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9.19 km · ~1142 m ascent · ~3.5–5 h · loop · 3 summits

Home / Routes / Cofra Pike Via Seat Sandal and Dollywaggon
SevereLoopPlanned

Cofra Pike Via Seat Sandal and Dollywaggon

9.19 km
Distance
~3.5–5 h
Typical time
~1142 m
Ascent
3
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 9.19 km
Ascent ~1142 m
Descent ~1132 m
Time ~3.5–5 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

LengthModerate9.19 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 54% around the 0.7 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationModerateClear line, hard to stray. 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 226 m to 821 m over 9.2 km, with the summits marked in order. 821 m 226 m 0 km 9.2 km 123

1 Seat Sandal2 Cofa Pike3 Dollywaggon Pike

~1142 m
Total ascent
821 m
High point
226 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 9.19 km with around 1142 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: 1 ladder/squeeze stile(s) a dog can’t get through.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~51% drop around the 4.2 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 1 ladder stile

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)
Seat Sandal2.0 km518 m1:16–1:41
Cofa Pike3.9 km817 m2:08–2:51
Dollywaggon Pike6.2 km1119 m3:07–4:08
Finish9.2 km1142 m3:44–4:59

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Seat Sandal (2.0 km, 518 m)

Climb of about 518 m over 2.0 km (around 26% average).

Seat Sandal → Cofa Pike (1.9 km, 299 m)

Climb of about 299 m over 1.9 km (around 16% average).

Cofa Pike → Dollywaggon Pike (2.3 km, 302 m)

Climb of about 302 m over 2.3 km (around 13% average).

Dollywaggon Pike → Finish (3.0 km, 23 m)

Descent of about 577 m over 3.0 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (3)

  • Seat Sandal 737 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
  • Cofa Pike 823 m · Eastern · Birkett, Synge
  • Dollywaggon Pike 858 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Steel End, Thirlmere (paid) — 1.4 km from the start (straight line)
South end of Thirlmere for the Wythburn valley and Armboth fells.
Directions
Wythburn Church, Thirlmere (paid) — 1.7 km from the start (straight line)
Direct forest path up Helvellyn's south ridge (Comb Crags).
Directions

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

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🛖 map (4 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.

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

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Cofra Pike Via Seat Sandal and Dollywaggon

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