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24.44 km · ~816 m ascent · ~6–8 h · loop · 8 summits

Home / Routes / Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more
White Pike — a small conical top standing out of broad, pale moorland, with rain haze drifting over the fells beyond
Severe distanceLoop

Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more

24.44 km
Distance
~6–8 h
Typical time
~816 m
Ascent
8
Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

Download GPX →Walked by Lee, July 2026

Key facts

Distance 24.44 km
Ascent ~816 m
Descent ~814 m
Time ~6–8 h
Type Loop
A long day on the eastern Dodds — 24.4 km of rounded, grassy tops where the navigation, not the climbing, is the difficulty. Stybarrow Dodd and Great Dodd are vast featureless domes that need strict compass work in cloud, and the round finishes with a 6.4 km walk back along the Old Coach Road.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Difficulty profile

LengthSevere24.44 km — a long day out.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 37% around the 19.1 km mark.
TerrainModerateGraded on the ground.
NavigationHardGraded on the ground.
ExposureModerateGraded on the ground.

Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.

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.

OpenTopoMap
Elevation profile, shaded by steepness
Elevation profile Rises from about 377 m to 824 m over 24.4 km, with the summits marked in order. The area beneath is shaded by sustained steepness over a 250 m window, in the same four bands as the route’s steepness rating: Easy under 15%, Moderate 15 to 25%, Hard 25 to 35%, Severe above 35%. 824 m 377 m 0 km 24.4 km 12345678

1 Hart Side2 Green Side (White Stones - Green Side)3 Stybarrow Dodd4 Raise5 Watson's Dodd6 Great Dodd7 Little Dodd (St John's Common)8 Clough Head

Easy 73%Moderate 20%Hard 4%Severe 3%

~816 m
Total ascent
824 m
High point
414 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 24.44 km with around 816 m of ascent, taking in 8 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
Mostly gates
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~37% drop around the 14.7 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 7 gates · 1 step-over stile · 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 2026-07-18. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
1Hart Side4.6 km292 m1:24–1:52
2Green Side (White Stones - Green Side)8.3 km536 m2:33–3:24
3Stybarrow Dodd9.3 km576 m2:49–3:45
4Raise10.9 km576 m3:09–4:11
5Watson's Dodd13.6 km641 m3:48–5:03
6Great Dodd15.0 km646 m4:04–5:25
7Little Dodd (St John's Common)15.7 km646 m4:12–5:36
8Clough Head18.1 km758 m4:53–6:29
Finish24.4 km816 m6:15–8:19

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. 1

    Start → Hart Side (4.6 km, 292 m)

    Climb of about 292 m over 4.6 km (around 6% average).

    Depart the High Row parking area (near Dockray) and join the wide, grassy track heading west-south-west beneath Birkett Fell. The trail contours smoothly above Deepdale Beck before turning onto the gentle grassy spur of Hart Side. Follow the rising ridge up to the summit cairn

    Waypoints

    High Row parking area, Old Coach Road track junction, Birkett Fell spur, Hart Side summit cairn

    Decision point

    The Old Coach Road track and the distinct grassy ridge line lead directly up to the summit cairn

    Easy to get wrong

    A long, non-technical approach with a comfortable 6% average incline. The grassy track can be damp and spongy after heavy rain

    If you need to get off

    Turn 180 degrees at any point on the climb and retrace your steps back down to High Row

    A rocky beck running fast down a green valley between grassy fellsides, with willows crowding the near bank under a grey sky
    A shallow rocky beck running through a green valley between drystone walls, with scattered trees and low grassy fells under a broken skyA tall stone cairn on a grassy summit, with shafts of light breaking through heavy cloud over Ullswater and the fells beyondA rough stone cairn on a broad grassy top, pale moor grass all around and a hazy view over low country under heavy cloud
    © Lee McCoy · 4 photographs
  2. 2

    Hart Side → Green Side (White Stones - Green Side) (3.7 km, 244 m)

    Climb of about 244 m over 3.7 km (around 7% average).

    From Hart Side, head south-west across the high, undulating ridge towards White Stones and Green Side (the prominent shoulder above Glencoyne). Follow the clear path across open grassy moorland as it climbs towards the high ridge connecting to the main Helvellyn mass

    Waypoints

    Hart Side summit, White Stones depression, Green Side ridge

    Decision point

    The broad ridge line acts as a direct natural handrail heading south-west

    Easy to get wrong

    High exposure to winds across the open ridge. The ground in shallow dips can hold water and create peaty bogs

    If you need to get off

    From the saddle at White Stones, you can drop south down gentle slopes into Glencoyne, or north toward Deepdale Beck to pick up low-level tracks back to High Row

    A grassy fellside falling away to a deep valley, with a worn path running along the ridge to the right and cloud pressing down on the tops
    © Lee McCoy
  3. 3

    Green Side (White Stones - Green Side) → Stybarrow Dodd (1.0 km, 40 m)

    Undulating section of about 1.0 km.

