Seven Wasdale tops in a 17.8 km round with 1,253 m of climbing and one stage averaging 24%. Hard for length, navigation and exposure, severe for steepness — about 5.6 hours on ground that stays rough throughout.
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
LengthHard17.8 km — a long day out.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 45% around the 5.7 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~20% featureless high ground, 31 path junctions near the line. 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 5 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.
By bus: the Wasdale Explorer (opens in new tab) reaches Greendale at 09:00 and the last one back leaves at 19:00. At a steady pace this walk finishes about 16:31. Be off Buckbarrow by 17:47. Runs weekends and bank holiday Mondays in summer only. Check the timetable before you rely on it.
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.
This walk covers about 17.8 km with around 1253 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
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 ~44% drop around the 11.0 km mark — hard on the knees.
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
Low Greendale Car Park → Middle Fell (2.1 km, 506 m)
Climb of about 506 m over 2.1 km (around 24% average).
Leaving the parking area at Low Greendale, the route immediately tackles the steep, blunt nose of Middle Fell. There is no gentle warm-up; it is a relentless pull straight up the grassy hillside. The path is distinct but heavily eroded in places. As you climb, Greendale Gill carves a deep ravine to your right, and the views opening up behind you over Wastwater and the Scafell massif are spectacular
Waypoints
Low Greendale (approx. 70m): The starting point near the road at the base of the fell. Middle Fell Summit (582m): The top of the ridge, marked by a cairn overlooking the deep trench of Greendale Tarn
Decision point
Visual Handrails: Keep the trench of Greendale Gill firmly on your right-hand (east) side. Do not stray too far left onto the craggier western slopes overlooking the valley bottom
Easy to get wrong
Steep Gradient: Averaging 24% over the first two kilometres, this is a lung-bursting start that demands pacing. Summer Bracken: The lower slopes are choked with dense bracken from June to September, which can hide uneven ground and make the air feel incredibly humid
If you need to get off
Simply turn around and carefully retrace your steps down the steep grass back to the car park
2
Middle Fell → Haycock (4.0 km, 342 m)
Climb of about 342 m over 4.0 km (around 9% average).
From Middle Fell, the route drops slightly into the saddle near Greendale Tarn before embarking on a long, often pathless traverse across the boggy expanse of Winscale Hows. Rather than summiting Seatallan now, this specific route skirts its eastern flank, traversing the notoriously wet and featureless depression at Pots of Ashness. The final section is a long, tiring grassy slog up the southern slopes of Haycock to reach its rocky summit plateau
Waypoints
Greendale Tarn Outflow: A useful marker as you drop off Middle Fell. Pots of Ashness: A wide, boggy saddle between Seatallan and Haycock. Haycock Summit (797m): A boulder-strewn summit plateau featuring a prominent cairn and an intersection with the Ennerdale boundary wall
Decision point
Terrain Features: Use Seatallan’s bulk on your left (west) to maintain your contouring line across Winscale Hows. Boundary Wall: As you approach the top of Haycock, the old stone boundary wall separating the Wasdale and Ennerdale catchments will appear—this is your primary navigational anchor for the next two stages
Easy to get wrong
Deep Bogs: Pots of Ashness is notoriously wet year-round. Expect to sink over your boots if you don't pick your line carefully. Pathless Terrain: The traverse skirting Seatallan has no distinct path. It is rough, tussocky grass that saps energy
If you need to get off
If the bogs or weather become too much, intercept Greendale Tarn to the east and follow the clear path beside Greendale Gill directly back down to the car park
3
Haycock → Little Gowder Crag (0.6 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 98 m over 0.6 km.
This is a short, sharp descent threading along the high ridge connecting Haycock to the Caw Fell plateau. The terrain changes dramatically here from the grassy bogs of the previous stage to shattered rock and boulders
Waypoints
Haycock Summit: The starting point of the descent. Little Gowder Crag: A rocky prominence sitting on the ridge line
Decision point
The Ennerdale Wall: The dilapidated drystone boundary wall traces the crest of the ridge. Follow it closely; it is an infallible handrail
Easy to get wrong
Boulder Hopping: The ridge is rocky and uneven. The stones become incredibly slick in the rain, requiring careful footwork and making trekking poles a liability if they get trapped in the gaps. Exposure: This ridge takes the full brunt of north-westerly winds sweeping in from the Irish Sea
If you need to get off
Do not bail north into the remote wilderness of Ennerdale. If you need to retreat, re-ascend Haycock and drop south toward the bogs to pick up the Greendale Tarn descent path
4
Little Gowder Crag → Caw Fell (0.8 km, 5 m)
Undulating section of about 0.8 km.
