Langdale Horseshoe
Start Great Langdale (New/Old Dungeon Ghyll)
Getting here Parking: Stickle Ghyll (NT, paid), 0.1 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 516 stops at New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (opposite), a 290 m walk from this start. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Severe distance: 20.9 km — a long day out. Severe steepness: Steepest sustained descent about 40% around the 17.9 km mark. Easy scramble: Pike of Stickle's summit rocks (km 5.1–5.2).
Before you choose
- The Bad Step (Crinkle Crags, Long Top). A short, awkward rock step that turns a walk into a scramble and regularly stops people dead. There is a bypass path round its west side, on your right as you come south off Long Top — use it if you are unsure.
- Do not attempt Jack’s Rake on Pavey Ark unless you know what you are taking on. It is a graded scramble with real exposure, not a path. The walkers’ line goes round.
- 21 km, 1,660 m and fifteen tops. This is a full, committing day. Start early, and decide your turn-back time before you leave the car.
- The Crinkles are the classic place to descend the wrong side in cloud. Know which valley you want before you are in it.
- Bowfell: The rocky top has crags on several sides and the paths are not always obvious in mist; know your bearing for the descent before you set off.
- Loft Crag: The small abrupt summit stands right above Gimmer Crag, a sheer climbing buttress falling to Langdale. Keep well back from the southern edge near the top, especially in cloud or wind — and if scrambling on the south side, be aware climbers may be on the crag below.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 9 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 Pavey Ark2 Harrison Stickle3 Thorn Crag4 Loft Crag5 Pike of Stickle6 Black Crags (Mickleden)7 Rossett Pike8 Bowfell9 Shelter Crags10 Crinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle)11 Crinkle Crags - Fourth Crinkle12 Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)13 Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle)14 Cold Pike15 Pike of Blisco
Easy 60%Moderate 25%Hard 12%Severe 3%
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 lines to the summits of Loft Crag, Pike of Stickle, Black Crags (Mickleden), Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle) and Cold Pike are drawn, not recorded.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Pavey Ark (2.8 km, 610 m)
Depart the valley floor (New/Old Dungeon Ghyll) and ascend the heavily pitched stone path alongside Stickle Ghyll. Reach the dam at Stickle Tarn. Avoid the face-climb of Jack’s Rake; instead, skirt the east (right) side of the tarn and take the North Rake path up the rear to the summit.
WaypointsStickle Ghyll, Stickle Tarn, North Rake path, Pavey Ark summit.
Decision pointStickle Ghyll and Stickle Tarn provide clear visual handrails.
Easy to get wrongA relentless, immediate 22% gradient.
If you need to get offTurn around and descend the Stickle Ghyll path back to the start.
- 2
Pavey Ark → Harrison Stickle (0.8 km, 39 m)
Head South-West across the rugged, sometimes boggy plateau connecting the two peaks, rising slightly to the prominent rocky crown of Harrison Stickle.
WaypointsHarrison Stickle summit.
Decision pointHarrison Stickle is the highest point of the Langdale Pikes and dominates the immediate skyline.
Easy to get wrongMinor rocky undulations; can be disorienting in low visibility. The cluster of Langdale Pikes is confusing in cloud; carry map and compass and confirm which top you're on before descending.
If you need to get offRetreat to Pavey Ark and descend the North Rake back to Stickle Tarn.
- 3
Harrison Stickle → Thorn Crag (0.6 km, 14 m)
Drop off the western flank of Harrison Stickle into the grassy depression, passing over the minor rocky bump of Thorn Crag.
WaypointsThorn Crag summit area.
Decision pointKeep the sheer drop into Langdale on your left (South) at a safe distance.
Easy to get wrongSteep initial descent off Harrison Stickle requiring careful footing.
If you need to get offThere is no quick way down from here: the ground falling south into Dungeon Ghyll is a ravine, not a path. Go back over Harrison Stickle and down the way you came up, by Stickle Tarn and the Stickle Ghyll path.
- 4
Thorn Crag → Loft Crag (0.2 km, 51 m)
A very short, straightforward grassy and rocky pull heading West from Thorn Crag up to the airy summit of Loft Crag.
WaypointsLoft Crag summit.
Decision pointDirect line of sight to the summit.
