Carrock Fell and Knott

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Carrock Fell (1.7 km, 437 m)

   Climb of about 437 m over 1.7 km (around 26% average).

   From the roadside near Stone Ends, climb at once up the steep eastern nose of Carrock Fell, through deep heather and blocky scree, crossing the tumbled ruins of an Iron Age hill fort to the rocky summit plateau.

   Waypoints

   Carrock Fell Foot (start), Carrock Fell eastern spur, Iron Age hill fort ruins, Carrock Fell summit (662m).

   Decision point

   The line up is Rake Trod, a steep grassy rake that is hard to find among bracken and scree; take care to locate and stay on it. The collapsed stone walls of the hill fort form a distinctive ring around the summit and lead you to the highest rocky outcrops and the summit cairn.

   Easy to get wrong

   The climb is a very steep start to the day. Unlike the rest of the grassy northern fells, Carrock Fell is rough gabbro rock; the boulder fields are awkward and mobile, and very slick and dangerous when wet or icy, with a high risk of twisted ankles.

   If you need to get off

   Turn round and carefully downclimb the rocky spur to the valley road. Do not bail to the north or south: the flanks steepen into perilous, craggy ravines.

2. 2

   Carrock Fell → Miton Hill (1.4 km, 18 m)

   Descent of about 53 m over 1.4 km.

   Leave the rocky crown of Carrock Fell and head west, dropping off the stones into a wide expanse of spongy grass; cross a shallow depression and rise to the subtle grassy swelling of Miton Hill.

   Waypoints

   Carrock Fell western plateau, Miton Hill summit.

   Decision point

   If the cloud base drops, rely on a west-north-westerly compass bearing: there are no distinct crags to guide you. The deep trench of the Grainsgill Beck valley to your left (south) is a broad boundary against drifting off course.

   Easy to get wrong

   The ground changes abruptly from hard rock to thick, waterlogged grass, deeply rutted with hidden peat hags and saturated sphagnum moss. Miton Hill is a featureless bump, bar its small cairn, in a sea of identical green and brown moorland, making disorientation incredibly easy in thick hill fog.

   If you need to get off

   The better option in a whiteout is to reverse your bearing and retreat east back to the distinctive rocky plateau of Carrock Fell, descending your ascent route.

3. 3

   Miton Hill → High Pike (Caldbeck) (1.8 km, 75 m)

   Climb of about 75 m over 1.8 km (around 4% average).

   Continue north-west across the wet moorland, picking up better-defined grassy trods as the ground begins a gentle ascent. The path broadens and firms up onto the broad summit dome of High Pike, with its trig point, stone shelter and memorial bench.

   Waypoints

   Miton Hill, High Pike summit (658m).

   Decision point

   In clear weather, High Pike's grassy dome and its summit structures are easy to spot from miles away. In thick cloud you will eventually meet the well-trodden path of the Cumbria Way, which crosses the summit.

   Easy to get wrong

   The climb is gentle, but the tussocky grass and marshy hollows still drain energy. This part of the fell is very exposed to freezing northern winds straight off the Solway Firth, so the summit wind shelter is welcome.

   If you need to get off

   From High Pike, you can bail north/north-east down the distinct, engineered track towards Caldbeck, a clear descent off the high fells.

4. 4

   High Pike (Caldbeck) → Hare Stones (0.7 km, 12 m)

   Undulating section of about 0.7 km.

   Turn sharply south, leaving High Pike for the bogs. Cross the wet, spongy saddle near the heads of the local becks and rise slightly over the peat to the boggy top of Hare Stones.

   Waypoints

   High Pike southern slopes, Hare Stones summit.

   Decision point

   Keep the drop into the Grainsgill Beck catchment well to your left (east). Navigation here relies on a southerly compass bearing.

   Easy to get wrong

   This is some of the wettest ground in the Lake District, scarred with deep drainage channels and hidden pools of black water that need wide detours. The top of Hare Stones is only a slight rise in the swamp.

   If you need to get off

   Retreat north back to the clear paths of High Pike. Bailing to the east or west will put you onto steep, pathless terrain above deep stream gullies.

5. 5

   Hare Stones → Knott (2.8 km, 152 m)

   Descent of about 69 m, then a climb of about 152 m, over 2.8 km.

   Head south-south-west on the Cumbria Way path, past Great Lingy Hut, down to Grainsgill Beck; cross it and turn west on the path across the bogs. The path crosses saturated ground and peat groughs until the ground steepens and turns to shorter, drier turf for the final, steady drag up to the vast, featureless summit dome of Knott.

   Waypoints

   Hare Stones, Great Lingy Hut, Miller Moss (vicinity), Grainsgill Beck, Knott eastern flanks, Knott summit (710m).

   Decision point

   Once across Grainsgill Beck, Knott is the highest ground in the immediate area, and the upward gradient will funnel you toward the top. Keep the deep trench of the River Caldew valley to your left (east/south-east) as a broad, distant handrail.

   Easy to get wrong

   The waist-deep peat hags are tiring to cross. The long grassy ascent up Knott is hard on the legs, and the summit is so broad and flat that it offers few visual cues in hill fog.

   If you need to get off

   At Grainsgill Beck, about 1.3 km past Hare Stones, you can leave Knott out: the Cumbria Way, which this route comes back down in stage 6, runs east-south-east from the crossing as a bridleway beside the beck, fording Arm o' Grain, about 2 km to the road in the valley by the old Carrock mine; the start is about 4.7 km along the road from there. Leaving Knott out saves about 3 km and 150 m of climbing. Anywhere else, no way off this plateau into the Caldew valley has been checked for this guide: the ground down to it is steep and pathless, and the river may not be crossable after rain. Judge going on to Knott or going back from where you are.

6. Knott → Finish (8.2 km, 55 m)

   Descent of about 476 m, with about 55 m of climbing, over 8.2 km.

   Leave Knott east, as the track does, and go back down the way you came to Grainsgill Beck. Cross it and turn east-south-east down the Cumbria Way, a bridleway beside the beck, past the old Carrock Wolframite Mine to the road in the valley. Follow the valley road east beside the River Caldew to Mosedale, then turn north along the road back to the start below Carrock Fell. About 4.7 km of the return is on roads, often without a pavement. Where there is no pavement, keep to the right to face oncoming traffic, stay close to the side and be ready to walk in single file; before a sharp right-hand bend, cross to the other side and cross back after it. Wear something bright, or reflective in poor light (Highway Code rules 2 and 3).

   Waypoints

   Knott descent, Grainsgill Beck, Cumbria Way, Arm o' Grain, Carrock Wolframite Mine, River Caldew, Mosedale, Carrock Fell Foot (finish).

   Decision point

   Once you reach the valley floor, the valley road and the adjacent river lead you back down the valley to Mosedale.

   Easy to get wrong

   The walk-out is long and jarring on tired legs. The path crosses Arm o' Grain at a ford; after rain it can be tricky to cross without getting wet feet. The hard, stony estate tracks are tough on feet that have spent hours on soft peat, and the small rises along the valley floor are hard going at the end of a long day. The path passes the old Carrock Wolframite Mine workings near the foot of Grainsgill Beck; keep clear of the openings and spoil, and do not enter the old workings.

   If you need to get off

   You are on the final escape route. Stick to the main valley track and ignore any faint sheep trods that lead back up the steep, craggy sides of the valley.