    Continue west-south-west along the high ridge from Green Side, gently ascending onto the vast summit dome of Stybarrow Dodd

    Waypoints

    Green Side ridge, Stybarrow Dodd summit cairn

    Decision point

    Faint trods and intermittent old wooden fence posts across the grassy plateau

    Easy to get wrong

    ⚠️ Navigation Warning in Clag: The summit of Stybarrow Dodd is a vast, featureless, rounded grassy dome. In thick cloud ("clag") or low visibility, finding the small summit cairn is notoriously difficult because there are virtually no distinct edge boundaries or visual landmarks. Maintain a strict compass bearing

    If you need to get off

    Descend east-south-east off the plateau along the Sticks Pass bridleway down to Glenridding

  4. 4

    Stybarrow Dodd → Raise (1.6 km, 0 m)

    Descent of about 41 m over 1.6 km.

    Head south-west from the summit of Stybarrow Dodd, dropping into the shallow depression of Sticks Pass. Cross the crossroads of trails at the col, then take the stony path ascending the northern shoulder of Raise to reach its summit cairn (located near the Lake District Ski Club tow huts)

    Waypoints

    Stybarrow Dodd summit, Sticks Pass crossroads cairn, Raise summit cairn & ski tow

    Decision point

    Sticks Pass is a major marked junction. The path up Raise is lined by old iron fence posts

    Easy to get wrong

    Stony, rocky steps climbing up Raise; high exposure to wind

    If you need to get off

    At the Sticks Pass col, turn left (east) to take the engineered bridleway down into Glenridding, or turn right (west) to drop down to Stanah in St John's in the Vale

    Sheep grazing on a wide sweep of moor grass, with a lake and dark fells just visible through low cloud in the distance
    A stony path climbing through mist towards a rocky top, grass and lichen-covered boulders to either side and visibility closing in
    © Lee McCoy · 2 photographs
  5. 5

    Raise → Watson's Dodd (2.7 km, 66 m)

    Climb of about 66 m over 2.7 km (around 2% average).

    Retrace your steps to Sticks Pass, then pick up the broad, high-level track contouring around the western flank of Stybarrow Dodd. Follow the undulating grassy spur heading north to reach the cairn on Watson's Dodd, which offers sweeping views over Thirlmere

    Waypoints

    Raise summit, Sticks Pass, western bypass track, Watson's Dodd summit cairn

    Decision point

    Broad, clear grassy ridge running due north

    Easy to get wrong

    Open, grassy walking exposed to westerly winds coming off Thirlmere

    If you need to get off

    From Watson's Dodd, descend west down grassy slopes toward Legburthwaite / Thirlmere, or retrace steps south to Sticks Pass

    A small stone cairn on a flat, featureless grassy plateau, with thick mist closing in on every side
    © Lee McCoy
  6. 6

    Watson's Dodd → Great Dodd (1.3 km, 5 m)

    Undulating section of about 1.3 km.

    From Watson's Dodd, head north-east across the broad high saddle toward Great Dodd. Climb the gentle grassy incline to reach the prominent circular stone shelter cairn and OS trig point on Great Dodd

    Waypoints

    Watson's Dodd summit, broad saddle, Great Dodd stone shelter & trig point

    Decision point

    The large stone shelter on Great Dodd is an obvious visual target in good visibility

    Easy to get wrong

    Broad, featureless plateau terrain that requires strict navigation in mist

    If you need to get off

    From Great Dodd, descend east down the grassy ridge directly to High Row

    A stone cairn beside a stony path on a broad summit, everything beyond it lost in thick grey mist
    © Lee McCoy
  7. 7

    Great Dodd → Little Dodd (St John's Common) (0.7 km, 0 m)

    Undulating section of about 0.7 km.

    Head north-west from the summit shelter of Great Dodd, dropping gently across the grassy plateau to tag the minor summit bump of Little Dodd (St John's Common)

    Waypoints

    Great Dodd summit, Little Dodd grassy bump

    Decision point

    Faint trod heading north-west from the main summit shelter

    Easy to get wrong

    Featureless grassy terrain; easily missed in fog

    If you need to get off

    Retrace steps to Great Dodd and descend east toward High Row

  8. 8

    Little Dodd (St John's Common) → Clough Head (2.4 km, 112 m)

    Climb of about 112 m over 2.4 km (around 5% average).

    From Little Dodd, cross the wide, boggy depression of Calfhow Pike / Tegnaw Moss. Pick up the track ascending north-west up the stony, grassy flank of Clough Head to reach its summit trig point and stone shelter

    Waypoints

    Little Dodd, Calfhow Pike col, Clough Head summit trig point & shelter

    Decision point

    Distinct path and line of old boundary stones leading up to Clough Head

    Easy to get wrong

    The depression around Calfhow Pike holds water and can be wet underfoot

    If you need to get off

    From the col before Clough Head, drop west down the track toward Wanthwaite and St John's in the Vale

  9. Clough Head → Finish (6.4 km, 58 m)

    About 6.4 km with 58 m of ascent.

