Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Start Glenridding
Getting here Parking: Beckside Car Park (paid), 0.1 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 508, 509 and 559 stop at Glenridding, at Bus Shelter, a 140 m walk from this start. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Hard distance: 15.58 km — a long day out. Hard steepness: Steepest sustained climb about 34% around the 1.1 km mark. Hard terrain: Graded on the ground. Hard – graded by Lee on the ground Hard navigation: Graded on the ground. Hard – graded by Lee on the ground Hard exposure: Graded on the ground. Hard – graded by Lee on the ground
Before you choose
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 4 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.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Route map
1 Glenridding Dodd2 Heron Pike (Glenridding)3 Sheffield Pike4 Catstye Cam5 Birkhouse Moor
Easy 51%Moderate 33%Hard 16%Severe
Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Glenridding Dodd (1.7 km, 285 m)
Start in Glenridding village and head up Greenside Road past the cottages. Shortly after leaving the village edge, branch right off the lane onto a steep path climbing north-north-west through the bracken of The Rake. The trail zig-zags up the slope south-west of Glenridding Dodd to the col between it and Heron Pike, before a short final push east to the rocky summit cairn.
WaypointsGlenridding village start, Greenside Road, the turn-off up The Rake, the col below Heron Pike, Glenridding Dodd summit cairn.
Decision pointThe well-trodden path up The Rake from Greenside Road is a clear guide; a wall meets it at the col.
Easy to get wrongAfter 0.8 km of lane, a steep climb up The Rake: about 27-36% for the first half kilometre above the lane. The path can be slick with wet mud after rain.
If you need to get offTurn around at any point during the initial climb and retrace your steps back down Greenside Road into Glenridding.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 2
Glenridding Dodd → Heron Pike (Glenridding) (1.2 km, 237 m)
Retrace your steps west from the summit cairn of Glenridding Dodd back to the shallow col. From the col, pick up the steep, stony trail ascending west up the eastern shoulder of Heron Pike. The gradient steepens over broken rock and grass to the summit outcrop.
WaypointsGlenridding Dodd summit, the col, Heron Pike summit outcrop.
Decision pointThe wall at the col leaves the path on your right; it is not a handrail to the summit. The path keeps to the rocky ridge.
Easy to get wrongThe climb from the col up to Heron Pike is unrelenting, about 25% on average and 37% at its steepest, on rough, stony terrain.
If you need to get offFrom the col between the two fells, take the obvious path dropping south directly back down to Greenside Road.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 3
Heron Pike (Glenridding) → Sheffield Pike (0.7 km, 102 m)
From Heron Pike, continue north-west along the ridge path, climbing steadily. The trail follows the broad, grassy ridge over small rocky knolls and heather to reach the summit of Sheffield Pike.
WaypointsHeron Pike, broad ridge path, Sheffield Pike summit.
Decision pointThe path keeps to the broad ridge all the way to the summit.
Easy to get wrongA steady climb of about 100 m, and the high ground can be very exposed to westerly winds.
If you need to get offRetrace steps south-east along the ridge to the col for the quick descent down to Greenside Road: about 2.8 km from Sheffield Pike’s top to the village, against about 4.9 km on over Nick Head and down the mine road.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 4
Sheffield Pike → Catstye Cam (5.7 km, 588 m)
Descend west off Sheffield Pike into the dip of Nick Head and on down to Swart Beck; cross it by the bridge and follow the bridleway down to the old Greenside Mine workings in the valley of Glenridding Beck. From the valley the route crosses Glenridding Beck by a footbridge and follows it south-west, crosses Red Tarn Beck by another footbridge and climbs south with the beck on your left, then turns west and climbs the steep eastern slopes of Catstye Cam to its summit.
WaypointsSheffield Pike summit, Nick Head col, Swart Beck bridge, Greenside Mine workings, the Glenridding Beck footbridge, the Red Tarn Beck footbridge, the climb south beside Red Tarn Beck, Catstye Cam’s eastern slopes, summit cairn.
Decision pointIn cloud, check your bearing where the path turns west for the summit. Swirral Edge and Helvellyn lie beyond Catstye Cam and are not part of this route.
