
The Grasmoor Round
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Start Lanthwaite Green (paid)
Getting here Parking: Lanthwaite Green, 0.1 km from the start (straight line). Bus: the 77 stops at Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite), a 20 m walk from this start. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Severe steepness: Steepest sustained climb about 39% around the 1.6 km mark. Easy scramble: the last 100 m up Hopegill Head from Whiteside (km 3.6–3.7).
Before you choose
- Rannerdale Knotts: The ridge ends suddenly in a wall of crag and scree falling steeply to the valley by Crummock Water. Keep back from the abrupt end and the edges among the summit knolls, especially in wind or cloud — it's a small fell with a real drop.
- Grasmoor: The top is broad, grassy and almost featureless, ringed by steep crags and gullies. In mist it is very easy to set off on the wrong bearing and end up above the cliffs or descending a dangerous flank. Take and trust a compass bearing before leaving the summit.
- Whiteside (Whiteside West Top): The ridge towers above Gasgale Gill on a wall of crag. Keep back from the southern edge, particularly in cloud or wind where the drop comes with little warning.
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.
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.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Route map
1 Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)2 Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)3 Gasgale Crags4 Hopegill Head5 Sand Hill6 Grasmoor7 Thirdgill Head Man8 Whiteless Pike9 Rannerdale Knotts
Easy 56%Moderate 22%Hard 18%Severe 4%
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
Start → Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) (2.1 km, 562 m)
From the car parking area near Lanthwaite Green / Crummock Water, cross the road and follow the path north-east to the footbridge over Liza Beck. From there take the steep, direct path ascending Whin Ben up the western breast of Whiteside; the gradient is relentless from the beck. As you ascend, the path braids occasionally; stick strictly to the left-hand options along the main ridge line to gain the summit cairn at Whiteside West Top.
WaypointsLanthwaite Green start, Liza Beck footbridge, Whin Ben, Whiteside West Top cairn.
Decision pointThe western spur is a direct handrail up to the summit ridge.
Easy to get wrongSteep almost all the way from the footbridge, over loose scree and steep grass.
If you need to get offTurn round and carefully down-climb Whin Ben back to the car park.



© Lee McCoy · 3 photographs - 2
Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) → Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags) (0.6 km, 47 m)
From West Top, head east along the narrow crest of the ridge, keeping the sheer drops of Gasgale Crags on your right, to Whiteside East Top.
WaypointsWest Top, narrow ridge arête, East Top.
Decision pointThe path keeps to the crest of the ridge.
Easy to get wrongHighly exposed ridge walking; requires steady footing in windy conditions.
If you need to get offRetrace your steps west along the ridge to West Top and descend Whin Ben.


© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 3
Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags) → Gasgale Crags (0.3 km, 25 m)
Continue eastward along the high, undulating ridge line, staying above the crags, to the top of Gasgale Crags with Hopegill Head ahead.
WaypointsGasgale Crags high ridge.
Decision pointThe high ridge line guides you toward the pyramid summit of Hopegill Head ahead.
Easy to get wrongUneven, rocky ground along exposed drops.
If you need to get offRetreat west along the ridge.

© Lee McCoy - 4
Gasgale Crags → Hopegill Head (0.8 km, 104 m)
Dip to a shallow saddle, then climb the ridge towards Hopegill Head. Crucial navigation: keep strictly to the left-hand path options all the way up this section. In the final 100 metres before the peak, where the hands-on scramble begins, take the left-hand line straight up onto the rocky peak. Do not take the tempting, easier-looking right-hand track — it bypasses Hopegill Head entirely on loose scree and cuts straight across towards Sand Hill.
WaypointsRidge crest, final 100 m left-hand scramble, Hopegill Head summit cairn (perched above Hopegill Slabs).
Decision pointThe left-hand ridge line leads onto the rock pinnacle.
Easy to get wrongA short, hands-on scramble on steep rock in the final 100 m to the summit.
If you need to get offRetreat back along the Whiteside ridge.


© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 5
Hopegill Head → Sand Hill (0.3 km, 18 m)
Descend south-east off Hopegill Head down a short, loose scree step into the shallow col, then make the brief, gentle pull up to the rounded top of Sand Hill.
WaypointsHopegill Head descent step, Sand Hill top.
Decision pointClear line of sight between the two tops.
Easy to get wrongLoose, slippery scree on the initial descent off Hopegill Head. Hobcarton Crag, Hopegill Head's north-east precipice, is a large, steep, vegetated cliff that drops away just beside the summit.
If you need to get offGasgale Gill retreat. At Coledale Hause (just beyond Sand Hill) you can turn right to descend alongside Liza Beck into Gasgale Gill back to Lanthwaite Green. Two things to know: the right turn parallel to Liza Beck can be subtle and difficult to spot, and Gasgale Gill involves stream crossings and rough terrain that can become treacherous after heavy rain.
- 6
Sand Hill → Grasmoor (2.7 km, 275 m)
Drop south-south-east to the broad crossroads at Coledale Hause. Cross the head of Liza Beck and continue south-west, climbing the broad, stony flank of Grasmoor. Cross the summit plateau heading west to the large shelter cairn at the top, overlooking Crummock Water. Extension — adding Wainwrights: to make the walk harder, from Coledale Hause or the eastern slopes of Grasmoor head east to bag Crag Hill and Wandope, adding two extra Wainwrights (Crag Hill is the one Wainwright called Eel Crag), minding the severe cliff drop, before returning to the route.
WaypointsColedale Hause, Liza Beck, Grasmoor plateau, summit shelter cairn.
Decision pointThe paths across the plateau are partly stone-pitched; maintain a compass bearing in low cloud.
Easy to get wrongThe high summit plateau is broad, featureless and easy to get disoriented on in thick fog. Hazard — Lorton Gully: avoid descending directly west off the front of Grasmoor down End Crag / Lorton Gully. It is steep, craggy ground with serious drops.
If you need to get offFrom Grasmoor's summit, go back the way you came, east off the plateau. We have not checked a line down the Lad Hows ridge from this route, so it is not offered here.
- 7
Grasmoor → Thirdgill Head Man (2.1 km, 53 m)
Retrace your steps east across the plateau of Grasmoor, then descend east-south-east to the col below Crag Hill and turn south-south-west past Wandope Moss to the top of Thirdgill Head Man.
WaypointsGrasmoor plateau, the col below Crag Hill, Wandope Moss, Thirdgill Head Man.
Decision pointFaint trods and small cairns across the high moss.
Easy to get wrongFeatureless high ground; careful bearing required in mist.
If you need to get offFrom the summit, going back the way you came, down to Coledale Hause and Gasgale Gill, is about 5.5 km. Once you are down at the col below Crag Hill, the path you join there also runs north, along the west side of Crag Hill, down to Coledale Hause (about 1.1 km, losing about 120 m); turn left (west) there down Gasgale Gill, as in stage 5's escape. That is about 4.7 km from the col to the car park, with no climb back over Grasmoor.


© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 8
Thirdgill Head Man → Whiteless Pike (0.8 km, 47 m)
From Thirdgill Head Man, turn south-south-west to descend the narrow, steep grassy ridge of Whiteless Edge to the dip at Saddle Gate, then climb onto the sharp top of Whiteless Pike.
WaypointsWhiteless Edge, Saddle Gate, Whiteless Pike summit cairn.
Decision pointWhiteless Edge forms a narrow, well-defined crest leading straight to the peak.
Easy to get wrongSteep, narrow ridge descent along Whiteless Edge; requires careful footing.
If you need to get offRannerdale road shortcut. On the descent off Whiteless Pike, around the 300 m contour near Whiteless Breast, instead of climbing onto Rannerdale Knotts take the clear path branching right (north-west) around the north side of Rannerdale Knotts directly down to the valley road by Crummock Water.

