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2.2 km · ~92 m ascent · ~0.5–1 h · loop

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Slater Bridge & Cathedral Cave

2.2 km
Distance
~0.5–1 h
Typical time
~92 m
Ascent
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 2.2 km
Ascent ~92 m
Descent ~94 m
Time ~0.5–1 h
Type Loop
Start Little Langdale
A short, characterful loop from Little Langdale over the slate Slater Bridge and up to the cavernous Cathedral Cave, a relic of the old quarries. Uneven, rocky quarry ground in places — and a torch helps inside the cave.
✎️ Planned route — drawn but not personally walked or checked yet. A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

🧭 The automated detail on this page — distance, climb, pacing and a first-pass difficulty read — is live. Hand-written field notes are being added.

Difficulty profile

LengthEasy2.2 km — a short outing.
SteepnessModerateSteepest sustained pull about 17% around the 1.1 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.

☀️ 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 103 m to 154 m over 2.2 km, with the summits marked in order. 154 m 103 m 0 km 2.2 km
~92 m
Total ascent
154 m
High point
124 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 2.2 km with around 92 m of ascent. 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
Gentle descent
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Not a pushchair route.
  • Knees: No sustained steep descent — kind on the knees.

On the line: 7 gates · 3 kissing 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 2026-07-09. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Finish2.2 km92 m0:36–0:47

Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.

The walk, stage by stage

Little Langdale → Finish (2.2 km, 92 m)

Climb of about 92 m over 2.2 km (around 4% average).

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (0)

    🅿️ Getting there & parking

    Elterwater (NT, paid) — 1.6 km from the start (straight line)
    For Lingmoor Fell, Silver How and lower Langdale.
    Directions
    Blea Tarn (NT, paid) — 2.4 km from the start (straight line)
    Between the Langdales — Lingmoor, Pike o' Blisco, Blake Rigg side.
    Directions

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

    💧 No mapped drinking water or shelter on this route — that doesn’t mean there is none, and never drink untreated from a beck. (Facilities data © OpenStreetMap contributors.)

    🚌 Buses

    Stagecoach 516 “Langdale Rambler”
    Ambleside – Skelwith Bridge – Elterwater – New Dungeon Ghyll – Old Dungeon Ghyll
    Catch it from: Ambleside · Windermere (change at Ambleside)
    The Langdale bus — Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, Pike o' Blisco all walkable from the Dungeon Ghyll stops. Seasonal frequency varies; check before relying on the last bus back.

    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

    Easier and harder options coming soon.

    ⬇️ Download

    Download GPX

    GPX track for your GPS or phone.

    Appears in these collections
    Easy walks