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15.58 km · ~1209 m ascent · ~5–7 h · loop · 5 summits

Home / Routes / Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor
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Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor

15.58 km
Distance
~5–7 h
Typical time
~1209 m
Ascent
5
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 15.58 km
Ascent ~1209 m
Descent ~1209 m
Time ~5–7 h
Type Loop
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Difficulty profile

LengthHard15.58 km — a long day out.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 38% around the 9.0 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 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.

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 157 m to 831 m over 15.6 km, with the summits marked in order. 831 m 157 m 0 km 15.6 km 12345

1 Glenridding Dodd2 Heron Pike (Glenridding)3 Sheffield Pike4 Catstye Cam5 Birkhouse Moor

~1209 m
Total ascent
831 m
High point
157 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 15.58 km with around 1209 m of ascent, taking in 5 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 ~32% drop around the 13.6 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 8 gates · 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 2026-07-18. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Glenridding Dodd1.7 km277 m0:48–1:04
Heron Pike (Glenridding)2.9 km489 m1:24–1:52
Sheffield Pike3.7 km586 m1:43–2:16
Catstye Cam9.4 km1155 m3:48–5:04
Birkhouse Moor11.9 km1195 m4:23–5:49
Finish15.6 km1209 m5:08–6:49

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Glenridding Dodd (1.7 km, 277 m)

Climb of about 277 m over 1.7 km (around 16% average).

Glenridding Dodd → Heron Pike (Glenridding) (1.2 km, 212 m)

Climb of about 212 m over 1.2 km (around 18% average).

Heron Pike (Glenridding) → Sheffield Pike (0.7 km, 97 m)

Climb of about 97 m over 0.7 km (around 14% average).

Sheffield Pike → Catstye Cam (5.7 km, 569 m)

Climb of about 569 m over 5.7 km (around 10% average).

Catstye Cam → Birkhouse Moor (2.5 km, 40 m)

About 2.5 km with 40 m of ascent.

Birkhouse Moor → Finish (3.7 km, 14 m)

Descent of about 554 m over 3.7 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (5)

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Glenridding (paid) — 0.1 km from the start (straight line)
Main Helvellyn-from-the-east base: Striding Edge, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor; also Sheffield Pike, Glenridding Dodd.
Directions
Patterdale (paid) — 1.3 km from the start (straight line)
For Place Fell, St Sunday Crag, the Grisedale fells.
Directions

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

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🛖 map (51 m)🚺 map (71 m)🚌 Glenridding, at Bus Shelter (51 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.

🚌 Buses

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

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

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor

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