Carrock Fell and Knott

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Carrock Fell (1.7 km, 431 m)

   Climb of about 431 m over 1.7 km (around 25% average).

   From the roadside near Stone Ends, launch immediately into a brutal, direct assault straight up the steep eastern nose of Carrock Fell. The route forces its way up through deep heather and a chaotic jumble of blocky scree, crossing the tumbled ruins of an ancient Iron Age hill fort before finally breaking out onto the rugged, rocky summit plateau

   Waypoints

   Stone Ends (start), Carrock Fell eastern spur, Iron Age hill fort ruins, Carrock Fell summit (661m)

   Decision point

   The sheer steepness of the spur dictates your route—there is simply nowhere else to go but up. The massive, collapsed stone walls of the hill fort form an unmistakable ring around the summit, naturally guiding you to the highest rocky outcrops and the summit cairn

   Easy to get wrong

   A 25% average gradient is a violently steep start to the day. Unlike the rest of the grassy northern fells, Carrock Fell is composed of rough gabbro rock; the boulder fields are awkward, mobile, and become incredibly slick and dangerous when wet or coated in winter ice, posing a high risk of twisted ankles

   If you need to get off

   Turn 180 degrees and carefully downclimb the rocky spur back to the valley road. Do not attempt to bail laterally to the north or south, as the flanks steepen into perilous, craggy ravines

2. 2

   Carrock Fell → Miton Hill (1.4 km, 15 m)

   Descent of about 49 m over 1.4 km.

   Leave the rocky crown of Carrock Fell and head west, where the terrain undergoes an instant, dramatic transition. Drop off the stones into a wide, trackless expanse of spongy grass, crossing a shallow depression before cresting the virtually imperceptible grassy swelling of Miton Hill

   Waypoints

   Carrock Fell western plateau, Miton Hill summit

   Decision point

   You must rely strictly on a westerly compass bearing if the cloud base drops, as there are no distinct crags or paths to guide you. Use the deep, plunging trench of the Grainsgill Beck valley to your left (south) as a broad boundary to prevent drifting off course

   Easy to get wrong

   The shift from hard rock to thick, waterlogged grass is jarring. The ground here is deeply rutted with hidden peat hags and saturated sphagnum moss. Miton Hill is barely a hill at all; it is a completely featureless bump in a sea of identical green and brown moorland, making disorientation incredibly easy

   If you need to get off

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

3. 3

   Miton Hill → High Pike (Caldbeck) (1.8 km, 66 m)

   Climb of about 66 m over 1.8 km (around 4% average).

   Continue north-west across the sprawling, wet moorland, gradually picking up better-defined grassy trods as the ground begins a gentle, rolling ascent. The path broadens and firms up as it pulls you onto the massive, sprawling summit dome of High Pike, marked by its prominent trig point, stone shelter, and memorial bench

   Waypoints

   Miton Hill, High Pike summit (658m)

   Decision point

   In clear weather, the huge grassy dome of High Pike and its cluster of summit structures are unmistakable from miles away. In thick clag, you will eventually intersect the heavily-trodden, distinct path of the Cumbria Way, which crosses right over the summit

   Easy to get wrong

   While the 4% gradient is physically easy, the tussocky grass and marshy hollows continue to drain energy. This section of the fell is massively exposed to freezing northern winds sweeping unobstructed off the Solway Firth, making the summit wind shelter a highly welcome sight

   If you need to get off

   From High Pike, you can bail north/north-east down the distinct, engineered track towards the village of Caldbeck, providing a highly reliable and safe descent off the high fells

4. 4

   High Pike (Caldbeck) → Hare Stones (0.7 km, 2 m)

   Undulating section of about 0.7 km.

   Turn sharply south, leaving the distinct paths of High Pike to plunge back into the trackless bogs. Cross the notoriously wet, spongy saddle near the headwaters of the local becks, making a negligible rise over the peat to reach the minor, boggy prominence of Hare Stones

   Waypoints

   High Pike southern slopes, River Caldew headwaters (vicinity), Hare Stones summit

   Decision point

   Keep the plunging drop of the Grainsgill Beck catchment well to your left (east). Navigation here relies strictly on a southerly compass bearing, as the faint sheep trods simply vanish into the bogs

   Easy to get wrong

   You are re-entering some of the wettest terrain in the Lake District. The ground here is heavily scarred with deep drainage channels and hidden pools of black water that require wide, frustrating detours. The "summit" of Hare Stones is merely a slight convexity in the swamp

   If you need to get off

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

5. 5

   Hare Stones → Knott (2.8 km, 148 m)

   Climb of about 148 m over 2.8 km (around 5% average).

   Embark on a long, gruelling slog south-west across the heart of the Skiddaw Forest bogs. Traverse the saturated expanses, weaving through a maze of peat groughs, until the ground eventually steepens and transitions to shorter, drier turf for the final, steady drag up to the vast, featureless summit dome of Knott

   Waypoints

   Hare Stones, Miller Moss (vicinity), Knott eastern flanks, Knott summit (710m)

   Decision point

   Knott is the highest ground in the immediate area, so the persistent upward gradient will naturally 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

   Almost 3 km of obstacle-course navigation through waist-deep peat hags is physically exhausting and mentally taxing. The sheer scale and monotony of the grassy ascent up Knott is a notorious leg-burner, and the summit is so broad and flat that it offers zero visual cues in hill fog

   If you need to get off

   If the bogs become completely impassable, force a line east to hit the distinct Cumbria Way track down in the Caldew valley, though the descent off the plateau to reach it is steep and pathless

6. Knott → Finish (8.2 km, 55 m)

   About 8.2 km with 55 m of ascent.

   Leave Knott and descend its sprawling eastern or southern flanks to intersect the main Cumbria Way track on the valley floor. Once on the established trail, settle in for a massive, rolling march along the stony tracks, following the River Caldew and Grainsgill Beck all the way out of the mountains to finish back at Mosedale

   Waypoints

   Knott descent, Cumbria Way track, River Caldew, Grainsgill Beck, Mosedale (finish)

   Decision point

   Once you reach the valley floor, the heavily engineered Cumbria Way track and the adjacent river act as an infallible, continuous linear handrail guiding you perfectly back to civilization

   Easy to get wrong

   An 8.2 km walk-out is exceptionally long and jarring on tired legs. The hard, stony estate tracks feel brutal on feet that have spent hours on soft peat, and the minor 55m of rolling re-ascent hidden along the valley floor feels deeply demoralizing at the very end of a strenuous day

   If you need to get off

   You are on the final, definitive escape route. Stick strictly to the main valley track, completely ignoring any faint sheep trods that attempt to lead you back up the steep, craggy sides of the valley