Long Hike to Fairfield from Ambleside
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Start Ambleside
Getting here Parking: Ambleside, Lake Road (paid), 0.2 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 505, 516 and 555 stop at Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre, a 340 m walk from this start. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Severe distance: 22.39 km — a long day out. Hands for a few steps: rocky steps between Dove Crag and Hart Crag (km 10.0–11.4).
Before you choose
- Red Screes: The summit plateau drops away into steep, loose scree and crags on more than one side. A simple slip near the edge — especially in wind, cloud or with tired legs on descent — can turn into a long, uncontrolled fall over broken ground. Keep back from the rim and don't shortcut down the screes.
- Fairfield: Featureless and flat, with steep ground on three sides; in mist it is very easy to walk off on the wrong bearing. A compass and the discipline to trust it are essential — don't rely on cairns.
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.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Route map
1 Red Screes2 Dove Crag3 Hart Crag4 Fairfield5 Great Rigg6 Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)7 Heron Pike (Rydal)8 Nab Scar
Easy 70%Moderate 28%Hard 2%Severe
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 walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Red Screes (6.3 km, 739 m)
Leave Ambleside and head up the Kirkstone Road. Branch off onto the fell footpath to begin the long, steep ascent along the ridge between the stone boundary walls, heading over Snarker Pike to the summit of Red Screes.
WaypointsAmbleside, Kirkstone Road, Snarker Pike, Red Screes summit.
Decision pointThe long stone wall acts as a constant, reliable handrail up the ridge toward Snarker Pike.
Easy to get wrongA relentless and steep 739 m pull right out of the gate with a demanding 12% average incline. This is a severe test for beginners early in the day.
If you need to get offTurn around and descend the ridge line directly back into Ambleside.
- 2
Red Screes → Dove Crag (3.8 km, 291 m)
Descend north-west from Red Screes down to Scandale Pass. From the col, ascend the slopes over Bakestones Moss, picking your way up to join the main eastern arm of the Fairfield Horseshoe at Dove Crag.
WaypointsRed Screes summit, Scandale Pass, Bakestones Moss, Dove Crag summit cairn.
Decision pointFaint paths and old fence posts lead across the moss up to Dove Crag.
Easy to get wrongThe steep, stony descent to Scandale Pass requires care. Bakestones Moss can hold water and be boggy after rain.
If you need to get offAt Scandale Pass, turn left (south) to drop into the Scandale valley, returning via the valley floor directly to Ambleside.
© Lee McCoy - 3
Dove Crag → Hart Crag (1.3 km, 92 m)
Follow the well-trodden ridge path north-west, dipping into a shallow rocky depression before the brief, rocky climb up to Hart Crag. Link Hause is the col beyond Hart Crag, on the next stage.
WaypointsDove Crag summit, Hart Crag summit cairn.
Decision pointA faint path weaves between large stones, marked by occasional small cairns.
Easy to get wrongThe ground becomes noticeably rockier here with some minor scrambling steps that can intimidate new hikers.
If you need to get offDo not descend into the coves to the east or west; retrace steps to Dove Crag and drop to Scandale Pass.
- 4
Hart Crag → Fairfield (1.2 km, 104 m)
Descend slightly from Hart Crag over the depression of Link Hause before beginning the final stony ascent up onto the broad, flat plateau of Fairfield.
WaypointsHart Crag, Link Hause, Fairfield summit wind shelter.
Decision pointThe prominent wind shelter marks the highest point. From Fairfield's summit the path to Great Rigg leaves to the south; use a strict compass bearing to find it.
Easy to get wrongFairfield's vast, flat plateau is notoriously difficult to navigate in poor weather. In thick cloud, finding the correct descent path poses a serious navigational hazard, especially for beginners.
If you need to get offThe better retreat in a complete whiteout is often to retrace the ridge back towards Hart Crag rather than guessing the descent path blindly off the plateau.
- 5
Fairfield → Great Rigg (1.4 km, 28 m)
From the summit of Fairfield, turn sharply south. Pick up the cairned, wide grassy footpath heading along the descending ridge to Great Rigg.
WaypointsFairfield plateau, Great Rigg summit.
Decision pointA well-cairned path marks the start of the southern ridge line.
Easy to get wrongThe initial descent off Fairfield is loose, stony, and slippery.
If you need to get offDo not try to drop straight into the valleys from this ridge; you must push forward to Great Rigg or retreat to Fairfield.
© Lee McCoy - 6
Great Rigg → Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell) (1.9 km, 43 m)
At the Great Rigg cairn, take the left-hand path following the long, undulating ridge line south towards Heron Pike.
WaypointsGreat Rigg summit, Heron Pike North Top.
Decision pointThe prominent ridge itself serves as a continuous visual handrail southward.
Easy to get wrongAn exposed but straightforward grassy ridge walk. Wind speeds can be high across this open section.
If you need to get offContinue along the ridge; dropping into Rydal Beck to the east is dangerously steep.
© Lee McCoy - 7
Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell) → Heron Pike (Rydal) (0.4 km, 28 m)
A short, nearly level stroll southwards along the ridge crest to the true summit of Heron Pike.
WaypointsHeron Pike North Top, Heron Pike summit.
Decision pointKeep following the well-worn main trod.
Easy to get wrongVery straightforward, flat terrain offering sweeping views down to the valley.
If you need to get offPush forward; you are nearing the final descent.
- 8
Heron Pike (Rydal) → Nab Scar (1.2 km, 9 m)
Continue south from Heron Pike, following the path as it drops progressively down the nose of the ridge to the prominent viewpoint at Nab Scar.
WaypointsHeron Pike, Nab Scar summit.
Decision pointThe path is clear as it funnels down the narrowing ridge.