Easy to get wrongExtremely exposed drop-offs to the south.
If you need to get offRetreat 200m east and take the Dungeon Ghyll descent path.
- 5
Loft Crag → Pike of Stickle (0.7 km, 68 m)
Descend briefly North-West into the saddle, then approach the distinctive thimble-shaped dome of Pike of Stickle. Scramble up the rock to the peak.
WaypointsPike of Stickle summit.
Decision pointThe thimble profile of Pike of Stickle is easy to spot.
Easy to get wrongThe final 50 feet requires hands-on scrambling on exposed rock.
If you need to get offLeave the scramble entirely and begin the descent into Martcrag Moor.
- 6
Pike of Stickle → Black Crags (Mickleden) (2.6 km, 178 m)
Drop off the back (North-West) of Pike of Stickle into the wide, flat expanse of Martcrag Moor. Follow the faint path across the moor toward the Stake Pass junction, then continue slightly uphill towards the crags.
WaypointsMartcrag Moor, Stake Pass crossroad.
Decision pointThe Stake Pass junction is a clear perpendicular path cut.
Easy to get wrongThis area is a notorious bog. Pathfinding is difficult after heavy rain as the track disappears into mud.
If you need to get offTurn left (South-East) at Stake Pass for a zig-zag descent into Mickleden valley.
- 7
Black Crags (Mickleden) → Rossett Pike (0.9 km, 91 m)
Continue South-West from Black Crags, following the ridge line over a gentle ascent to the summit of Rossett Pike.
WaypointsRossett Pike summit.
Decision pointFollow the natural ridge line directly toward the looming mass of Bowfell.
Easy to get wrongRelatively straightforward, grassy walking. Bowfell's rocky top has crags on several sides and the paths are not always obvious in mist; know your bearing for the descent before you set off.
If you need to get offRetreat 800m to Stake Pass and descend into Mickleden.
- 8
Rossett Pike → Bowfell (1.5 km, 302 m)
Descend slightly to Rossett Pass, then begin the grueling, steep ascent up Bowfell’s northern shoulder. The path threads through a massive, unrelenting boulder field to the summit.
WaypointsRossett Pass, Angle Tarn (visible below), Bowfell summit.
Decision pointLook for small guide cairns through the boulders.
Easy to get wrongThe steepest sustained climb since Pavey Ark. The boulder fields are exhausting and treacherous when wet.
If you need to get offBefore ascending Bowfell, turn left at Rossett Pass down the old pony track (Rossett Gill) into Mickleden.
- 9
Bowfell → Shelter Crags (1.5 km, 100 m)
Leave Bowfell’s rocky summit heading east, then turn south-east down to the wide saddle of Three Tarns. From the tarns, begin the ascent up the first rocky prominence of the ridge: Shelter Crags.
WaypointsThree Tarns saddle, Shelter Crags summit.
Decision pointThe pools of water at Three Tarns serve as a distinctive target.
Easy to get wrongNavigating the descent off Bowfell in poor visibility; it is easy to drift too far East.
If you need to get offAt Three Tarns, turn left (East) to descend "The Band"—a long grassy ridge leading straight back to Langdale.
- 10
Shelter Crags → Crinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle) (0.3 km, 29 m)
Continue South along the rocky, convoluted ridge. This marks the start of the "Crinkles," moving South over the Fifth Crinkle.
WaypointsGunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle).
Decision pointKeep the sheer drops into Upper Eskdale firmly on your right (West).
Easy to get wrongTerrain is rocky, broken, and requires continuous minor route-finding.
If you need to get offRetreat north to Three Tarns and descend The Band. Do not bail off the sides of the Crinkles.
- 11
Crinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle) → Crinkle Crags - Fourth Crinkle (0.1 km, 23 m)
A very brief dip and rise to the next prominence on the ridge.
WaypointsFourth Crinkle.
Decision pointStick to the most worn rock path along the crest.
Easy to get wrongMaintaining orientation; the peaks look similar in mist.
If you need to get offRetreat north to Three Tarns.
- 12
Crinkle Crags - Fourth Crinkle → Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) (0.2 km, 31 m)
Continue South. This GPX skips the Third Crinkle summit, pushing directly to the highest point of the ridge, Long Top.
