2) — 0.2 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for The Tongue, Bowscale Fell, Eycott Hill and Little Eycott Hill — the 'The Tongue Birkett' route starts 113 m away. Also serves 'Eycott Hills'. Free (OSM-tagged). Grass surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Souther Fell, north-east (layby 3) — 0.2 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for Eycott Hill, Little Eycott Hill, Souther Fell and Scales Fell — the 'Eycott Hills' route starts 185 m away. Also serves 'Blencathra to Mungrisdale Common and over the back'. Paid parking (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Mungrisdale (verge, by the village hall) — 0.2 km from the start (straight line)

Roadside verge 240 m from the village hall car park — the same fells: Bowscale Fell, Bannerdale Crags, Souther Fell, The Tongue.

Directions Something changed here?

If it is full: Mungrisdale village hall (donation) (0.2 km)

Souther Fell, north-east (layby) — 0.6 km from the start (straight line)

Nearest fells: Souther Fell (1.3 km), Little Eycott Hill (1.9 km), The Tongue (1.9 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Ground surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

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.)

Buses

The 509 stops at Mungrisdale, adjacent to Road End. From there it is 3.2 km and 76 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. Last bus: Monday to Friday 22:11 towards Penrith (X5) and 17:07 towards Patterdale (509) and 14:42 towards Hartsop (509); Saturday 22:11 towards Penrith (X5) and 17:07 towards Patterdale (509) and 14:42 towards Hartsop (509); Sunday 18:38 towards Penrith (X5) and 17:07 towards Patterdale (509) and 14:42 towards Hartsop (509). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 509

Penrith ↔ Keswick around Ullswater — calls at Pooley Bridge, Watermillock, Glenridding, Patterdale, Hartsop, Dockray, Matterdale, Mungrisdale and Threlkeld

Catch it from: Penrith · Keswick

The Ullswater side of the Penrith–Keswick corridor, and a second option where we previously showed only the 508. Reaches Helvellyn and Catstye Cam from Glenridding, Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes from Patterdale, the Hartsop fells, and Gowbarrow from Dockray. Frequency and season are not listed here because we have not verified a timetable — check Stagecoach before you rely on it. Note the Troutbeck on this route is the one on the A66 near Penrith, not the Troutbeck near Windermere.

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

If the parking is full

There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.

Mungrisdale (verge, by the village hall)
Souther Fell, north-east (layby)
Souther Fell, north-east (layby 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.

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. 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.

Souther Fell — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Blencathra - Hallsfell Top — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Mungrisdale Common — 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 — well over an hour after sunrise.
Bannerdale Crags — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Bowscale Fell — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.

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.

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.

Escape routes

At about 4.1 km: descend to Scales Fell (layby) (0.7 km S, 201 m down) (cuts ~13.5 km) — multiple paths down through Mousthwaite Combe and then the road towards Scales Farm or Lowside. The preference would be the ridge route and not down the beck.
At about 6.2 km: descend to Scales, A66 (layby) (1.5 km SE, 534 m down) (cuts ~11.4 km) — Route towards Doddick Fell and then Scales. The following bail point is Hallsfell Top, which would be risky in bad weather.
At about 11.1 km: descend to Scales Fell, south-east (layby) (2.7 km SE, 397 m down) (cuts ~6.5 km) — Along the beck, which may be difficult in wet conditions, and still some climb needed between Souther Fell and Mousthwaite Comb.

Bail-out lines verified on the ground. In poor visibility a marked descent can be safer than retracing a ridge.

Make it easier or harder

Short version: turn back at about 9.0 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

Places to stay near this start

Mosedale End Farm B&B (opens in new tab) guest house

about 2.3 km from the start, in a straight line

The nearest bed in the area we can actually evidence, at 2.31 km, and it answers more of our columns from its own pages than anything else here: an EV charge point, a room that sleeps two adults plus two children, a breakfast hamper delivered to the door, picnics, and its own private yard to park in. It also tells you the one thing most pages hide - that there is no bus - which matters on a Mungrisdale start where the alternative is a taxi.

Worth knowing: “Sorry we do not take DOGS or offer help the farmer or work experience days”

They run cameras on their own livestock and wildlife and lend guests a tablet to watch them from bed - a lambing camera in the lambing shed, a badger-sett camera and nest-box cameras.

Family rooms “THE GRAINERY SUITE A spacious en-suite bedroom with a king-size bed. Small kitchen area for basic food prep, with kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge, sink, and cupboard storage. Private balcony with outdoor seating.”
Packed lunch “Leave the car and walk all day for free. Picnics available.”
Parking “Mosedale End Farm is a traditional Lake District white farm house and is set back off the road, behind its own private yard where you may park your car.”

Scales Farm Country Guest House (opens in new tab) guest house

about 3.9 km from the start, in a straight line

It answers more of a wet walker's questions than anything else in this area, and answers them on its own pages: a boiler-room drying room, a private car park for eight, a ground-floor room for mobility-impaired guests, dog-friendly ground-floor rooms with their own exercise field opening straight onto Scales Fell, lockable storage for up to twelve bikes, free loan of poles, compasses and maps, and a bus stop directly opposite. It ranks second rather than first only because it is 1.57 km further out than Mosedale End and is silent on children in everything we hold.

The house is a 1650s farmhouse and barn, converted to a guest house in the early 1980s, and the owners were qualified hill-walking leaders for fifteen years before they bought it.

Drying room “We have a boiler room to provide heat and hot water which runs all year. This room is like a mini-sauna and is ideal for drying wet clothes and boots.”
Dogs “All three ground floor rooms are dog friendly with direct access to the garden and our own field.”
Parking “We have a large off road private car park that can easily accommodate 8 vehicles.”

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).