Home / Routes / Newlands Hause to the Coledale Tops

Written by Lee McCoy · Route guide updated 18 October 2026: decision points added on stage 8 · 171 of 214 Wainwrights with a Strava-matched summit

Severe steepnessLoopPlanned

Newlands Hause to the Coledale Tops

11.4 km

Distance

~4–5½ h

Estimated time

~1107 m

Ascent

Summits

A loop of about 11.4 km from Newlands Hause, with about 1,110 m of climbing: over Knott Rigg and Ard Crags, up to Scar Crags and Sail, on to Crag Hill, round over Wandope and along Whiteless Edge to Whiteless Pike, then steeply down to Sail Beck and back up to the Knott Rigg path for the way down to the car park.

Start Newlands Hause

Getting here Parking: Newlands Hause car park, 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 77 stops at Buttermere Youth Hostel (near); from there it is 2.2 km and 251 m of ascent to this start. And the same back: about 15.7 km in all, with the walk. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. Parking & buses ↓

Hardest part Severe steepness: Steepest sustained descent about 43% around the 9.4 km mark.

Before you choose

OpenStreetMap maps crag edges within about 5 m of the path in four places: on the ridge between Sail and Crag Hill (Scott Crag, near 5.95 km), just past the top of Crag Hill (near 6.3 km), near 7.55 km before Wandope, and on Whiteless Edge (near 8.5 km).
Between about 6.7 and 7.0 km, past the Eel Crag top, the line is up to about 130 m from any mapped path.
From Whiteless Pike the line goes very steeply down to Sail Beck, about 43% sustained near 9.4 km, the steepest ground of the walk, then climbs about 250 m almost as steeply to the Knott Rigg path: about 50% over 250 m near 10.7 km.
The line crosses streams at two points OpenStreetMap maps as fords: below Ard Crags near 3.15 km, and Sail Beck near 10.15 km.
About 4.3 km of the line, in pieces, follows paths that OpenStreetMap does not record as public rights of way; the longest are about 1.1 km from the top of Ard Crags towards Scar Crags (about 2.75 to 3.9 km), about 0.9 km from Crag Hill past the Eel Crag top (about 6.15 to 7.0 km) and about 2 km from Whiteless Pike to the Knott Rigg path (about 8.9 to 10.9 km). The rest is public footpaths. That is a map-data note, not a ruling on access: check the access land and rights of way maps before relying on this stretch.

Hazard & incident notes: Sail · Crag Hill (Eel Crag) · Wandope · Whiteless Pike

Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet. A route line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

Download GPX →Planned route · not yet walked

Conditions on this route

We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 7 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.

Last bus back18:21, the 77 · until 1 November
Steepest descent43% at km 9.4

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.

Route map

OpenTopoMap

Elevation profile, shaded by steepness

1 Knott Rigg2 Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)3 Ard Crags4 Scar Crags5 Sail6 Crag Hill (Eel Crag)7 Eel Crag (Birkett)8 Wandope9 Thirdgill Head Man10 Whiteless Pike

Easy 59%Moderate 24%Hard 10%Severe 7%

824 m

High point

324 m

Start height

Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.