WaypointsLong Top (Second Crinkle).
Decision pointLong Top is visibly the highest point of this ridge section.
Easy to get wrongSteep, rocky steps up to the summit of Long Top.
If you need to get offRetreat north to Three Tarns.
- 13
Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) → Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle) (0.6 km, 26 m)
Descend south from Long Top. You will immediately meet the Bad Step. Take the bypass path wrapping round to the west (your right); down-climbing the 10-foot chute is harder than climbing it and is for confident scramblers only. Then continue to the final crag, South Top.
WaypointsThe Bad Step, South Top (First Crinkle).
Decision pointThe bypass path is faint but marked by wear on the grass/rock on the western flank.
Easy to get wrongThe Bad Step is the most technical obstacle on the route.
If you need to get offNone immediately. Must press on to Red Tarn or retreat all the way to Three Tarns.
- 14
Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle) → Cold Pike (1.8 km, 27 m)
Descend South-East off the Crinkles, dropping steadily over grass and rock into the wide saddle containing Red Tarn. From the tarn, take a short, grassy detour South to the summit of Cold Pike.
WaypointsRed Tarn col, Cold Pike summit.
Decision pointRed Tarn is highly visible from above.
Easy to get wrongThe descent off the Crinkles is long but relatively straightforward compared to the ridge itself.
If you need to get offFrom Red Tarn, take the clear path heading East down into the Oxendale valley.
- 15
Cold Pike → Pike of Blisco (1.7 km, 174 m)
Return slightly toward Red Tarn, then head East up the heavily pitched, stepped stone path leading to the rocky summit of Pike of Blisco.
WaypointsPike of Blisco summit.
Decision pointThe pitched path is clear and easy to follow.
Easy to get wrongHigh rocky steps on exhausted legs.
If you need to get offRetreat to Red Tarn and descend into Oxendale.
Pike of Blisco → Finish (4.5 km, 7 m)
Descend the steep, eastern flank of Pike of Blisco via a rugged path of stone-pitched steps. Reach the floor of Great Langdale, and follow the valley floor tracks back to the Dungeon Ghyll car parks.
WaypointsEastern descent steps, Great Langdale valley floor.
Decision pointThe Langdale valley and road serve as a clear visual destination throughout the descent.
Easy to get wrongThe pitched descent is notorious for causing knee pain at the end of a long hike. The steps are uneven and require focus.
If you need to get offN/A - Direct descent to the finish.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Planned route · not yet walked
Summits bagged (15)
- 1Pavey Ark702 m
- 2Harrison Stickle735 m
- 3Thorn Crag644 m
- 4Loft Crag682 m
- 5Pike of Stickle708 m
- 6Black Crags (Mickleden)588 m
- 7Rossett Pike651 m
- 8Bowfell903 m
- 9Shelter Crags815 m
- 10Crinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle)822 m
- 11Crinkle Crags - Fourth Crinkle832 m
- 12Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle)859 m
- 13Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle)834 m
- 14Cold Pike700 m
- 15Pike of Blisco703 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.
- Pavey Ark — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Harrison Stickle — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Loft Crag — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about an hour after sunrise.
- Pike of Stickle — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Rossett Pike — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- Bowfell — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Cold Pike — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Pike of Blisco — 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 the parking at Old Dungeon Ghyll: Hills Garage, Ambleside, 11.6 km by road (Mon 07:00-21:00; Tue 07:00-21:00; Wed 07:00-21:00; Thu 07:00-21:00; Fri 07:00-21:00; Sat 07:00-21:00; Sun 08:00-21:00 when checked on 8 August 2026; hours change, so check on the day). Nearest shop: Langdale Co-operative Society, 4.4 km. Both measured along the road from that parking, which is not where this route starts, checked 8 August 2026. Coming in from a particular direction you may pass a closer one — the last petrol before each valley →
Parking
2 more places to park near the start
Positions are approximate.
Of the pay-and-display machine tickets sold at New Dungeon Ghyll from 17 August 2024 to 31 March 2026, 33% 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
If the first one is full, these overlap least in our model. The 3 below sit in different places or are different kinds of parking, so a busy morning at one does not mean a busy morning at all of them.
