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14.11 km · ~795 m ascent · ~4–5.5 h · loop · 4 summits

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Castle Crag, Brund Fell & Great Crag

14.11 km
Distance
~4–5.5 h
Typical time
~795 m
Ascent
4
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 14.11 km
Ascent ~795 m
Descent ~794 m
Time ~4–5.5 h
Type Loop
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Difficulty profile

LengthHard14.11 km — a long day out.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 36% around the 1.7 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~17% 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 3 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 81 m to 439 m over 14.1 km, with the summits marked in order. 439 m 81 m 0 km 14.1 km 1234

1 Castle Crag2 King's How - Grange Fell3 Grange Fell (Brund Fell)4 Great Crag (Stonethwaite)

~795 m
Total ascent
439 m
High point
88 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 14.11 km with around 795 m of ascent, taking in 4 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
Mostly gates
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Steep in places
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A sustained ~29% descent around the 10.7 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.

On the line: 15 gates · 4 kissing gates · 1 step-over stile · 3 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 2026-07-19. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Castle Crag2.1 km198 m0:45–1:00
King's How - Grange Fell7.2 km563 m2:23–3:10
Grange Fell (Brund Fell)8.4 km647 m2:45–3:40
Great Crag (Stonethwaite)10.5 km770 m3:24–4:31
Finish14.1 km795 m4:09–5:31

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Castle Crag (2.1 km, 198 m)

Climb of about 198 m over 2.1 km (around 9% average).

Castle Crag → King's How - Grange Fell (5.1 km, 365 m)

Climb of about 365 m over 5.1 km (around 7% average).

King's How - Grange Fell → Grange Fell (Brund Fell) (1.2 km, 84 m)

Climb of about 84 m over 1.2 km (around 7% average).

Grange Fell (Brund Fell) → Great Crag (Stonethwaite) (2.2 km, 123 m)

Climb of about 123 m over 2.2 km (around 6% average).

Great Crag (Stonethwaite) → Finish (3.6 km, 25 m)

Descent of about 349 m over 3.6 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (4)

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Rosthwaite (NT, paid) — 0.3 km from the start (straight line)
Village car park for the central Borrowdale fells and Watendlath ridge.
Directions
Stonethwaite (roadside, limited) — 1.0 km from the start (straight line)
Small roadside area near the hamlet — Eagle Crag, Sergeant's Crag, Langstrath approaches.
Directions

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

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🛖 map (8 m)🚺 map (11 m)🚌 General Store (N bound) (68 m)🚌 General Store (S bound) (82 m)🚌 Howe Lane End (S bound) (337 m)🚌 Howe Lane End (N bound) (339 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.

🚌 Buses

Stagecoach 78 “Borrowdale Rambler”
Keswick – Lodore – Grange – Rosthwaite – Seatoller
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 or X4/X5)
Year-round, frequent in season. Serves all the Borrowdale starts — Glaramara, the Scafells and Great Gable via Seathwaite (alight Seatoller, 20 min walk up the lane).
Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Castle Crag, Brund Fell & Great Crag

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