A straightforward, undulating walk along the crest of the ridge. After the rocky descent from Haycock, the terrain flattens out into a stony, wind-blasted plateau leading to the summit of Caw Fell
Waypoints
Caw Fell Summit (698m): The westernmost outpost of the high fells, marked by a cairn sitting tight against the boundary wall
Decision point
The Wall: Continue keeping the boundary wall on your right (if facing west)
Easy to get wrong
Remoteness: You are now at the furthest point of the route, highly exposed to incoming weather fronts with no quick way down
If you need to get off
Retrace your steps east back over or around Haycock. Bailing west or south from Caw Fell drops you into the incredibly remote and pathless Bleng valley—a very long, exhausting walk out that ends far from your starting point
5
Caw Fell → Seatallan (5.8 km, 387 m)
Climb of about 387 m over 5.8 km (around 7% average).
This is the longest and most physically demanding navigational stage of the day. From Caw Fell, you must retrace your route eastwards back towards Haycock, before breaking away south across the vast, trackless wilderness of Stockdale Head and the headwaters of the River Bleng. This section is a true test of mountain navigation, crossing miles of featureless, boggy moorland before finally tackling the broad, grassy dome to reach Seatallan's trig pillar
Waypoints
Stockdale Head: The sprawling, boggy plateau south of the Haycock ridge. Seatallan Summit (692m): Marked by a white OS trig pillar and a wind shelter
Decision point
Compass Bearings: Once you leave the ridge wall, you must take precise bearings to hit the gentle rise of Seatallan. The Trig Pillar: On a clear day, Seatallan’s trig pillar is visible from a distance and serves as an excellent visual anchor to aim for
Easy to get wrong
Clag Navigation: This area is a notorious black spot in low visibility. There are no paths, no walls, and no distinct terrain features to guide you across the bogs. A map and compass (or reliable GPS) are mandatory. Fatigue: The tussocky grass and hidden peat bogs make for exhausting, ankle-rolling progress
If you need to get off
If completely lost or exhausted in the bogs, head due east. You will eventually hit the steep slopes dropping down to Nether Beck, where you can pick up the valley path south back to Wasdale
6
Seatallan → Glade How (2.4 km, 9 m)
Descent of about 269 m over 2.4 km.
From the summit of Seatallan, the route turns south, descending the fell's massive, grassy southern shoulder. The walking here becomes significantly easier, transitioning from the hostile bogs of the plateau to a broad, gently sloping grassy ridge that offers fantastic views down towards the coast
Waypoints
Seatallan Trig Pillar: The starting point of the descent. Cat Bields: Minor rocky outcrops along the ridge line. Glade How (approx. 423m): A minor, grassy bump marking the approach to the Buckbarrow crags
Decision point
Ridge Line: The ridge is broad but well-defined. Keep the steep drop into the Bleng valley well to your right (west)
Easy to get wrong
Slippery Grass: While technically easy, the steep grassy descent can be slick, especially after rain, putting a lot of strain on tired knees
If you need to get off
You are now on the descent funnel back to the start. The safest option is to simply continue forward along the ridge toward Buckbarrow and the valley floor
7
Glade How → Buckbarrow (0.4 km, 0 m)
Undulating section of about 0.4 km.
A very brief, undulating stroll across the grassy plateau connecting Glade How to the summit of Buckbarrow. The terrain is flat and grassy until it suddenly terminates at a series of dramatic, sheer crags overlooking the Wasdale valley
Waypoints
Buckbarrow Summit (423m): A cairn sitting precariously close to the edge of the southern crags
Decision point
Line of Sight: The summit cairns are obvious, but navigate strictly by sight and avoid the sheer southern edges
Easy to get wrong
Crag Edges: Buckbarrow is effectively a series of sheer cliffs hiding behind a grassy dome. The drops here are vertical and fatal. Extreme caution is required, particularly in high winds or poor visibility
If you need to get off
Turn east away from the crags to intercept the descent path heading down toward Gill Beck
Buckbarrow → Finish (1.7 km, 2 m)
Descent of about 338 m over 1.7 km.