The walk, stage by stage

1
Newlands Hause → Knott Rigg (1.4 km, 227 m)
Climb of about 227 m over 1.4 km (around 16% average).
From the car park at Newlands Hause, the line takes the public footpath north up the fellside; the first half-kilometre is steep. It goes on north-north-east up the broad ridge to the top of Knott Rigg at about 1.4 km.
Waypoints
Newlands Hause car park, the public footpath, Knott Rigg (556 m).
If you need to get off
Back the way you came, never more than about 1.4 km.
2
Knott Rigg → Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top) (0.4 km, 17 m)
Undulating section of about 0.4 km.
The line goes on along the ridge path north-north-east and north-east, a short and nearly level stretch, to the north top at about 1.8 km.
Waypoints
Knott Rigg, the ridge path, the north top (546 m).
If you need to get off
Back over Knott Rigg to Newlands Hause, never more than about 1.8 km.
3
Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top) → Ard Crags (1.0 km, 68 m)
Climb of about 68 m over 1.0 km (around 7% average).
The same path goes north-east down into a shallow dip, then east-north-east and north-east up the ridge to the top of Ard Crags at about 2.75 km. OpenStreetMap maps a crag edge about 20 m from the path just below the top.
Waypoints
The north top, the dip in the ridge, Ard Crags (581 m).
If you need to get off
Back the way you came, never more than about 2.8 km.
4
Ard Crags → Scar Crags (1.5 km, 203 m)
Descent of about 104 m, then a climb of about 203 m, over 1.5 km.
From the top of Ard Crags the line leaves the ridge north-west, down a path to a stream crossed at a mapped ford at about 3.15 km. It then climbs north and north-north-east to the ridge path at about 3.8 km, and follows it east-north-east to the top of Scar Crags at about 4.3 km, with the crag edge of Scar Crags mapped about 30 m from the path.
Waypoints
Ard Crags, the path down to the ford, the climb to the ridge path, Scar Crags (672 m).
Easy to get wrong
The ford at about 3.15 km. Many paths are mapped on these tops: the desk count for the whole line is 25 path junctions near it.
If you need to get off
Back the way you came: from the ford, about 3 km back over Ard Crags and Knott Rigg to Newlands Hause; from Scar Crags, about 4.3 km.
5
Scar Crags → Sail (1.3 km, 200 m)
Descent of about 51 m, then a climb of about 200 m, over 1.3 km.
The line goes back west-south-west along the ridge path, the way it came, to the col at about 4.7 km, then climbs the public footpath west and west-south-west, then south-west and west, to the top of Sail at about 5.55 km.
Waypoints
Scar Crags, the ridge path, the col at about 4.7 km, the public footpath, Sail (773 m).
If you need to get off
From the col, back down to the ford and over Ard Crags and Knott Rigg: about 3.5 km to Newlands Hause by mapped paths.
6
Sail → Crag Hill (Eel Crag) (0.6 km, 87 m)
Climb of about 87 m over 0.6 km (around 14% average).
The line goes on west and west-north-west up the narrow ridge, past the crag of Scott Crag, mapped about 3 m from the path near 5.95 km, to the top of Crag Hill at about 6.15 km, where OpenStreetMap maps an Ordnance Survey trig pillar.
Waypoints
Sail, the narrow ridge, Scott Crag, the trig pillar on Crag Hill (839 m).
Easy to get wrong
The hazard notes for Sail and Crag Hill describe the ridge between them as narrow and exposed in strong wind, and the top of Crag Hill as a place to set a compass bearing in cloud.
If you need to get off
From Crag Hill, the shortest way down by mapped paths is on over Wandope and Whiteless Pike to Sail Beck, then a path to the Newlands Pass road just below the car park: about 4 km. Back over Sail to the col and the ford is about 5 km.
7
Crag Hill (Eel Crag) → Eel Crag (Birkett) (0.4 km, 8 m)
Undulating section of about 0.4 km.
From the trig pillar the line goes north-west across the broad top, about 0.4 km, to the Eel Crag top at about 6.55 km, with the edge of the crags mapped about 5 m from the line near 6.3 km and about 17 m near 6.6 km.
Waypoints
The trig pillar, the broad top, the Eel Crag top (807 m).
Easy to get wrong
Crags fall away close to the line on this top; in cloud, keep well back from the edge.
If you need to get off
Back to the top of Crag Hill, about 0.4 km, and the ways off from there.
8
Eel Crag (Birkett) → Wandope (1.1 km, 18 m)
Descent of about 48 m over 1.1 km.
From the Eel Crag top the line turns south-south-west and then south. Between about 6.7 and 7.0 km it is up to about 130 m from any mapped path, across the open top; it meets a public footpath at about 7.0 km and follows it south-west and south-south-west to the top of Wandope at about 7.7 km, with crag edges mapped about 4 m from the path near 7.55 km.
Waypoints
The Eel Crag top, the open top, the public footpath, Wandope (774 m).
Decision point
From the Eel Crag top there is no mapped path for about 0.3 km; the line meets the public footpath to Wandope at about 7.0 km.
Easy to get wrong
About 0.3 km with no mapped path, between crag edges. Wandope's hazard notes describe a path that skirts a steep rim close to the drop.
If you need to get off
Back to the top of Crag Hill, about 1 km, or on over Wandope and Whiteless Pike (stages 9 to 11).
9
Wandope → Thirdgill Head Man (0.5 km, 6 m)
Descent of about 41 m over 0.5 km.
From Wandope the line goes west and then south-west, gently down, to Thirdgill Head Man at about 8.2 km.
Waypoints
Wandope, Thirdgill Head Man (734 m).
If you need to get off
On along the line over Whiteless Pike (stages 10 and 11).
10
Thirdgill Head Man → Whiteless Pike (0.8 km, 27 m)
Descent of about 77 m over 0.8 km.
The line goes south-south-west down Whiteless Edge, a narrow ridge with a crag edge mapped about 4 m from the path near 8.55 km, to the col at Saddle Gate at about 8.7 km, and then south up to the top of Whiteless Pike at about 8.9 km.
Waypoints
Thirdgill Head Man, Whiteless Edge, Saddle Gate, Whiteless Pike (660 m).
Easy to get wrong
Whiteless Edge is narrow, with the crag edge close beside the path; take it steadily in wind.
If you need to get off
On over Whiteless Pike: about 2 km from its top to the Newlands Pass road below the car park by mapped paths (stage 11).
Whiteless Pike → Finish (2.5 km, 247 m)
Descent of about 331 m, with about 247 m of climbing, over 2.5 km.
From the top, the line goes south for a few metres. It then turns east-south-east and goes very steeply down a path past Bleak Rigg to Sail Beck: about 43% sustained near 9.4 km, the steepest ground of the walk. It crosses Sail Beck at a mapped ford at about 10.15 km and follows a path south-east for about 0.25 km. From there it climbs very steeply north-east, about 250 m, to meet the Knott Rigg footpath, the way out, at about 10.9 km. It follows that footpath down south-south-west to the car park at Newlands Hause.
Waypoints
Whiteless Pike, Bleak Rigg, the ford on Sail Beck, the climb to the Knott Rigg footpath, Newlands Hause car park (finish).
Easy to get wrong
The descent to Sail Beck and the climb out of it are the steepest ground of the walk, about 43% sustained going down and about 50% over 250 m near 10.7 km going up.
If you need to get off
From Sail Beck, OpenStreetMap maps a path that keeps on to the Newlands Pass road about 0.17 km below the car park: about 2 km from Whiteless Pike in all, against about 2.5 km on the line.

