hikes.guideLake District

10.42 km · ~795 m ascent · ~3–4.5 h · loop · 3 summits

Home / Routes / Middle Dodd Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd
A small cairn on a grassy top, looking down the valley to Brothers Water with cloud low on the fells beyond
Severe steepnessLoop

Middle Dodd Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd

10.42 km
Distance
~3–4.5 h
Typical time
~795 m
Ascent
3
Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

Download GPX →Walked by Lee, July 2026

Key facts

Distance 10.42 km
Ascent ~795 m
Descent ~792 m
Time ~3–4.5 h
Type Loop
Start Cow Bridge
A short round with a very long climb inside it — 521 m up to Middle Dodd in the first 4.3 km, including a sustained 56% pull, after which the ridge over Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd is easy going all the way down.
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate10.42 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 56% around the 3.9 km mark.
TerrainHardGraded on the ground.
NavigationHardGraded on the ground.
ExposureHardGraded on the ground.

Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.

Conditions on this route

We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 3 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, shaded by steepness
Elevation profile Rises from about 147 m to 645 m over 10.4 km, with the summits marked in order. The area beneath is shaded by sustained steepness over a 250 m window, in the same four bands as the route’s steepness rating: Easy under 15%, Moderate 15 to 25%, Hard 25 to 35%, Severe above 35%. 645 m 147 m 0 km 10.4 km 123

1 Middle Dodd2 Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top)3 High Hartsop Dodd

Easy 30%Moderate 12%Hard 4%Severe 54%

~795 m
Total ascent
645 m
High point
158 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 10.42 km with around 795 m of ascent, taking in 3 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
Mostly gates
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~56% drop around the 7.9 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 8 gates · 1 step-over stile · 1 stile (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 2026-07-19. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
1Middle Dodd4.3 km521 m1:44–2:18
2Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top)6.4 km653 m2:22–3:09
3High Hartsop Dodd7.5 km654 m2:35–3:26
Finish10.4 km795 m3:25–4:32

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary. These use Naismith’s textbook constants (5 km/h, 600 m of ascent an hour). Measured against a pace fitted to 41 recorded Lakeland walks they run about 8% slow, and we have left them that way deliberately: a slow estimate strands nobody.

The walk, stage by stage

  1. 1

    Start → Middle Dodd (4.3 km, 521 m)

    Climb of about 521 m over 4.3 km (around 12% average).

    From the parking area near Cow Bridge/Hartsop, take the track past Brothers Water and Hartsop Hall into the valley. Leave the valley floor to tackle the relentless, direct ascent up the steep northern nose of Middle Dodd

    Waypoints

    Cow Bridge parking, Brothers Water, Hartsop Hall, Middle Dodd summit

    Decision point

    Read the terrain rather than relying heavily on your watch. Keep strictly to the crest of the nose as it funnels you upward to the summit

    Easy to get wrong

    I had great trouble on this ascent even though it seems easy on paper. My Garmin fēnix 6 Pro was having problems getting a reliable location fix under the steep crags and updated very slowly. Because of this lag, I drifted marginally off the main trod. On this 12% gradient, that minor deviation was enough to turn a tough walk into a grueling, steep grassy scramble

    If you need to get off

    Turn around and carefully descend the grassy ridge directly back to the valley floor

    A bare weathered tree at the edge of a still lake, with a gravel path along the shore and a steep green fellside rising beyond
    A steep-sided green fell rising straight from the valley meadow, with cloud lying on the tops behind and broad-leaved trees along the field edgeLooking down a deep U-shaped valley from high on its side, a beck threading the floor past scattered trees and walled fields to a lake beyond
    © Lee McCoy · 3 photographs
  2. 2

    Middle Dodd → Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top) (2.1 km, 132 m)

    Climb of about 132 m over 2.1 km (around 6% average).

    From the summit of Middle Dodd, head south-west, then swing round west and north along the connecting ridge. The path drops slightly into the hause before taking a moderate, steady climb up to the twin rocky summits of Little Hart Crag

    Waypoints

    Middle Dodd, Scandale Pass (hause), Little Hart Crag West Top

    Decision point

    The prominent rocky outcrops of Little Hart Crag are visible from the hause and serve as an excellent visual target

    Easy to get wrong

    A much-needed reprieve after the initial climb. The depression connecting the fells can hold water and be boggy, but the 6% incline up to the crags is very manageable

    If you need to get off

    At the depression near Scandale Pass, you can turn left (east) to pick up the old packhorse route down into Caiston Glen, which safely returns you to the valley floor

    A young brown calf with a yellow ear tag standing beside a tumbled drystone wall, with a broad crag-edged fell rising behind
    © Lee McCoy
  3. 3

    Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top) → High Hartsop Dodd (1.1 km, 1 m)

    Descent of about 137 m over 1.1 km.

    Leave the craggy summit and head north-east along the distinct, narrowing ridge that connects directly to High Hartsop Dodd

    Waypoints

    Little Hart Crag, High Hartsop Dodd summit

    Decision point

    The ridge line itself is a massive, unmistakable handrail leading directly to the summit of High Hartsop Dodd

    Easy to get wrong

    The ridge is straightforward but narrows beautifully, providing a real sense of elevation. The terrain is a mix of grass and minor rocky steps on the descent from the main crag

    If you need to get off

    Retreat to Little Hart Crag and use the Caiston Glen descent; dropping directly off the steep eastern or western flanks of this connecting ridge is highly dangerous

    A grass path running along a broad ridge, looking down over wooded fellsides to Brothers Water and the valley fields beyond
    A low cairn of pale stones on a broad grassy summit, looking down the valley to Brothers Water with steep fells rising on both sides
    © Lee McCoy · 2 photographs

  4. High Hartsop Dodd → Finish (2.9 km, 141 m)

    Climb of about 141 m over 2.9 km (around 5% average).

