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10.64 km · ~749 m ascent · ~3–4.5 h · loop · 3 summits

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Brown Crag and Raise

10.64 km
Distance
~3–4.5 h
Typical time
~749 m
Ascent
3
Summits

Key facts

Distance 10.64 km
Ascent ~749 m
Descent ~749 m
Time ~3–4.5 h
Type Loop
✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet. A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

🧭 The automated detail on this page — distance, climb, pacing and a first-pass difficulty read — is live. Hand-written field notes are being added.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate10.64 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 46% around the 2.1 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationModerateClear line, hard to stray. desk assessment — not field-verified
ExposureNot assessedExposure (drops, scrambling, how bad a slip would be) can’t be judged from gradient data alone, so we don’t guess. A rating appears once the route is editorially assessed or walked.

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 2 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.

OpenTopoMap
Elevation profile
Elevation profile Rises from about 160 m to 875 m over 10.6 km, with the summits marked in order. 875 m 160 m 0 km 10.6 km 123

1 Brown Crag2 White Side3 Raise

~749 m
Total ascent
875 m
High point
163 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 10.64 km with around 749 m of ascent, taking in 3 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 ~44% drop around the 9.1 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 8 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 2026-07-26. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Brown Crag2.8 km415 m1:15–1:40
White Side5.4 km687 m2:14–2:58
Raise6.3 km731 m2:29–3:18
Finish10.6 km749 m3:23–4:29

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Brown Crag (2.8 km, 415 m)

Climb of about 415 m over 2.8 km (around 15% average).

Brown Crag → White Side (2.6 km, 273 m)

Climb of about 273 m over 2.6 km (around 10% average).

White Side → Raise (0.9 km, 44 m)

Undulating section of about 0.9 km.

Raise → Finish (4.3 km, 18 m)

Descent of about 713 m over 4.3 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (3)

  • Brown Crag 610 m · Eastern · Birkett, Synge
  • White Side 863 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  • Raise 883 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Legburthwaite (United Utilities, small) — 0.5 km from the start (straight line)
St John's in the Vale — Sticks Pass side, High Rigg, Raven Crag.
Directions (opens in new tab)
Swirls, Thirlmere (paid) — 2.7 km from the start (straight line)
The standard west-side route up Helvellyn via Browncove Crags.
Directions (opens in new tab)

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

Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.

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 5.7 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Brown Crag and Raise

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