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

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Middle Dodd Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd

10.42 km
Distance
~3–4.5 h
Typical time
~795 m
Ascent
3
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 10.42 km
Ascent ~795 m
Descent ~792 m
Time ~3–4.5 h
Type Loop
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate10.42 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 56% around the 3.9 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationModerateClear line, hard to stray. desk assessment — not field-verified
ExposureNot assessedExposure (drops, scrambling, how bad a slip would be) can’t be judged from gradient data alone, so we don’t guess. A rating appears once the route is editorially assessed or walked.

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 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
Elevation profile Rises from about 147 m to 645 m over 10.4 km, with the summits marked in order. 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

~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)
Middle Dodd4.3 km521 m1:44–2:18
Little Hart Crag (Little Hart Crag - West Top)6.4 km653 m2:22–3:09
High 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.

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Middle Dodd (4.3 km, 521 m)

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

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).

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.

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

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

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (3)

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Cow Bridge, Hartsop (free) — 0.3 km from the start (straight line)
Free car park by Brothers Water — Hartsop above How, Dovedale, Caudale Moor.
Directions
Hartsop village (free, donation) — 0.8 km from the start (straight line)
For Hartsop Dodd, Gray Crag, High Street via Hayeswater, Brock Crags.
Directions

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

💧 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

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.

⚠️ 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.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Middle Dodd Little Hart Crag and High Hartsop Dodd

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