Finishing of the Far Eastern Fells
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 6 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 Rest Dodd2 The Nab3 Brock Crags (Wainwright)4 Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)5 Beda Fell (Beda Head)6 Place Fell
Easy 75%Moderate 17%Hard 8%Severe 1%
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 22.5 km with around 1279 m of ascent, taking in 6 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: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~39% drop around the 3.9 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 12 gates · 2 kissing gates · 2 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 (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-08-08. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Rest Dodd | 3.7 km | 560 m | 1:41–2:14 |
| 2The Nab | 5.5 km | 626 m | 2:09–2:51 |
| 3Brock Crags (Wainwright) | 8.9 km | 772 m | 3:03–4:04 |
| 4Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) | 11.4 km | 874 m | 3:44–4:58 |
| 5Beda Fell (Beda Head) | 14.5 km | 942 m | 4:28–5:56 |
| 6Place Fell | 19.1 km | 1270 m | 5:56–7:54 |
| Finish | 22.5 km | 1279 m | 6:38–8:49 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Rest Dodd (3.7 km, 560 m)
From the valley floor, begin the relentless, steep grassy slog directly up the flanks to the summit of Rest Dodd
WaypointsValley start, Rest Dodd summit
Decision pointThe ascent is a straightforward matter of aiming straight up the steepest gradient until the ground finally flattens out at the summit plateau
Easy to get wrongA brutal 15% average climb to shock the legs right out of the gate. The terrain is a sheer, sustained grassy haul that feels endless, but it efficiently dispenses with the bulk of the day's elevation
If you need to get offTurn around and carefully descend the steep grass directly back to the valley
© Lee McCoy - 2
Rest Dodd → The Nab (1.8 km, 66 m)
Descend the steep north-eastern flank of Rest Dodd into the depression, then cross the notoriously boggy saddle to the flat summit of The Nab
WaypointsRest Dodd descent, Peat hag saddle, The Nab summit
Decision pointThe prominent flat dome of The Nab sits directly ahead. Weave through the hags but maintain a general north-easterly bearing
Easy to get wrongThe Nab is situated in the Martindale deer sanctuary. The saddle connecting these two fells is infamous for its deep, black peat hags. It is a messy, squelchy crossing even in the height of a dry summer, requiring constant weaving and long jumps to keep your boots from sinking
If you need to get offYou must retrace your steps back to Rest Dodd. Dropping off The Nab directly into the Martindale valleys is steep, trackless, and heavily discouraged to protect the deer herds. ### The Crags & The Tarn.
© Lee McCoy - 3
The Nab → Brock Crags (Wainwright) (3.4 km, 146 m)
Retrace your steps back across the peat hags. Rather than re-summiting Rest Dodd, pick up the faint trod that skirts its western flanks near Satura Crag. Cross the undulating, rough moorland to reach the rocky summit of Brock Crags
WaypointsPeat hag saddle, Satura Crag (skirted), Brock Crags summit
Decision pointOnce past Rest Dodd, the path firms up as it joins the main thoroughfares heading north-west toward the crags
Easy to get wrongA long 3.4 km traverse. Skirting Rest Dodd saves a punishing re-ascent, but the ground here is rough, tussocky, and undulating
If you need to get offFrom Satura Crag, you can head south to pick up the descent path into the Hartsop valley
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 4
Brock Crags (Wainwright) → Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) (2.5 km, 102 m)
Descend Brock Crags and navigate the wonderfully chaotic, knobbly terrain. Pass the deeply indented, beautiful shores of Angle Tarn, then tackle the short, sharp pull up to the craggy twin summits of Angletarn Pikes
WaypointsBrock Crags descent, Angle Tarn, Angletarn Pikes North Top
Decision pointAngle Tarn is a massive, unmissable water handrail. The twin rocky peaks of the Pikes dominate the skyline ahead
Easy to get wrongOne of the most visually stunning sections of the Lakes. The terrain is a maze of rocky bumps and small hollows. The North Top is the true summit and requires a very brief, simple scramble to touch the highest rock
If you need to get offFrom Angle Tarn, clear paths lead west directly down to Patterdale. ### The Long Ridge & The Final Slog.
© Lee McCoy - 5
Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) → Beda Fell (Beda Head) (3.1 km, 67 m)
Drop north off the Pikes, ignoring the paths that dive straight down into the valleys. Pick up the sweeping, grassy ridge heading north-east to the quiet summit of Beda Fell (Beda Head)
WaypointsAngletarn Pikes descent, Beda Fell ridge, Beda Head summit
Decision pointThe ridge line is obvious and funnels you naturally along its crest
Easy to get wrongA very gentle 2% climb on forgiving grass. This long ridge feels remarkably isolated and peaceful after the busy crossroads near Angle Tarn
If you need to get offTurn around and head south back toward Boredale Hause to pick up a safe valley descent
© Lee McCoy - 6
Beda Fell (Beda Head) → Place Fell (4.7 km, 328 m)
The psychological crux of the route. Drop heavily off the Beda Fell ridge, navigating the connecting depressions/hauses, before facing the grueling, steep climb up the eastern flanks of Place Fell to its prominent rocky summit trig point
WaypointsBeda Fell descent, Boredale hause crossing, Place Fell summit trig point
Decision pointPlace Fell is a massive, inescapable mountain block. Aim for the trig point perched on the rocky highest outcrop
Easy to get wrongDropping massive elevation only to face a 328 m climb late in the day is a severe test of stamina. The ascent up Place Fell feels relentless on tired legs, transitioning from grass to loose rock near the top
If you need to get offBefore beginning the climb up Place Fell, you can bail from the hause directly down into the Patterdale valley
© Lee McCoy Place Fell → Finish (3.4 km, 10 m)
Drop steeply off the western flanks of Place Fell, following the heavily engineered, rocky paths down the nose of the fell to the valley floor
WaypointsPlace Fell descent, Sheepfold, Valley finish
Decision pointThe path down to the valley is heavily trafficked and completely unmistakable
Easy to get wrongA punishing 492 m descent. The path is rocky and heavily pitched with stone steps in places, which demands careful, deliberate footwork to protect exhausted knees and toes
If you need to get offYou are on the final exit route; simply continue the descent off the fell
© Lee McCoy
Summits bagged (6)
- 1Rest Dodd696 m
- 2The Nab576 m
- 3Brock Crags (Wainwright)561 m
- 4Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top)566 m
- 5Beda Fell (Beda Head)509 m
- 6Place Fell657 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.
Every option near this start, on the parking map →
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Buses
The 508 stops at Hartsop, in road end, 20 m from this start. The last bus is 17:44 towards Penrith (508) and 15:50 towards Keswick (509), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 508 passes this route at 0.0 km (Hartsop, in road end, 10 m off the line). It passes again at 22.5 km.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
If the parking is full
There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.
- Cow Bridge, Hartsop (paid)
- Gale Crag (layby)
Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.
When the sun reaches the tops
Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later. The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.
- Rest Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
- The Nab — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in late December — about an hour after sunrise.
- Brock Crags (Wainwright) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
- Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
- Beda Fell (Beda Head) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
- Place Fell — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.
Safety & conditions
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.
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 10.5 km — roughly half the distance.
