hikes.guideLake District

11.51 km · ~487 m ascent · ~3–4 h · loop · 2 summits

Home / Routes / Lingmoor Fell from Elterwater
HardLoopPlanned

Lingmoor Fell from Elterwater

11.51 km
Distance
~3–4 h
Typical time
~487 m
Ascent
2
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 11.51 km
Ascent ~487 m
Descent ~484 m
Time ~3–4 h
Type Loop
The best low fell in Langdale, and the one that shows you the valley properly. Lingmoor sits between Great and Little Langdale, so the Pikes rear up across the dale in front of you the whole way along the ridge. Side Pike at the far end throws in a famous rock squeeze. Half the effort of the big Langdale rounds and arguably a better view of them.
✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet. A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

🧭 The automated detail on this page — distance, climb, pacing and a first-pass difficulty read — is live. Hand-written field notes are being added.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate11.51 km round.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 29% around the 5.5 km mark.
TerrainModerateGood paths with a knolly, rambling ridge; some rocky steps and old quarry ground. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)
NavigationModerateThe top is a broad, knolly ridge with several paths — easy in clear weather, fiddlier in cloud. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)
ExposureModerateThe Side Pike squeeze — a narrow gap between rock and a steep drop that you edge through. It is short, but it is not for everyone, and there is a bypass path below it. (Editorially assessed from the documented character of the route, not computed from gradient; not yet personally walked.)

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 1 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 62 m to 461 m over 11.5 km, with the summits marked in order. 461 m 62 m 0 km 11.5 km 12

1 Lingmoor Fell (Brown How)2 Side Pike

~487 m
Total ascent
461 m
High point
62 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 11.51 km with around 487 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
Mostly gates
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Steep in places
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A sustained ~29% descent around the 5.4 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.

On the line: 19 gates · 1 kissing gate · 1 step-over stile · 3 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 and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-14. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Lingmoor Fell (Brown How)3.7 km421 m1:27–1:56
Side Pike5.2 km438 m1:46–2:21
Finish11.5 km487 m3:07–4:08

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Lingmoor Fell (Brown How) (3.7 km, 421 m)

Climb of about 421 m over 3.7 km (around 11% average).

Lingmoor Fell (Brown How) → Side Pike (1.5 km, 17 m)

Descent of about 144 m over 1.5 km.

Side Pike → Finish (6.3 km, 49 m)

About 6.3 km with 49 m of ascent.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (2)

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Elterwater (NT, paid) — 0.2 km from the start (straight line)
For Lingmoor Fell, Silver How and lower Langdale.
Directions
White Moss (paid) — 2.6 km from the start (straight line)
Between Rydal and Grasmere — Loughrigg, Silver How, Heron Pike.
Directions

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

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🛖 map (40 m)🚺 map (23 m)🚌 The Britannia Inn (20 m)⛺ Elterwater Hostel (88 m)

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

🚌 Buses

Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”
Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll
Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)
The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.
Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before travelling.

⚠️ Safety & conditions

  • The Side Pike squeeze. The direct ridge line passes through a narrow cleft above a steep drop. There is a bypass path that drops below the crag — take it if you are carrying a big pack, or with a dog or children.
  • Old quarry workings on the Elterwater side. Keep to the path.

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

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Lingmoor Fell from Elterwater

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work →