    From the summit of High Hartsop Dodd, brace yourself for the precipitous descent straight down its northern nose toward Hartsop Hall. Once you reach the valley floor, rejoin the main track and retrace your steps past Brothers Water to the parking area

    Waypoints

    High Hartsop Dodd northern nose, Hartsop Hall, Brothers Water, Cow Bridge finish

    Decision point

    Aim directly for the valley floor near Hartsop Hall. Once off the fell, the wide gravel track by the lake is impossible to lose

    Easy to get wrong

    Do not let the net positive climb stat deceive you—the immediate descent off the end of High Hartsop Dodd is exceptionally steep and punishing on tired knees. The final 141 m of undulating climb is distributed along the rolling valley track walk back to the start

    If you need to get off

    Once you survive the steep descent and hit the valley track at Hartsop Hall, you are entirely off the fell and on the safe, primary route back to the car

Summits bagged (3)

  1. 1Middle Dodd654 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
  2. 2Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top)637 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  3. 3High Hartsop Dodd519 mEastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge

In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.

Getting there & parking

Cow Bridge, Hartsop (paid) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
Paid car park by Brothers Water — Hartsop above How, Dovedale, Caudale Moor. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards; RingGo ID 37323 (LDNPA, checked Aug 2026).
Directions Something changed here?
Gale Crag (layby) — 0.1 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Middle Dodd, Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top), High Hartsop Dodd and Gale Crag — the 'Middle Dodd Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd' route starts 56 m away. Also serves 'Hartsop Fells and Hart Crag'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Hartsop village (free, donation) — 0.8 km from the start (straight line)
For Hartsop Dodd, Gray Crag, High Street via Hayeswater, Brock Crags.
Directions Something changed here?
If it is full: Cow Bridge, Hartsop (paid) (0.9 km)
Hartsop Dodd car park (free) — 0.9 km from the start (straight line)
Nearest fells: Hartsop Dodd (0.9 km), Gale Crag (1.2 km), Brock Crags (Wainwright) (1.6 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?
Arnison Crag, south-east (layby) — 1.0 km from the start (straight line)
Nearest fells: Arnison Crag (0.8 km), Angletarn Pikes (Angletarn Pikes North Top) (1.5 km), Angletarn Pikes South Top (1.5 km). Free (OSM-tagged).
Directions Something changed here?

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

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

Water, shelter & getting away

🚌 Cow Bridge (53 m)🚌 Cow Bridge car park (54 m)🚌 Road End (329 m)

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

Buses

The 508 stops at Hartsop, opposite Cow Bridge, 130 m from this start. The last bus is 19:51 towards Windermere (508) and 15:14 towards Hartsop (509), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

The 508 passes this route at 0.1 km (Hartsop, opposite Cow Bridge, 10 m off the line).

Stagecoach 508 “Ullswater Bus”
Penrith – Pooley Bridge – Aira Force – Glenridding – Patterdale (summer services continue over Kirkstone Pass to Troutbeck and Windermere)
Catch it from: Penrith · Windermere (summer only)
The key route from Penrith for the Eastern and Far Eastern fells: Helvellyn from Glenridding, Place Fell, the Hartsop fells. The summer Kirkstone extension drops you at the pass for Red Screes and Caudale Moor.

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

If the parking is full

If the first one is full, these do not all fill together. 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.

  • High Hartsop Dodd (layby)
  • Cow Bridge, Hartsop (paid)
  • Hartsop Dodd car park (free)

Worked out from the parking we hold within walking reach of this route and the other walks each place serves — two places that serve the same walks fill for the same reasons. We are not saying whether anywhere has spaces today, and we never will: this is what exists, not what is free.

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. 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.

  • Middle Dodd — 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 late March — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
  • Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top) — 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 late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
  • High Hartsop Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about half an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in late March — about half an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 09:00.

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.

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

Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

Places to stay near this start

Greenbank Farm Bed and Breakfast guest house

about 1.8 km from the start, in a straight line

Ranked first despite being the eighth-nearest candidate because it answers more of the 6pm questions than anything else in the radius, and it answers them in its own sentences with prices attached: drying facilities, evening meals from £14.00, packed lunches at £6.00, and the only stated room composition on an independent B&B here. Its family room is a room for three, not four — which is exactly the fact a family of four needs before booking, and the reason a bare family_rooms=yes would have been a worse row than this one.

The farmhouse sits below Arnison Crag and looks across at Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes — the two fells this start's routes climb.

  • Drying room “We also have drying facilities and a large patio and garden to enjoy the view.”
  • Family rooms “Family: Room for three with a double and one single bed.”
  • Evening meal “We offer hearty home-cooked breakfasts and evening meals as well as packed lunches if required.”
  • Packed lunch “Packed Lunches £6.00”

Worth knowing before you book

These places state on their own site that they do not take children.

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap.

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