Easy to get wrongThe Nick Head Bog: The section dropping off Sheffield Pike through Nick Head and down toward Swart Beck is wet, peaty, and boggy. Watch your step around deep water-filled hags. The final climb: from the valley floor at about 330 m to Catstye Cam’s top is some 560 m of ascent, and the last part, up the eastern slopes, is steep on loose ground: 25-38% for 0.4 km from where the path turns west.
If you need to get offOnce down at Greenside Mines (after Nick Head), you can bypass Catstye Cam completely by following the wide gravel/tarmac mine road straight down the valley to Glenridding.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 5
Catstye Cam → Birkhouse Moor (2.5 km, 45 m)
Descend south-west off the sharp summit cone of Catstye Cam into the col at the foot of Swirral Edge. Do not climb Swirral Edge: at the col, turn left and descend east-south-east to the shore of Red Tarn. Follow the path east past the tarn and across its outflow, Red Tarn Beck, then continue east, almost level, to the wall at Hole-in-the-Wall, about 1.5 km from the col. Turn left and follow the wall north-east, keeping it on your right, to the summit cairn of Birkhouse Moor.
WaypointsCatstye Cam summit, the col at the foot of Swirral Edge, Red Tarn, the Red Tarn Beck crossing, Hole-in-the-Wall, Birkhouse Moor summit cairn.
Decision pointFrom Hole-in-the-Wall, the drystone wall along the crest of Birkhouse Moor is a clear guide to the summit. In cloud at the col, make sure you turn east for Red Tarn, not up Swirral Edge.
Easy to get wrongThe initial descent off Catstye Cam to the col is steep over loose rock steps. After heavy rain, take care crossing Red Tarn Beck.
If you need to get offFrom the col onward, the quickest way down is the route itself as far as Hole-in-the-Wall, past Red Tarn. There, go through the wall and take the main path east-north-east along its far side, below Birkhouse Moor’s top; it rejoins the route on the Mires Beck path, about 3.5 km to Glenridding against 4.3 km over the top (stage 6). We have checked it on the map, not on foot.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs Birkhouse Moor → Finish (3.7 km, 14 m)
From the summit of Birkhouse Moor follow the path north-north-east along the broad top for about 0.4 km to a fork (the line goes about 130 m along the left-hand path and comes back), then take the right-hand path east off the top and drop south-east to the wall. Follow it east; the trail turns into a stone-pitched path descending north-east down the long grassy ridge, with Mires Beck on your left, and crosses the beck near the foot of the fell. Go through the gates at the bottom, past Gillside Farm and over Glenridding Beck, and stroll back along the lane into Glenridding village to finish.
WaypointsBirkhouse Moor summit, the wall, Mires Beck pitched path, the Mires Beck crossing, fellside gates, Gillside Farm, Glenridding Beck bridge, Glenridding finish.
Decision pointThe wall, for about 0.3 km, and then Mires Beck on your left guide you down into the valley.
Easy to get wrongA long, 558m continuous descent over hard stone steps that can be tough on tired knees.
If you need to get offDirect descent path straight back to the village finish.
© Lee McCoy
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Walked by Lee, September 2023
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 6.1 km and retrace your outward leg: about 12.2 km in all, against 15.6 km for the whole walk, with about 370 m of climbing on the way back over ground you came down. It is the same ground back, not a separate descent.
Summits bagged (5)
- 1Glenridding Dodd442 m
- 2Heron Pike (Glenridding)612 m
- 3Sheffield Pike676 m
- 4Catstye Cam890 m
- 5Birkhouse Moor718 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Conditions and timing
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.
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.
- Glenridding Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, 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.
- Sheffield Pike — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Catstye Cam — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Birkhouse Moor — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
How to read these times
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.
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.
Getting there and back
Nearest fuel to this start: Rheged, A66, 18.2 km by road (06:00-22:00 daily when checked on 8 August 2026; hours change, so check on the day). Nearest shop: Glenridding Mini Market, 0.2 km. Both measured along the road from the parking we publish at Beckside Car Park, checked 8 August 2026. Coming in from a particular direction you may pass a closer one — the last petrol before each valley →
Driving an electric car? Beckside Car Park (paid) has a verified public charger 71 m away — Glenridding (CA11 0PD), 7 kW. Over about 5.2 hours on the hill that is up to 36 kWh, which is a ceiling and not a promise. EV charging at this start → (checked 2026-08-05).
