Mellbreak and Crummock Water

The walk, stage by stage

1. 1

   Start → Mellbreak North Top (2.8 km, 400 m)

   Climb of about 400 m over 2.8 km (around 14% average).

   Start from the small car park at Maggie's Bridge, Loweswater, and head east for about 0.8 km, past the Kirkstile Inn, then turn south across the fields to the imposing northern base of Mellbreak. The path aggressively attacks the steep nose of the fell, zig-zagging relentlessly up a loose, scree-filled chute nestled between the crags before topping out abruptly on the grassy northern summit.

   Waypoints

   Maggie's Bridge car park (start), Kirkstile Inn (about 0.8 km), northern scree chute, White Crag (flanks), Mellbreak North Top (509m).

   Decision point

   The northern nose is hemmed in by crags on either side; keep to the central scree chute where the wear is obvious. The steepness acts as its own handrail—there is simply no other viable way up through the bluffs without entering serious climbing territory.

   Easy to get wrong

   This is one of the most fiercely steep and unyielding ascents in the western Lakes. The scree path is heavily eroded, highly mobile, and requires using hands in places for balance. In summer, the lower slopes are swamped with dense bracken, obscuring the start of the path, while descent of this route is universally discouraged due to the steep, sliding rock.

   If you need to get off

   Decide at the foot of the chute. Loose scree is harder to go down than to come up, so if you are unsure, turn back before you start it. We have no reviewed alternative from part-way up; if you cannot go on or back safely, stay put and call 999 or 112 for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

2. 2

   Mellbreak North Top → Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top) (1.2 km, 79 m)

   Descent of about 69 m, then a climb of about 79 m, over 1.2 km.

   Leave the North Top and drop gently southwards into the wide, spongy depression that separates the two peaks. Pick your way through the boggy patches along faint, meandering sheep trods before making the short, easy final pull up onto the slightly higher, rocky crown of the South Top.

   Waypoints

   North Top, central saddle depression, Mellbreak South Top (true summit, 512m).

   Decision point

   Keep the steep western drop towards Mosedale on your right-hand side as a broad, directional handrail. The path is braided and indistinct through the bog, so maintain a steady southerly bearing until the ground begins to visibly rise towards the South Top.

   Easy to get wrong

   The saddle between the tops is a notorious peat bog that rarely dries out, demanding a zig-zagging approach to avoid ankle-deep black muck. While the gradient is minimal, thick hill fog frequently caps this ridge, turning the gentle grassy expanse into a disorienting, featureless void.

   If you need to get off

   Do not attempt to drop east directly to Crummock Water from the saddle, as the ground consists of treacherous, hidden crags and steep scree. If needed, head west off the saddle, dropping down the steep but grassy slopes into the desolate Mosedale valley.

3. Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top) → Finish (7.7 km, 55 m)

   Descent of about 386 m, with about 55 m of climbing, over 7.7 km.

   Descend the steep, grassy southern nose of Mellbreak towards the flat expanse of Black Beck and the Mosedale valley floor. From here, swing sharply north-east, picking up the rugged, undulating shoreline path that skirts the entire western edge of Crummock Water, weaving through ancient woodland and rocky lakeside outcrops all the way back to your starting point.

   Waypoints

   Southern descent slope, Black Beck, Scale Force (vicinity), Crummock Water western shoreline, Lanthwaite Wood (vicinity).

   Decision point

   Once you reach the valley floor, the expansive body of Crummock Water becomes a continuous handrail. Keep the lake on your right and follow the shoreline path northwards until it gently spits you back out into the Loweswater pastures.

   Easy to get wrong

   The initial descent off the South Top is fiercely steep grass that turns to a slick slip-and-slide in the rain. The 7.7 km walk-out along the lake is highly deceptive; it is not a flat stroll but a surprisingly rough, rocky, and root-choked path that undulates constantly. When lake levels are high after heavy rain, sections of this path completely flood, forcing awkward detours into the steep banking.

   If you need to get off

   The shore path is the way back, and there is no road on this side of the lake. After heavy rain parts of it flood, and we have no reviewed way round them: check the recent rain before you set off, and choose another walk if the lake is high. Do not climb onto the steep, craggy flanks above the path to get round a flooded section.