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone. Planned route · not yet walked

Summits bagged (10)

1Knott Rigg556 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
2Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)546 mNorth Western · Birkett, Synge
3Ard Crags581 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, HuMP
4Scar Crags672 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
5Sail773 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
6Crag Hill (Eel Crag)839 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP, Hewitt
7Eel Crag (Birkett)807 mNorth Western · Birkett
8Wandope774 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt
9Thirdgill Head Man734 mNorth Western · Birkett
10Whiteless Pike660 mNorth Western · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Hewitt

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

More about this walk

The start is the free car park at Newlands Hause, the top of the Newlands Pass road between Buttermere and Newlands. No bus stop is mapped within about 1.5 km.

Conditions and timing

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.

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.

Knott Rigg — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
Ard Crags — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Scar Crags — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Sail — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Crag Hill (Eel Crag) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Wandope — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
Whiteless Pike — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in midsummer — about half an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 08:45.

How to read these times

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.

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.

Getting there and back

Parking

Newlands Hause car park — 0.0 km from the start (straight line)

At Newlands Hause, the top of the Newlands Pass road above Buttermere. The 'Knott Rigg & Ard Crags Out-and-Back from Newlands Pass' route starts here. Added from the 5 Aug 2026 OSM candidate review.

Directions Something changed here?

