Mardale Horseshoe
Photo: © Lee McCoy
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 6 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 Kidsty Pike2 Rampsgill Head3 The Knott (High Street)4 High Street5 Mardale Ill Bell6 Harter Fell (Mardale)7 Little Harter Fell
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 15.33 km with around 900 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 ~28% descent around the 14.6 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.
On the line: 5 gates · 1 kissing gate
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 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kidsty Pike | 4.4 km | 566 m | 1:49–2:25 |
| Rampsgill Head | 5.9 km | 598 m | 2:11–2:54 |
| The Knott (High Street) | 6.6 km | 599 m | 2:19–3:05 |
| High Street | 8.4 km | 726 m | 2:53–3:50 |
| Mardale Ill Bell | 9.9 km | 735 m | 3:12–4:16 |
| Harter Fell (Mardale) | 11.7 km | 899 m | 3:50–5:06 |
| Little Harter Fell | 12.9 km | 900 m | 4:05–5:25 |
| Finish | 15.3 km | 900 m | 4:34–6:04 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Kidsty Pike (4.4 km, 566 m)
Climb of about 566 m over 4.4 km (around 13% average).
Kidsty Pike → Rampsgill Head (1.6 km, 32 m)
Undulating section of about 1.6 km.
Rampsgill Head → The Knott (High Street) (0.7 km, 1 m)
Descent of about 56 m over 0.7 km.
The Knott (High Street) → High Street (1.8 km, 127 m)
Climb of about 127 m over 1.8 km (around 7% average).
High Street → Mardale Ill Bell (1.5 km, 9 m)
Descent of about 80 m over 1.5 km.
Mardale Ill Bell → Harter Fell (Mardale) (1.8 km, 164 m)
Climb of about 164 m over 1.8 km (around 9% average).
Harter Fell (Mardale) → Little Harter Fell (1.2 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 114 m over 1.2 km.
Little Harter Fell → Finish (2.4 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 423 m over 2.4 km.
Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.
Summits bagged (7)
- Kidsty Pike 781 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
- Rampsgill Head 792 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
- The Knott (High Street) 739 m · Far Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Synge
- 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
🅿️ 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 7.3 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Mardale Horseshoe
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