Parking
2 more places to park near the start
Positions are approximate.
Of the pay-and-display machine tickets sold at Glenridding from 17 August 2024 to 31 March 2026, 34% were bought before 10am (our count of FOI/2026.500 ticket data). Contains public sector information provided by the Lake District National Park Authority and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.
If the parking is full
There is no real plan B by car here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so expect them to fill on the same mornings. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off. The bus below is the exception: it is not limited by car-park space, though it runs to a timetable and can be full.
- Ullswater Steamers Glenridding Pier car park (paid) — a 540 m walk to the start
- Glenridding, by St Patrick's Boat Landing (car park) — a 440 m walk to the start
- Beckside Car Park (paid) — at the start
- By bus: buses stop at Glenridding, at Bus Shelter, a 140 m walk from the start. A bus is not affected by a full car park. Its return times are under Buses.
We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.
No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.
Buses
The 508, 509 and 559 stop at Glenridding, at Bus Shelter, a 140 m walk from this start. The last bus is 19:41 towards Windermere (508) and 17:55 towards Penrith (508) and 17:45 towards Grasmere (559) and 17:29 towards Patterdale (509) and 16:00 towards Keswick (509) and 15:04 towards Hartsop (509), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 508 passes this route at 1.7 km (Ullswater Stybarrow Crag (near), 750 m off the line). It passes again at 15.6 km.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Glenridding village car park, about 60 m from the start: pay and display, coins and cards, with toilets on site. 58 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked 10 August 2026)
- Toilets Toilets are mapped about 25 m from the start. 25 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments Fellbites (about 20 m), Fairlight Café (about 60 m) and Helvellyn Country Kitchen (about 65 m) are mapped in the village. Opening hours are not recorded here. 21 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation A steep pull straight out of the valley, notoriously wet ground at Nick Head, and a long 558 m descent at the end that tells on tired knees. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
At Beckside Car Park (paid), the closest parking we hold to where this route starts:
Distances are straight lines from the car park, not walking routes. Opening hours change; none of this is checked daily.
Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap too, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of the start and not already listed above:
Also mapped within reach: 2 benches.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Planning detail
How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.
Difficulty profile
Hard overall — hardest: Length, steepness, terrain (graded by Lee on the ground), navigation (graded by Lee on the ground) and exposure (graded by Lee on the ground)
Five independent axes, not one score. Three of the five were set on the ground; the rest are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.
How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Glenridding Dodd | 1.7 km | 285 m | 0:49–1:05 |
| 2Heron Pike (Glenridding) | 2.9 km | 522 m | 1:27–1:56 |
| 3Sheffield Pike | 3.7 km | 624 m | 1:46–2:21 |
| 4Catstye Cam | 9.4 km | 1211 m | 3:54–5:11 |
| 5Birkhouse Moor | 11.9 km | 1256 m | 4:29–5:57 |
| Finish | 15.6 km | 1269 m | 5:14–6:57 |
A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?
- Buggy: No mapped stiles, but the ground is not a buggy line: terrain Hard – graded by Lee on the ground.
- Knees: A long, steep ~32% drop over 250 m around the 13.6 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: drops and exposed ground. The steepest stretch is a sustained climb of about 34% around the 1.1 km mark.
- Drops and exposed ground: Hard – graded by Lee on the ground. Graded on the ground.
- Rock and scrambling: Ground underfoot: Hard – graded by Lee on the ground. Graded on the ground.
- Stiles and gates: Only gates and kissing gates are mapped: no stile a dog can’t get through. That is the barriers alone; check the route’s steep or rocky ground before you bring a dog. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 18 July 2026)
- Ways off early: None recorded for this route.
- Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.
On the line: 5 gates
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 18 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
- Greenbank Farm Bed and Breakfast (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 2.5 km
Also nearby, but not independent
- YHA Helvellyn (opens in new tab) hostelabout 2.0 km
We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Glenridding — 0.1 km from this start
- Walks from Patterdale — 1.3 km from this start
Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.
