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22.39 km · ~1350 m ascent · ~6.5–9 h · loop · 8 summits

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Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside

22.39 km
Distance
~6.5–9 h
Typical time
~1350 m
Ascent
8
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 22.39 km
Ascent ~1350 m
Descent ~1355 m
Time ~6.5–9 h
Type Loop
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Difficulty profile

LengthSevere22.39 km — a long day out.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 32% around the 18.5 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationModerateClear line, hard to stray. desk assessment — not field-verified
ExposureNot assessedExposure (drops, scrambling, how bad a slip would be) can’t be judged from gradient data alone, so we don’t guess. A rating appears once the route is editorially assessed or walked.

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 7 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 56 m to 852 m over 22.4 km, with the summits marked in order. 852 m 56 m 0 km 22.4 km 12345678

1 Red Screes2 Dove Crag3 Hart Crag4 Fairfield5 Great Rigg6 Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)7 Heron Pike (Rydal)8 Nab Scar

~1350 m
Total ascent
852 m
High point
76 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 22.39 km with around 1350 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
Not dog-friendly
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: 2 ladder/squeeze stile(s) a dog can’t get through.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~32% drop around the 18.4 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 20 gates · 1 kissing gate · 2 ladder stiles · 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 and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-18. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Red Screes6.3 km738 m2:29–3:18
Dove Crag10.0 km1024 m3:43–4:56
Hart Crag11.4 km1111 m4:08–5:29
Fairfield12.6 km1198 m4:31–6:00
Great Rigg14.0 km1199 m4:47–6:22
Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)15.8 km1234 m5:13–6:57
Heron Pike (Rydal)16.2 km1254 m5:20–7:06
Nab Scar17.4 km1259 m5:35–7:26
Finish22.4 km1350 m6:44–8:57

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Red Screes (6.3 km, 738 m)

Climb of about 738 m over 6.3 km (around 12% average).

Red Screes → Dove Crag (3.8 km, 287 m)

Climb of about 287 m over 3.8 km (around 8% average).

Dove Crag → Hart Crag (1.3 km, 86 m)

Climb of about 86 m over 1.3 km (around 7% average).

Hart Crag → Fairfield (1.2 km, 88 m)

Climb of about 88 m over 1.2 km (around 7% average).

Fairfield → Great Rigg (1.4 km, 0 m)

Descent of about 122 m over 1.4 km.

Great Rigg → Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell) (1.9 km, 35 m)

Descent of about 123 m over 1.9 km.

Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell) → Heron Pike (Rydal) (0.4 km, 20 m)

Undulating section of about 0.4 km.

Heron Pike (Rydal) → Nab Scar (1.2 km, 5 m)

Descent of about 148 m over 1.2 km.

Nab Scar → Finish (5.0 km, 91 m)

Climb of about 91 m over 5.0 km (around 2% average).

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (8)

  • Red Screes 779 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
  • Dove Crag 792 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  • Hart Crag 823 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  • Fairfield 873 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
  • Great Rigg 766 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  • Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell) 621 m · Eastern · Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  • Heron Pike (Rydal) 612 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
  • Nab Scar 450 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Ambleside (various paid) — 0.4 km from the start (straight line)
Town car parks — Fairfield Horseshoe, Wansfell, Loughrigg from the door.
Directions
Pelter Bridge, Rydal (paid) — 2.3 km from the start (straight line)
For Loughrigg and the Rydal side of the Fairfield Horseshoe.
Directions

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

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🛖 map (6 m)🛖 map (65 m)🛖 map (77 m)🚺 map (30 m)🚺 map (108 m)🚺 map (123 m)🚌 Loughrigg Avenue (71 m)🚌 Hayes Garden Centre (189 m)🚌 Kelsick Road Stand 1 (256 m)⛺ Ambleside Backpackers (19 m)

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

🚌 Buses

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.
Stagecoach 505 “Coniston Rambler”
Windermere – Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Hawkshead – Coniston
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Daily in season (reduced winter service). Best access for the Coniston fells (Old Man, Wetherlam group).
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.

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

⚠️ Safety & conditions

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

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside

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