    From the summit of Clough Head, head east-south-east down the steep grassy spur of White Pike to meet the Old Coach Road. Turn left (east) onto the wide gravel track of the Old Coach Road and follow it as it contours smoothly beneath the northern flanks of Great Dodd and Hart Side, taking you all the way back to High Row to complete the circuit

    Waypoints

    Clough Head summit, White Pike spur, Old Coach Road junction, High Row finish

    Decision point

    The Old Coach Road is an unmistakable gravel track leading straight back to the starting point

    Easy to get wrong

    The initial descent off Clough Head is steep on grass. The long 6.4 km return along the Old Coach Road is non-technical, but hard on tired feet

    If you need to get off

    Direct, clear track return back to the start. [image1]: <data:image/png;base64,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>.

Summits bagged (8)

  1. 1Hart Side756 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  2. 2Green Side (White Stones - Green Side)794 mEastern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
  3. 3Stybarrow Dodd844 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  4. 4Raise883 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  5. 5Watson's Dodd789 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
  6. 6Great Dodd857 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
  7. 7Little Dodd (St John's Common)785 mEastern · Birkett
  8. 8Clough Head726 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP

In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.

Getting there & parking

Low How (layby) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
0.7 km from Low How. Seen full by about 08:00 on a Saturday - Lee's own visit; a single sighting rather than a pattern.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Low How, north-east (layby) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Hart Side, Green Side (White Stones - Green Side), Stybarrow Dodd and Raise — the 'Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more' route starts 32 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Dockray (roadside) — 1.1 km from the start (straight line)
Verge parking for the Dodds and Matterdale Common.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Bracken How, north car park — 1.3 km from the start (straight line)
Nearest fells: Bracken How (0.5 km), Round How (0.8 km), Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) (1.5 km). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Bracken How car park — 1.5 km from the start (straight line)
Nearest fells: Bracken How (1.3 km), Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit) (1.5 km), Round How (1.6 km). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged). Fee not verified — check signage on arrival.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?

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 →

💧 No mapped drinking water or shelter on this route — that doesn’t mean there is none, and never drink untreated from a beck. (Facilities data © OpenStreetMap contributors.)

Buses

The 509 stops at Dockray, outside The Royal Hotel. From there it is 1.6 km and 130 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. The last bus is 19:09 towards Troutbeck (UB1) and 18:02 towards Grasmere (559) and 16:12 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.

Stagecoach 509
Penrith ↔ Keswick around Ullswater — calls at Pooley Bridge, Watermillock, Glenridding, Patterdale, Hartsop, Dockray, Matterdale, Mungrisdale and Threlkeld
Catch it from: Penrith · Keswick
The Ullswater side of the Penrith–Keswick corridor, and a second option where we previously showed only the 508. Reaches Helvellyn and Catstye Cam from Glenridding, Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes from Patterdale, the Hartsop fells, and Gowbarrow from Dockray. Frequency and season are not listed here because we have not verified a timetable — check Stagecoach before you rely on it. Note the Troutbeck on this route is the one on the A66 near Penrith, not the Troutbeck near Windermere.

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.

  • Low How (layby)
  • Low How, north-east (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.

  • Hart Side — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
  • Stybarrow Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
  • Raise — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
  • Watson's Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
  • Great Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
  • Clough Head — 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 10.9 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

Places to stay near this start

Lowthwaite Bed and Breakfast (opens in new tab) guest house

about 4.0 km from the start, in a straight line

The only property in this radius that answers the child questions with objects instead of sentiment - a cot, high chair(s) and special cutlery are itemised, and the Matterdale and Helvellyn rooms share a private vestibule so a family sleeps as one unit rather than across a corridor. The Helvellyn room additionally takes three on "the enormous settee cum third bed with a proper matress". A drying room sits in the all-rooms facilities list. It is also the only evidenced bed in the same Matterdale valley as this start, 0.66 km nearer than anything on the Glenridding side, and the fell they name for small legs, Little Mell Fell, is behind the house. Against it: no dog or pet word appears anywhere in four cached pages, no breakfast time is published, and the email is obfuscated site-wide so the footer phone number is the only contact route the cache supports.

Most of the furniture was made by hand in Tanzania, where the owners previously ran a business arranging Kilimanjaro climbs; the bathrooms have wooden floors salvaged from the old farmhouse's living-room floorboards.

  • Drying room “Use of guidebooks and other books, Maps (for planning and laminated for walks), Drying room, and Fridge (in the Dining Room).”
  • Family rooms “Matterdale and Helvellyn rooms are connected via a small, private vestibule and together they are ideal for a family or a group of friends.”
  • Parking “Another alternative is to use what3words where our car park is primed.lavished.amounting”
  • Children “We are very happy to welcome children of all ages.”

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

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