Dale Head Hindscarth and Robinson

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Dale Head (2.1 km, 392 m)

   Climb of about 392 m over 2.1 km (around 19% average).

   From the starting point at Honister Pass, pick up the well-trodden, pitched stone path that strikes straight up the grassy hillside. The ascent is immediate and relentless, following the line of the fence all the way up the fell's southern flank until the gradient finally eases as you reach the magnificent summit cairn perched right on the lip of Dale Head Crags.

   Waypoints

   Honister Slate Mine (start), Yew Crag (flanks), Dale Head summit (753m).

   Decision point

   The old drystone wall and accompanying wire fence act as a continuous handrail leading directly to the summit. If the clag drops, simply keep the fence to your left going up, taking care not to wander east toward the steep drops of Yew Crag.

   Easy to get wrong

   There is no warm-up on this stage; it is a steep, lung-busting pull from the first footstep. The pitched stone steps can be incredibly greasy after rain and hold ice well into spring. Once you clear the sheltered lower slopes, you are heavily exposed to south-westerly winds, and in winter, significant cornices build up along the northern crag edge just beyond the summit cairn.

   If you need to get off

   The most immediate retreat is to turn 180 degrees and follow the fence line straight back down the grassy spur to Honister Pass. Do not attempt to drop down the northern crags into the Newlands Valley from the summit.

   

   

2. 2

   Dale Head → Hindscarth (1.8 km, 82 m)

   Descent of about 97 m, then a climb of about 82 m, over 1.8 km.

   Leave the Dale Head summit by heading west along the broad, high-level traverse of Hindscarth Edge. The path drops gently into a shallow saddle before you reach a junction; turn right (north) here to leave the main edge, following the spur out over relatively easy, stony ground to the summit shelter on Hindscarth.

   Waypoints

   Hindscarth Edge, Far Tongue Gill (head), Hindscarth summit (727m).

   Decision point

   Use the lip of the escarpment on your right as a catching feature along Hindscarth Edge. Look closely for a small cairn and the Y-junction in the path that marks the sharp northern turn away from the main east-west ridge line toward the Hindscarth summit.

   Easy to get wrong

   This is a fast, enjoyable ridge walk, but it is fully exposed to the prevailing weather rushing up the Newlands Valley. The main challenge is purely navigational in thick mist; the turn-off for Hindscarth is easy to miss if you have your head down in the wind, which will cause you to prematurely descend toward Littledale Edge. On Dale Head, the easy southern slope ends suddenly right at the top, where the ground drops away in crags to Newlands.

   If you need to get off

   Retrace your route back to Dale Head and descend the fence line to Honister. Alternatively, in an emergency, you can continue north from Hindscarth down the long ridge of Scope End into the Newlands Valley, though this is a lengthy descent committing you to the wrong side of the massif if your transport is at Honister.

   

   

3. 3

   Hindscarth → Robinson (2.0 km, 163 m)

   Descent of about 152 m, then a climb of about 163 m, over 2.0 km.

   Retrace your steps south from the Hindscarth summit back to the path junction on Hindscarth Edge. Turn right (west) to descend a steep, slightly loose path into the depression of Littledale Edge, before tackling the rocky, direct ascent up the eastern flank of Robinson, emerging onto a broad and surprisingly flat summit plateau.

   Waypoints

   Hindscarth Edge junction, Littledale Edge, Robinson summit (738m).

   Decision point

   The path across Littledale Edge and up the rocky steps is heavily eroded and obvious in good weather. However, Robinson’s summit is a massive, featureless grassy dome; use a compass bearing to locate the two low wind shelters and the subtle summit cairn if the cloud base is low.

   Easy to get wrong

   The drop into Littledale Edge features loose scree that requires careful footwork. The subsequent pull up Robinson includes a couple of short, hands-on rocky scrambling steps; the rock here is highly polished from heavy foot traffic and becomes notoriously slick in the wet or under a layer of verglas.

   If you need to get off

   From the saddle of Littledale Edge, you can bail north-east following the headwaters of Little Dale down into the Newlands Valley, though the upper sections are pathless, boggy, and rough. Under no circumstances should you attempt to descend south from the edge into the steep, craggy bowl of the Warnscale bottom.

   

   

4. Robinson → Finish (11.7 km, 171 m)

   Descent of about 656 m, with about 171 m of climbing, over 11.7 km.

   Descend north-east from Robinson's summit, taking care on the steep, rocky down-step just below the top, then follow the ridge as it drops steadily towards the Newlands valley. Once off the high ground the route joins the valley tracks and follows them north-east, a long and gently undulating walk-out that finishes in Keswick rather than back at Honister — this is a linear route, and the finish is about 10.6 km from the start.

   Waypoints

   Robinson north-east ridge, Newlands valley floor, valley tracks, Keswick.

   Decision point

   On the descent, watch the wear of the path through the crags so you are not bluffed out onto steeper ground. Once on the valley floor the road, the beck and the bridleways are continuous handrails north-east to Keswick.

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial descent off Robinson is the most technical part of the day, featuring a steep rock step just below the summit that catches many walkers off guard — downclimb with care, especially in the wet. After that the difficulty is endurance rather than terrain: the walk-out is 11.7 km, most of it after the climbing is done, at the end of an already long day.

   If you need to get off

   You are effectively on your escape route once you are off the ridge and onto the Newlands valley floor. If fatigue, injury or failing light becomes an issue, stay on the valley road rather than the field paths and continue towards the nearest farm or settlement to call for help or a taxi. Note that walking back to Honister is not the short option from here — the finish at Keswick is ahead of you, not behind.