Catbells, Maiden Moor & High Spy
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Key facts
Difficulty profile
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.
1 Skelgill Bank2 Cat Bells (Catbells)3 Maiden Moor4 High Spy
⚑ escape route
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 13.79 km with around 824 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: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~32% drop around the 10.7 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 1 gate
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 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skelgill Bank | 1.0 km | 212 m | 0:34–0:45 |
| Cat Bells (Catbells) | 1.8 km | 330 m | 0:54–1:12 |
| Maiden Moor | 3.9 km | 542 m | 1:41–2:15 |
| High Spy | 6.0 km | 630 m | 2:15–2:59 |
| Finish | 13.8 km | 824 m | 4:08–5:30 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Hawes End → Skelgill Bank (1.0 km, 212 m)
Climb of about 212 m over 1.0 km (around 21% average).
Decision point: Start at Hawes End on the signed path for “Catbells, 1 mile”. It rises immediately from near road level on a good fell path and pulls up steadily to the ridge. Where the path forks low down, either branch works — they rejoin — so don’t fret over the left or right line. You gain the ridge at Skelgill Bank, with Derwentwater on your left and the Newlands valley on your right.
Easy to get wrong: Skelgill Bank looks like the top but isn’t Catbells — keep going along the ridge. It’s a continuous pull, so let fitter walkers pass and go at your own pace.
Skelgill Bank → Cat Bells (Catbells) (0.7 km, 117 m)
Climb of about 117 m over 0.7 km (around 17% average).
Decision point: Continue straight along the obvious ridge path — you can’t really go wrong, and the track stays clear even in poor weather. Near the top come the well-known “scrambly” steps, where the path briefly steepens and you’ll want hands.
Easy to get wrong: The short scramble isn’t extreme and there’s an easier line on either side; with children, stay behind them and talk them through. Take care on the steps when wet.
Cat Bells (Catbells) → Maiden Moor (2.1 km, 213 m)
Climb of about 213 m over 2.1 km (around 10% average).
Decision point: From the Catbells summit drop to the col at Hause Gate, then climb steadily up to Maiden Moor — a plod rather than a pull, far less steep than the Catbells ascent, with only a couple of very minor scrambly bits. It soon plateaus into open moorland; as you near the top, take a deliberate right turn to the summit.
Easy to get wrong: Maiden Moor’s top is easily missed — the instinctive left turn bypasses it, so swing right to tag it. Note the Hause Gate descent on the way up: it’s your bail option (below) and your return line.
Maiden Moor → High Spy (2.0 km, 88 m)
Climb of about 88 m over 2.0 km (around 4% average).
Decision point: Smoother and easier underfoot — gentle undulation rather than a defined climb. Follow the main ridge line; it bends on the ground even when it feels like you’re staying on the central spine. High Spy shows ahead as a more definite rise with a large cairn slightly left of your line.
Easy to get wrong: A mix of short stony stretches and grassy trods, never narrow enough to feel exposed but with steep ground dropping away on both sides — stay on the main trod, especially in cloud.
High Spy → Finish (7.8 km, 194 m)
Climb of about 194 m over 7.8 km (around 2% average).
Decision point: Head north off High Spy, keeping to the right so you don’t re-climb Maiden Moor (it saves a few minutes). Follow your outward line back down towards Hause Gate; it bends right and can be slightly boggy — or carry on to the clear 90-degree right turn and descend the maintained walkway. Near the bottom, at the first significant junction turn left, then about 100 m later left again onto another clear path, and follow it out to the road and back to Hawes End.
Easy to get wrong: Keep right coming off High Spy to avoid revisiting Maiden Moor. The bend towards Hause Gate can be boggy underfoot; if that doesn’t appeal, stay on to the maintained track.
Summits bagged (4)
- Skelgill Bank 338 m · North Western · Birkett, Synge
- Cat Bells (Catbells) 451 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Maiden Moor 575 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- High Spy 653 m · North Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
🅿️ Getting there & parking
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
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
- A few easy scrambly steps on Catbells — take care, especially when wet.
- The ridge is narrow in places with steep ground either side; fine for most, but keep children close.
Hazard & incident notes: Cat Bells (Catbells) · Maiden Moor · High Spy
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.
⚡ Escape routes
- At about 2.5 km: descend to Derwentwater (east) or Little Town (west) (cuts ~11.3 km) — From Catbells summit or the Hause Gate col you can cut the walk short. East to Derwentwater is my preference — it’s not a tricky descent, keeps the lake views on a sunny day, and you’re usually out of the prevailing wind. West to Little Town is shorter but a bit more exposed.
Bail-out lines verified on the ground. In poor visibility a marked descent can be safer than retracing a ridge.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: For a short day, turn back at Catbells — the first and most popular Wainwright — and drop from the Hause Gate col (east to Derwentwater is the gentler, more sheltered way down). You bag one Wainwright and skip the longer ridge out to Maiden Moor and High Spy.
Harder: The line here takes a short detour onto High Spy North Top, a Nuttall/Synge top just off the main summit — a little extra ground for top-baggers. It isn’t a Wainwright, so it doesn’t change the three-Wainwright tally.
Why this direction: Walked Catbells-first (Hawes End → Skelgill Bank → Catbells → Hause Gate → Maiden Moor → High Spy, returning to Hawes End): you get the steep pull over early while fresh, then traverse the ridge with Derwentwater on your shoulder, and the return keeps right off High Spy to avoid re-climbing Maiden Moor.
Short version: turn back at about 4.4 km (drop to Hawes End) — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Catbells, Maiden Moor & High Spy
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