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9.96 km · ~782 m ascent · ~3–4.5 h · loop · 4 summits

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St Sunday Crag above Patterdale and Ullswater
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St Sunday Crag

9.96 km
Distance
~3–4.5 h
Typical time
~782 m
Ascent
4
Summits

Photo: © Lee McCoy

Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 9.96 km
Ascent ~782 m
Descent ~778 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.

🧭 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

LengthModerate9.96 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 44% around the 8.3 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationModerateA reasonably clear line (ridge or path), but carry a map and compass for the cloud.
ExposureEasyBroad, flat, grassy going; the walking route stays well clear of the crags.

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 145 m to 839 m over 10.0 km, with the summits marked in order. 839 m 145 m 0 km 10.0 km 1234

1 Arnison Crag2 Birks3 St Sunday Crag4 Gavel Pike

~782 m
Total ascent
839 m
High point
145 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 9.96 km with around 782 m of ascent, taking in 4 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
Gates only
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: Gates and kissing gates only — a dog can do the whole route.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~44% drop around the 8.1 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 7 gates · 1 kissing gate

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)
Arnison Crag1.4 km271 m0:44–0:58
Birks3.5 km510 m1:33–2:03
St Sunday Crag5.1 km754 m2:17–3:02
Gavel Pike5.6 km756 m2:22–3:09
Finish10.0 km782 m3:18–4:23

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Arnison Crag (1.4 km, 271 m)

Climb of about 271 m over 1.4 km (around 19% average).

Arnison Crag → Birks (2.1 km, 239 m)

Climb of about 239 m over 2.1 km (around 11% average).

Birks → St Sunday Crag (1.7 km, 244 m)

Climb of about 244 m over 1.7 km (around 14% average).

St Sunday Crag → Gavel Pike (0.4 km, 1 m)

Descent of about 54 m over 0.4 km.

Gavel Pike → Finish (4.4 km, 26 m)

Descent of about 636 m over 4.4 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (4)

  • Arnison Crag 433 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
  • Birks 624 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
  • St Sunday Crag 841 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, Marilyn
  • Gavel Pike 784 m · Eastern · Birkett, Synge

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Patterdale (paid) — 0.3 km from the start (straight line)
For Place Fell, St Sunday Crag, the Grisedale fells.
Directions
Glenridding (paid) — 1.2 km from the start (straight line)
Main Helvellyn-from-the-east base: Striding Edge, Catstye Cam, Birkhouse Moor; also Sheffield Pike, Glenridding Dodd.
Directions

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

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🚌 Patterdale Hotel (E bound) (12 m)🚌 Patterdale Hotel (W bound) (32 m)🚌 Youth Hostel (N bound) (462 m)🚌 Youth Hostel (S bound) (468 m)⛺ Patterdale Youth Hostel (486 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 5.6 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for St Sunday Crag

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Appears in these collections
Dog-friendly walks