- Old Dungeon Ghyll (NT, paid) — joins the loop at about km 19.6 of 20.9: a 380 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- Side Pike (layby) — joins the loop at about km 18.8 of 20.9: a 440 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- Great Langdale, valley road verge (free) — joins the loop at about km 20.5 of 20.9: a 20 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- By bus: buses stop at New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (opposite), a 290 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 516 stops at New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (opposite), a 290 m walk from this start. Return buses leave from New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, across the road. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Kendal (516): Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday 20:13; Friday and Saturday 22:33. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 23 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 516 passes this route at 20.2 km (Dungeon Ghyll, at Great Langdale Camp Site, 10 m off the line).
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival The National Trust’s Stickle Ghyll car park, about 65 m from the start: paid, so check the machine on arrival, and members should bring their card. New Dungeon Ghyll car park is about 135 m away: pay and display at the machine. 67 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (National Trust, car parks in the Lake District; Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked 12 August 2026)
- Toilets Toilets are mapped about 80 m from the start. 80 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments Sticklebarn (about 95 m) and Walker’s Bar (about 145 m) are mapped near the start. Opening hours are not recorded here. 93 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation A full, committing day of 21 km, 1,770 m and fifteen tops: start early and set a turn-back time. On Crinkle Crags the Bad Step has a bypass path round its west side. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 1 October 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
At Stickle Ghyll (NT, 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: an information board.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.
Water, shelter & getting away
Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is not proof the water is drinkable, so carry your own or use a supply you know is safe. Never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock upstream and leave you seriously ill. Use a treatment method suited to what might be in the water, and follow the device’s own instructions. Boiling and ordinary filters do not make water with dissolved metals or chemicals safe: where that is possible, choose another source.
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
Severe overall — hardest: Length and steepness
Five independent axes, not one score. This route has not been walked yet, so none of them was set on the ground: three of the five are our judgement from the map and the route’s record, and 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Pavey Ark | 2.8 km | 610 m | 1:35–2:07 |
| 2Harrison Stickle | 3.7 km | 649 m | 1:49–2:25 |
| 3Thorn Crag | 4.3 km | 664 m | 1:58–2:37 |
| 4Loft Crag | 4.5 km | 715 m | 2:06–2:47 |
| 5Pike of Stickle | 5.2 km | 783 m | 2:21–3:07 |
| 6Black Crags (Mickleden) | 7.8 km | 961 m | 3:10–4:12 |
| 7Rossett Pike | 8.7 km | 1052 m | 3:30–4:39 |
| 8Bowfell | 10.2 km | 1354 m | 4:18–5:43 |
| 9Shelter Crags | 11.7 km | 1454 m | 4:46–6:21 |
| 10Crinkle Crags - Gunson Knott (Fifth Crinkle) | 12.0 km | 1482 m | 4:52–6:29 |
| 11Crinkle Crags - Fourth Crinkle | 12.1 km | 1505 m | 4:56–6:34 |
| 12Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle) | 12.4 km | 1537 m | 5:02–6:42 |
| 13Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle) | 12.9 km | 1563 m | 5:11–6:54 |
| 14Cold Pike | 14.8 km | 1589 m | 5:36–7:27 |
| 15Pike of Blisco | 16.4 km | 1763 m | 6:13–8:17 |
| Finish | 20.9 km | 1770 m | 7:08–9:29 |
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: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~41% drop over 250 m around the 17.7 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: rock and scrambling. The steepest stretch is a sustained descent of about 40% around the 17.9 km mark.
- Rock and scrambling: Easy scramble: Pike of Stickle's summit rocks (km 5.1–5.2). Ground underfoot: Hard – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet. Rocky, bouldery ground across most of the high ground. The Crinkles are a jumble of tops, false summits and worn rock. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)
- Drops and exposed ground: Hard – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet. The Bad Step on the Second Crinkle is a genuine hands-on rock step that stops people; there is a bypass path on its west side. Elsewhere the walking line is exposed but not technical. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)
- Stiles and gates: Stiles of unmapped type at 0.3 and 0.4 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 14 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: 3 gates · 1 kissing gate · 2 stiles (type unmapped)
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 14 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
From Great Langdale: 3 places in Grasmere
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Great Langdale — 1.0 km from this start
- Walks from Stickle Tarn — 1.5 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.