Easy to get wrongThe gradient steepens significantly here, putting pressure on tired knees.
If you need to get offNo alternate options; continue the descent.
Nab Scar → Finish (5.0 km, 91 m)
Descend the steep, heavily pitched steps through Dockey Tarn Plantation. Upon reaching the bottom, turn left just above Rydal Hall onto the footpath signposted for Ambleside. Walk past the Rydal Hall tearooms and the famous Rydal Grot waterfall, then follow Rydal Road back into Ambleside.
WaypointsDockey Tarn Plantation, Rydal Hall, Rydal Grot, Rydal Road, Ambleside.
Decision pointClear footpath signs weave through the Rydal Hall buildings pointing back to Ambleside.
Easy to get wrongThe many stone steps descending Nab Scar are jarring and can severely test tired knees at the end of a long day. The final stretch into Ambleside is largely flat but lengthy.
If you need to get offOnce at Rydal Hall, you are off the fell. Buses run along the A591 back to Ambleside if the final walk into town is too much.
© Lee McCoy
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Walked by Lee, April 2023
Summits bagged (8)
- 1Red Screes779 m
- 2Dove Crag792 m
- 3Hart Crag823 m
- 4Fairfield873 m
- 5Great Rigg766 m
- 6Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell)621 m
- 7Heron Pike (Rydal)612 m
- 8Nab Scar450 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.
- Red Screes — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Dove Crag — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Hart Crag — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Fairfield — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Great Rigg — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Heron Pike (Rydal) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in midsummer — about half an hour after sunrise.
- Nab Scar — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in midsummer — about half an hour after sunrise.
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
Parking
2 more places to park near the start
Positions are approximate.
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.
- Under Loughrigg Road (verge), Ambleside — joins the loop at about km 21.5 of 22.4: a 580 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- Ambleside, Low Fold (paid) — a 300 m walk to the start
- Wansfell (layby) — joins the loop at about km 2 of 22.4: a 480 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- By bus: buses stop at Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre, a 340 m walk from the start. This walk starts and ends in Ambleside, so there is no bus to catch back to the start. For anyone staying elsewhere, the last bus out of Ambleside on a weekday: 22:43 towards Grasmere (555), 20:29 towards Keswick (555). A bus is not affected by a full car park, but check the timetable before you rely on it.
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 505, 516 and 555 stop at Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre, a 340 m walk from this start. This walk starts and ends in Ambleside, so there is no bus to catch back to the start. For anyone staying elsewhere, the last bus out of Ambleside: the 555 towards Grasmere at 22:43 Monday to Saturday, 19:09 on Sunday; the 555 towards Keswick at 20:29 Monday to Saturday, 18:15 on Sunday. From Ambleside, at Hayes Garden Centre; checked against the operator's timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 505 passes this route at 0.3 km (Ambleside bus interchange (Stand 1), 60 m off the line). Other services cross it too — 508 at 6.1 km, 555 at 19.7 km.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Lake Road car park, about 215 m from the start: pay and display, from £2.60 for an hour to £10.60 all day, or £1.40 all day if you arrive before 09:00. 214 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (Westmorland and Furness Council, Lake Road car park, checked 30 August 2026)
- Toilets No toilets are mapped within 250 m of the start. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments The China Cottage is mapped about 80 m from the start, with more in the town centre. Opening hours are not recorded here. 80 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation Fairfield’s top is flat and featureless, with steep ground on three sides: in mist it is easy to walk off on the wrong bearing, so trust a compass, not the cairns. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of where this route starts (information boards within 150 m; benches and shelter within 50 m):
Distances are straight lines from where this route starts, not walking routes. Opening hours are as mapped and change; none of this is checked daily.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.
Water, shelter & getting away
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
Five independent axes, not one score. Three of the five were set on the ground; 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Red Screes | 6.3 km | 739 m | 2:29–3:18 |
| 2Dove Crag | 10.0 km | 1031 m | 3:43–4:57 |
| 3Hart Crag | 11.4 km | 1123 m | 4:09–5:31 |
| 4Fairfield | 12.6 km | 1227 m | 4:33–6:04 |
| 5Great Rigg | 14.0 km | 1255 m | 4:53–6:30 |
| 6Heron Pike North Top (Rydal Fell) | 15.8 km | 1297 m | 5:20–7:05 |
| 7Heron Pike (Rydal) | 16.2 km | 1325 m | 5:27–7:15 |
| 8Nab Scar | 17.4 km | 1334 m | 5:43–7:36 |
| Finish | 22.4 km | 1425 m | 6:51–9:07 |
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 ~32% drop over 250 m around the 18.4 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: stiles and gates. The steepest stretch is a sustained descent of about 28% around the 18.6 km mark.
- Stiles and gates: 2 ladder stiles at 3.5 and 4.0 km, mapped on OpenStreetMap, that a dog may not get through. Livestock, ground and water are not assessed. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 18 July 2026)
- Drops and exposed ground: Hard – graded by Lee on the ground. Graded on the ground.
- Rock and scrambling: Hands for a few steps: rocky steps between Dove Crag and Hart Crag (km 10.0–11.4). Ground underfoot: Hard – graded by Lee on the ground. Graded on the ground.
- Ways off early: No path off the line is recorded, but it passes a bus stop where you could end the walk: the 555 at Church for Rydal Mount (opposite), about 19.7 km; the 555 at Ambleside, on Scandale Bridge, about 21.0 km. The buses section says which bus and when.
- 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: 8 gates · 1 kissing gate · 2 ladder stiles · 1 step-over stile · 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 18 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
From Ambleside or Grasmere: 11 places
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Ambleside — 0.4 km from this start
- Walks from Stock Ghyll Force — 0.8 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.
