Great Gable & Kirk 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 Great Gable2 Kirk Fell
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 14.12 km with around 1146 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 ~52% drop around the 8.0 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 9 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 2026-07-26. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Gable | 5.2 km | 847 m | 2:28–3:16 |
| Kirk Fell | 7.3 km | 1102 m | 3:18–4:23 |
| Finish | 14.1 km | 1146 m | 4:44–6:18 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Great Gable (5.2 km, 847 m)
Climb of about 847 m over 5.2 km (around 16% average).
Great Gable → Kirk Fell (2.0 km, 255 m)
Climb of about 255 m over 2.0 km (around 13% average).
Kirk Fell → Finish (6.8 km, 44 m)
About 6.8 km with 44 m of ascent.
Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.
Summits bagged (2)
- Great Gable 899 m · Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
- Kirk Fell 802 m · Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, 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
No regular bus serves the start — this is one for the car. Nearest hubs: Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).
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 6.1 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Great Gable & Kirk Fell
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