Robinson (layby) — 0.3 km from the start (straight line)

A lay-by on the Newlands Pass road (way/585193027), 0.3 km east of the top of Newlands Hause, on the Newlands side (OSM way/585193026). The 'Knott Rigg & Ard Crags Out-and-Back from Newlands Pass' and 'Newlands Hause to the Coledale Tops' routes start at Newlands Hause, 0.3 km away in a straight line (this pin sits too far from the mapped paths to measure a walk). Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

High Snockrigg, north-west (layby) — 1.4 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for High Snockrigg, Whiteless Pike, Thirdgill Head Man and Crag Hill (Eel Crag) — the 'High Snockrigg, Eel Crag & Lad Hows' route starts 391 m away. Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

2 more places to park near the start

Knott Rigg (layby) — 1.4 km from the start (straight line)

Nearest fells: Knott Rigg (0.8 km), Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top) (0.8 km), Ard Crags (1.3 km). Free (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

High Snockrigg (layby) — 1.5 km from the start (straight line)

Walking base for High Snockrigg, Whiteless Pike, Thirdgill Head Man and Crag Hill (Eel Crag) — the 'High Snockrigg, Eel Crag & Lad Hows' route starts 250 m away. Also serves 'Great Bourne & Starling Dodd'. Free (OSM-tagged). Compacted surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Every option near this start, on the parking map →

If the parking is full

There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so expect them to fill on the same mornings. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.

Newlands Hause car park — at the start
Robinson (layby) — a 500 m walk to the start, climbing about 60 m

We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.

No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.

Buses

The 77 stops at Buttermere Youth Hostel (near). From there it is 2.2 km and 251 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 15.7 km in all, with the walk. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. It returns on 22 March 2027. Confirmed with the operator: its last day on 29 August 2026, its return on 16 October 2026. The last bus is 18:21 towards Keswick (77), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”

Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)

Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)

Seasonal (Summer 2026 timetable: 23 March to 1 November 2026). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.

Toilets and refreshments

The essentials

Arrival The free car park at Newlands Hause is at the start. 2 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (OpenStreetMap contributors, Cumbria extract of 24 July 2026, checked 17 October 2026)
Limitation Steep, rough fell paths, two fords and a stretch with no mapped path: not a pushchair route. (OpenStreetMap contributors, Cumbria extract of 24 July 2026, checked 17 October 2026)

Water, shelter & getting away

shelter (weather shelter, mapped, not checked; 27 m off the line)

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Planning detail

How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.

Difficulty profile

Severe overall — hardest: Steepness; terrain not assessed; exposure not assessed on the ground

LengthModerate11.4 km round.

SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained descent about 43% around the 9.4 km mark.

TerrainNot assessedThe map holds no grading for what is underfoot on this line, so we don’t guess. A rating appears once the ground is assessed.

NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~18% featureless high ground, 25 path junctions near the line. Hard – estimated from the map, not checked on the ground

ExposureNot assessedNot assessed on the ground; the map suggests Severe. 7 mapped crag feature(s) near the line — check the airy sections. Exposure (drops, scrambling, how bad a slip would be) needs the ground, so a map estimate is not given a grade here and does not count towards the overall grade.

Five independent axes, not one score. None of them was set on the ground: they are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.

How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.

Pacing

Summit	Cumulative	Ascent	Time (fast–steady)
1Knott Rigg	1.4 km	227 m	0:40–0:53
2Ill Crag (Newlands) (Knott Rigg North Top)	1.8 km	244 m	0:46–1:01
3Ard Crags	2.8 km	312 m	1:04–1:25
4Scar Crags	4.3 km	515 m	1:43–2:16
5Sail	5.6 km	714 m	2:18–3:04
6Crag Hill (Eel Crag)	6.1 km	801 m	2:34–3:24
7Eel Crag (Birkett)	6.6 km	810 m	2:40–3:32
8Wandope	7.7 km	827 m	2:55–3:53
9Thirdgill Head Man	8.2 km	833 m	3:01–4:01
10Whiteless Pike	8.9 km	859 m	3:13–4:17
Finish	11.4 km	1107 m	4:08–5:29

A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.

Access & barriers

Can a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?

Buggy

Not buggy-able

Knees

Tough descent

Buggy: No mapped stiles, but the ground underfoot has not been assessed; not a buggy line on what we know.
Knees: A long, steep ~45% drop over 250 m around the 9.4 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: No barriers mapped on this line.

Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 2026-10-17. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Walks from places nearby

Walks from Moss Force — 0.2 km from this start
Walks from Scale Force — 4.3 km from this start

Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.

All routes →