Stonesty Pike, Great Knott & Wrynose Fell
Key facts
Difficulty profile
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 1 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.
1 Wrynose Fell - Long Crag2 Cold Pike3 Great Knott4 Stonesty Pike5 Little Stand
Easy 59%Moderate 23%Hard 13%Severe 6%
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 13.57 km with around 1033 m of ascent, taking in 5 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.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~45% drop around the 10.6 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: No barriers mapped on this line.
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 (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-26. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wrynose Fell - Long Crag | 2.3 km | 257 m | 0:53–1:10 |
| 2Cold Pike | 5.1 km | 588 m | 2:00–2:39 |
| 3Great Knott | 6.1 km | 641 m | 2:18–3:03 |
| 4Stonesty Pike | 7.5 km | 753 m | 2:46–3:40 |
| 5Little Stand | 9.8 km | 875 m | 3:25–4:32 |
| Finish | 13.6 km | 1033 m | 4:26–5:54 |
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
Wrynose Pass Car Park → Wrynose Fell - Long Crag (2.3 km, 257 m)
Starting from the Three Shire Stone at the crest of Wrynose Pass, this route heads immediately onto the rugged, undulating terrain of the Southern Fells. The path pushes north-east and then north-west towards the subsidiary ridge of Wrynose Fell, specifically targeting Long Crag. The terrain is a mix of grassy hummocks, scattered rock outcrops, and boggy depressions. The 11% gradient provides a steady but rough warm-up over pathless, uneven ground
WaypointsThree Shire Stone (approx. 393m): The historic boundary marker and summit of the pass. Wrynose Fell - Long Crag (545m): A distinct, separate pinnacle of rock protruding from the fellside
Decision pointThe Valley Drop: Keep the immense drop into Wrynose Bottom strictly to your left (west) as you climb
Easy to get wrongFaint Paths: There is no engineered path here; you are weaving through hummocks and sheep trods. Boggy Hollows: After rain, the depressions between the rocky outcrops become deep, boot-sucking bogs
If you need to get offSimply turn back and trace the grassy slopes east directly down to the Wrynose Pass road. Do not attempt to drop down the sheer craggy sides into the valley bottom
- 2
Wrynose Fell - Long Crag → Cold Pike (2.8 km, 331 m)
From Long Crag, the route arcs west, dropping slightly to cross the notoriously wet, sprawling saddle of Redtarn Moss. After navigating the bogs, the path pitches up steeply to tackle the southern flanks of Cold Pike. The gradient kicks up to 12% as you transition from peat hags to a rocky, craggy ascent, arriving at a sharply defined, boulder-strewn summit
WaypointsRedtarn Moss: The sprawling, boggy depression separating the Wrynose peaks from the main Pike of Blisco/Crinkle Crags massif. Cold Pike Summit (701m): A prominent, rocky tor offering superb views of the Crinkles
Decision pointPike of Blisco: The massive, pyramidal bulk of Pike of Blisco looms clearly to your right (north) across the tarn. Keep it on your right. The Crinkles: The towering skyline of Crinkle Crags is dead ahead
Easy to get wrongThe Moss Swamp: Redtarn Moss is a boot-soaker year-round. Weave carefully to avoid the deepest peat and standing water. Rocky Scramble: The final pull up to Cold Pike requires minor high-stepping over boulders that become slick in the rain
If you need to get offFrom Redtarn Moss, drop east towards Red Tarn and pick up the heavily trodden path back down to the Three Shire Stone at Wrynose Pass
- 3
Cold Pike → Great Knott (1.1 km, 52 m)
A short, undulating ridge walk heading north-west. You drop slightly from Cold Pike onto a stony saddle before making a very brief, gentle pull up to Great Knott. The terrain is rough and rocky underfoot, typical of the high Crinkle Crags approaches, but the elevation gain here is minimal
WaypointsThe Saddle: The rocky depression connecting Cold Pike to the main ridge. Great Knott (696m): A subsidiary, somewhat flattened bump on the ridge line preceding the main Crinkles
Decision pointLine of Sight: The massive, undulating wall of Crinkle Crags directly ahead is impossible to miss and serves as your primary forward marker
Easy to get wrongWind Exposure: This open saddle takes the full brunt of winds blowing across the high fells. Ankle-Rolling Terrain: While flat, the ground is littered with shattered rock that requires constant attention to foot placement
If you need to get offRetrace your steps to the saddle and drop east back towards Red Tarn and the Wrynose Pass retreat route. Do not drop west into the trackless, marshy trench of Moasdale
- 4
Great Knott → Stonesty Pike (1.4 km, 112 m)
