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8.68 km · ~480 m ascent · ~2.5–3.5 h · loop · 3 summits

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Capple Howe & Sallows

8.68 km
Distance
~2.5–3.5 h
Typical time
~480 m
Ascent
3
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 8.68 km
Ascent ~480 m
Descent ~477 m
Time ~2.5–3.5 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

LengthModerate8.68 km round.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 31% around the 7.5 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~28% featureless high ground. 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.

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
Elevation profile Rises from about 121 m to 515 m over 8.7 km, with the summits marked in order. 515 m 121 m 0 km 8.7 km 123

1 Sour Howes2 Capple Howe3 Sallows

~480 m
Total ascent
515 m
High point
121 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 8.68 km with around 480 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
Not dog-friendly
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: 2 ladder/squeeze stile(s) a dog can’t get through.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~31% drop around the 7.4 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 9 gates · 2 ladder stiles · 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 and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-26. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Sour Howes2.3 km359 m1:04–1:25
Capple Howe3.0 km359 m1:12–1:35
Sallows5.2 km480 m1:50–2:26
Finish8.7 km480 m2:32–3:22

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Sour Howes (2.3 km, 359 m)

Climb of about 359 m over 2.3 km (around 16% average).

Sour Howes → Capple Howe (0.6 km, 0 m)

Descent of about 48 m over 0.6 km.

Capple Howe → Sallows (2.2 km, 121 m)

Climb of about 121 m over 2.2 km (around 6% average).

Sallows → Finish (3.5 km, 0 m)

Descent of about 391 m over 3.5 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (3)

  • Sour Howes 483 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Synge
  • Capple Howe 445 m · Far Eastern · Birkett, Synge
  • Sallows 516 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Church Bridge, Troutbeck (limited) — 0.1 km from the start (straight line)
For Wansfell, Troutbeck Tongue and the Ill Bell ridge via Garburn Pass.
Directions
Ambleside (various paid) — 4.0 km from the start (straight line)
Town car parks — Fairfield Horseshoe, Wansfell, Loughrigg from the door.
Directions

Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🚌 Jesus Church at Corfoot Beck (17 m)🚌 Nursery School (141 m)🚌 Limefitt Park (305 m)🚌 Limefitt Park Camp Site (314 m)

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.
Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.
Stagecoach 505 “Coniston Rambler”
Windermere – Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Hawkshead – Coniston
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Daily in season (reduced winter service). Best access for the Coniston fells (Old Man, Wetherlam group).
Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”
Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)
The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.

⚠️ Safety & conditions

Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast before you set off.

Make it easier or harder

Short version: turn back at about 3.0 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Capple Howe & Sallows

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