Gowbarrow Fell and️ Little Mell Fell
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 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.
1 Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit)2 Little Mell Fell
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 15.11 km with around 705 m of ascent, taking in 2 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 ~31% drop around the 8.5 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 18 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 2026-07-20. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) | 2.9 km | 314 m | 1:07–1:29 |
| Little Mell Fell | 8.3 km | 627 m | 2:43–3:37 |
| Finish | 15.1 km | 705 m | 4:12–5:35 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) (2.9 km, 314 m)
Climb of about 314 m over 2.9 km (around 11% average).
Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) → Little Mell Fell (5.4 km, 313 m)
Climb of about 313 m over 5.4 km (around 6% average).
Little Mell Fell → Finish (6.8 km, 78 m)
Climb of about 78 m over 6.8 km (around 1% average).
Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.
Summits bagged (2)
- Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) 481 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Little Mell Fell 505 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Marilyn
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
💧 Water, shelter & getting away
💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
🚌 Buses
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ 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 6.2 km — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Gowbarrow Fell and️ Little Mell Fell
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