Rather than pushing onto the main Crinkle Crags ridge, this route hooks south-west, beginning a high-level traverse across the tops bounding the eastern side of Moasdale. The walk to Stonesty Pike involves crossing trackless, undulating rocky terrain. The gradient is a manageable 8%, but the lack of a distinct trod makes it a rugged, wild traverse
WaypointsThe Branching Point: Where you leave the main highway path heading to Crinkle Crags. Stonesty Pike (765m): A high, rocky prominence sitting on the ridge above the Duddon Valley
Decision pointMoasdale Trench: Keep the deep, marshy trench of Moasdale (separating you from Hard Knott) clearly to your right (west). Compass Bearings: If the mist is down, taking a strict south-westerly bearing from Great Knott is mandatory to avoid wandering into the crags
Easy to get wrongPathless Navigation: There is no clear, heavily used path connecting these subsidiary tops. You must pick your own line through boulders, heather, and alpine grass
If you need to get offTurn back to Great Knott and use the Red Tarn retreat route. Bailing directly off the eastern side of Stonesty Pike down to Wrynose Bottom is incredibly steep, craggy, and highly dangerous
- 5
Stonesty Pike → Little Stand (2.2 km, 123 m)
Continuing the rugged southward traverse, the route heads from Stonesty Pike towards Little Stand. This is a wide, confusing plateau of rocky knolls, peat, and minor tarns. The elevation gain is slight (6%), but the terrain is an exhausting mix of boulder-hopping and navigating around hidden pools. Little Stand itself is a rocky promontory overlooking the Wrynose Pass road far below
WaypointsThe High Plateau: The trackless, undulating ground connecting the peaks. Little Stand Summit (740m): A rocky peak sitting precariously close to the sheer eastern crags
Decision pointRidge Boundaries: Keep the sheer drop off into Moasdale on your right (west) and avoid the crags to your left (east)
Easy to get wrongClag Disorientation: The plateau is a featureless maze in mist, and the multiple rocky bumps all look identical. Lethal Crags: The eastern and southern edges of Little Stand feature sheer, fatal drops. Extreme caution is required near the edges
If you need to get offThere are no safe bails from the middle of this plateau. Once you leave Stonesty Pike, you must push through to Little Stand to pick up the only viable descent route
Little Stand → Finish (3.8 km, 158 m)
From the summit of Little Stand, you must tackle the notorious, fiercely steep descent down its south-eastern flanks. The path here is often vague, threading tightly between sheer crags and plunging down steep, grassy chutes back to the valley floor at Wrynose Bottom. Once on the valley floor, the final stretch requires a slog eastwards back up the tarmac road (or parallel valley path) to return to the Three Shire Stone parking area
WaypointsThe Descent Chutes: The steep grassy ramps dropping off Little Stand. Wrynose Bottom / Cockley Beck: The flat, marshy valley floor. Wrynose Pass Road: The tarmac road winding back up the pass
Decision pointVisual Routing: Navigate by sight down the safest grassy ramps. The Road: Once in the valley, the River Duddon and the Wrynose Pass road act as your infallible handrails back to the start
Easy to get wrongKnee-Shattering Descent: The drop off Little Stand is treacherous. The grassy chutes turn into lethal slip-slides when wet. Poor route-finding here will quickly lead you onto impassable crags; take it very slowly. Mental Fatigue: After surviving the descent, you are faced with a 158m climb back up the Wrynose Pass road to your car—a grueling finish to a tough route
If you need to get offThe descent is the exit. Once you drop off Little Stand, you are fully committed to the valley floor
Summits bagged (5)
- 1Wrynose Fell - Long Crag547 m
- 2Cold Pike700 m
- 3Great Knott695 m
- 4Stonesty Pike765 m
- 5Little Stand740 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
Getting there & parking
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.
Every option near this start, on the parking map →
💧 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
The 517 stops at Little Langdale, outside Three Shires Inn. From there it is 4.6 km and 352 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. We haven’t published last buses, Sunday or winter service yet, so check the timetable before you rely on getting back.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
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 if one is full the others usually are too. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.
- Blake Rigg Little Langdale (verge, west)
- Wrynose Fell (layby)
- Hell Gill Pike (verge)
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.
Safety & conditions
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.
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 6.3 km (drop to Wrynose Pass Car Park) — roughly half the distance.
Places to stay near this start
From Wrynose Pass: 2 places in Grasmere