Mardale circuit
Key facts
Difficulty profile
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 5 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.
1 Rough Crag (Riggindale)2 High Street3 Mardale Ill Bell4 Harter Fell (Mardale)5 Little Harter Fell6 Branstree7 Selside Pike
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 17.48 km with around 1099 m of ascent, taking in 7 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: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A sustained ~27% descent around the 15.3 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.
On the line: 8 gates
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
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rough Crag (Riggindale) | 3.0 km | 403 m | 1:17–1:42 |
| High Street | 4.6 km | 680 m | 2:03–2:44 |
| Mardale Ill Bell | 6.1 km | 693 m | 2:22–3:09 |
| Harter Fell (Mardale) | 8.0 km | 847 m | 3:01–4:01 |
| Little Harter Fell | 9.2 km | 850 m | 3:16–4:21 |
| Branstree | 10.7 km | 990 m | 3:48–5:03 |
| Selside Pike | 12.7 km | 1049 m | 4:18–5:43 |
| Finish | 17.5 km | 1099 m | 5:20–7:05 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Rough Crag (Riggindale) (3.0 km, 403 m)
Climb of about 403 m over 3.0 km (around 13% average).
Rough Crag (Riggindale) → High Street (1.6 km, 277 m)
Climb of about 277 m over 1.6 km (around 17% average).
High Street → Mardale Ill Bell (1.4 km, 13 m)
Descent of about 73 m over 1.4 km.
Mardale Ill Bell → Harter Fell (Mardale) (2.0 km, 154 m)
Climb of about 154 m over 2.0 km (around 8% average).
Harter Fell (Mardale) → Little Harter Fell (1.2 km, 3 m)
Descent of about 105 m over 1.2 km.
Little Harter Fell → Branstree (1.5 km, 139 m)
Climb of about 139 m over 1.5 km (around 9% average).
Branstree → Selside Pike (2.0 km, 59 m)
About 2.0 km with 59 m of ascent.
Selside Pike → Finish (4.7 km, 50 m)
About 4.7 km with 50 m of ascent.
Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.
Summits bagged (7)
- Rough Crag (Riggindale) 628 m · Far Eastern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
- High Street 828 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
- Mardale Ill Bell 761 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Harter Fell (Mardale) 779 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
- Little Harter Fell 681 m · Far Eastern · Birkett
- Branstree 712 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
- Selside Pike 655 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
💧 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
No regular bus serves the start — this is one for the car. Nearest hubs: Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ 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 9.2 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Mardale circuit
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