The final descent skirts east away from the sheer crags of Buckbarrow, picking up a steep, winding path that drops relentlessly down the fellside alongside Gill Beck. The path weaves through rocky outcrops and heavy bracken, eventually spitting you out back onto the road at Low Greendale
Waypoints
Gill Beck: The waterway that you will follow down into the valley. Low Greendale Farm: The valley-bottom landmark marking your return to civilization
Decision point
Gill Beck: Use the beck as your ultimate handrail. Keep the water on your left-hand side as you descend, and it will guide you directly back to the road
Easy to get wrong
Tired Legs: The steep, eroded path requires careful footwork. Loose stones and steep grass make it easy to slip when your legs are fatigued at the end of the day. Hidden Obstacles: In summer, the bracken here is dense and can easily hide rabbit holes or loose rocks right on the path
If you need to get off
This is the final exit route. Once you begin descending the side of the beck, you are fully committed to returning to the Low Greendale car park
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Buckbarrow, south-east (layby 3) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
Walking base for Middle Fell, Haycock, Little Gowder Crag and Caw Fell — the 'Middle Fell, Haycock Seatallan and Buckbarrow' route starts 22 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free) — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)
Free verge parking for Middle Fell, Seatallan and Buckbarrow. OSM records the mapped parking area here as access=private - it may not be open to the public; the free verge parking is the roadside, not the yard (OSM element way/859299301, 2026-07-24 extract).
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.
We don’t know yet. Wasdale Explorer (seasonal) serves this area, but we don’t hold its stop positions, so we can’t measure the walk from it — and we won’t tell you to drive on the strength of a gap in our own data. Check the operator’s timetable.
There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.
Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free)
Buckbarrow, south-east (layby 3)
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 Fell — 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 September — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
Haycock — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Caw Fell — 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 September — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
Seatallan — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in midsummer — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
Buckbarrow — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in midsummer — about an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 08:45.
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.
The only independent inside the radius, 2.34 km from the start, and the only one whose owner you can talk to on a local number. What makes it worth the extra 1.2 km over the hostel is what sits at reception: a farm shop with essentials, Wasdale-reared meat, a camping range and takeaway coffee and Mawson's ice cream, free wifi, and a paid phone-charging service. For the non-walking half of the party there is a play area with swings and climbing frames, and Nether Wasdale's two inns are a two-minute walk for the evening meal the site itself does not serve. Two hard limits: the pods take 2 adults + 2 children and no more, and the park is shut from 14 October to 26 March - book anything here for a November weekend and there is nothing to book. Nothing on the page states a drying room or a dog policy either way, so ring before you arrive wet or with a dog.
Reception is also the farm shop. It stocks bread, butter, baked beans, local milk and eggs, meat reared in Wasdale, and a small camping range - walking poles, maps, compass, camping gas, chairs, socks - so a forgotten map or an empty gas canister is a two-mile fix rather than a drive to the coast.
Family rooms“We offer a diverse range of family friendly options for your stay including camping pitches, electric hook-ups, hardstanding pitches for motorhomes and campervans, static caravans to rent, static caravans to buy”
Children“Our 3 Pods are recent additions. Sleeping up to 4 (2 adults + 2 children) they offer a warm and dry base from which to explore this wonderful part of England.”
The one place in this radius that solves the whole 6pm-to-8am problem for a family: shared drying room, breakfast from 07:30, meals from 17:00, a cot and a highchair, a self-catering kitchen and free parking, 1.12 km from the Greendale start. Three things a family must know before booking, all of which cost money or a wasted afternoon if missed. Under-12s are barred from the dorm beds, so the cheap option is not available to a nine-year-old and you are booking a private room. Reception is open 07:30-10:00 and 17:00-22:00 only and check-in does not start until 17:00, so arriving off the fell at 3pm in the rain there is nobody there. And towels cost extra - they are rented, not supplied. Against that, under-10s eat for 1 pound off the breakfast and main menus, which takes a real bite out of a family's food bill. Dogs cannot come unless you take all 42 beds, and you cannot bring your own alcohol to the bar.
Worth knowing: “Pets - including dogs - are not permitted in our hostels when staying in a dorm or a private room.”
The lounge fire surround was salvaged from York Minster. The hall itself went up in 1829 for a Yorkshire banker, Stansfield Rawson, only became a youth hostel in 1969, and was still called YHA Wastwater until 2015.
Drying room“Self-catering kitchen Shared drying room Shared lounge Sole use available Unlimited breakfast Water refill station WiFi”
Family rooms“One room that sleeps up to 8 people. It includes 4 sets of bunk beds. A cot is available.”
Evening meal“Meals are also available from 17:00”
Packed lunch“With tasty breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, groups are sure to find something delicious to eat at YHA Wasdale Hall (see sample menu ).”
Parking“Parking is available at the hostel.”
Children“People of all ages are welcome at YHA. Guests aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or older. Guests aged 16 and 17 years old who are unaccompanied by an adult can only stay in private rooms in 24/7 staffed hostels, with parental consent. See our under 18s admissions policy for more information and the list of hostels. Under 12s are not permitted in dorm rooms. Children under 3 can stay with us for free.”
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 (opens in new tab).