© Lee McCoy - 9
Whiteless Pike → Rannerdale Knotts (3.0 km, 101 m)
Descend steeply south off Whiteless Pike, past Whiteless Breast, then turn west down to the col below Rannerdale Knotts. Continue west-north-west over the grassy ridge of Low Bank towards the low, rocky spine of Rannerdale Knotts. Climb gently onto the rocky crest and follow it to the summit cairn.
WaypointsWhiteless Breast, the col below Rannerdale Knotts, Low Bank, Rannerdale Knotts summit.
Decision pointThe long, low crest of Rannerdale Knotts stretches out clearly ahead.
Easy to get wrongStepped rocky path down Whiteless Pike on tired knees. Whiteless Pike is steep on all sides and the final climb to the rocky top is rough underfoot.
If you need to get offTake the north-side valley path directly down to the B5289 road.


© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs Rannerdale Knotts → Finish (3.6 km, 72 m)
Descend the western tip of Rannerdale Knotts down rock steps to the valley floor near Hause Point. At the B5289 road near Crummock Water, follow the road heading north for about 2.6 km, past Cinderdale Common, back to the parking area at Lanthwaite Green. It is a 60 mph road, with no pavement for most of the way.
WaypointsHause Point steps, B5289 road, Cinderdale Common, Lanthwaite Green finish.
Decision pointThe shoreline of Crummock Water on your left and the road provide simple navigation back to the car.
Easy to get wrongWalking along narrow sections of the B5289 road requires awareness of traffic. Where there is no pavement, keep to the right to face oncoming traffic, stay close to the side and be ready to walk in single file; before a sharp right-hand bend, cross to the other side and cross back after it. Wear something bright, or reflective in poor light. The ridge of Rannerdale Knotts ends suddenly in a wall of crag and scree falling steeply to the valley by Crummock Water.
If you need to get offDirect return along the road to the start.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Walked by Lee, August 2026
Make it easier or harder
Sun and shade: Going clockwise puts more of the walk in sun for a start between about 06:00 and 08:00, every day of the year on our terrain model — except for an 08:00 start in late November and early December, when the two are level. From November to January, a start after 09:00 reverses it.
Summits bagged (9)
- 1Whiteside (Whiteside West Top)707 m
- 2Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags)719 m
- 3Gasgale Crags703 m
- 4Hopegill Head770 m
- 5Sand Hill756 m
- 6Grasmoor852 m
- 7Thirdgill Head Man734 m
- 8Whiteless Pike660 m
- 9Rannerdale Knotts355 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
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.
- Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) — 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 December — about half an hour after sunrise.
- Hopegill Head — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Grasmoor — 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.
- Rannerdale Knotts — 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 midsummer — well over an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 09:00.
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
2 more places to park near the start
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.
If the parking is full
If the first one is full, these overlap least in our model. The 3 below sit in different places or are different kinds of parking, so a busy morning at one does not mean a busy morning at all of them.
- Car park for Rannerdale Knotts — joins the loop at about km 13.5 of 16.2: a 10 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- Lanthwaite Green — at the start
- Lad Hows, north-west (layby) — joins the loop at about km 15.3 of 16.2: a 20 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- By bus: buses stop at Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite), a 20 m walk from the start. A bus is not affected by a full car park. Its return times are under Buses.
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 Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite), a 20 m walk from this start. 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. As timetabled from 27 October to 1 November. Towards Keswick (77): Tuesday to Sunday 18:03. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 12 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
The 77 passes this route at 0.0 km (Lanthwaite Green Farm (opposite), 10 m off the line) and again at 11.5 km (Buttermere, outside Court Hotel, 920 m off the line) — one bus, two stops, 4.2 km apart on the ground. We haven’t walked a shortened version, so the distance, grading and escape routes on this page describe the walk end to end.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Lanthwaite Green car park (National Trust), beside the start: £7 up to 2 hours, £8 up to 4 hours, £9.50 all day; free for National Trust members. 52 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (National Trust, car parks in the Buttermere valley (listed as Lanthwaite Wood, grid reference NY158207; Lee, 28 Sep 2026: it is this car park), checked 28 September 2026)
- Toilets No toilets are mapped within 250 m of the start. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments No café or pub is mapped within 250 m of the start: bring what you need. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation Grasmoor’s top is broad, grassy and almost featureless, ringed by crags and gullies: in mist take a compass bearing and trust it. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)
Everything mapped near the start
Mapped as nearby on OpenStreetMap, as of 13 September 2026, within 250 m of where this route starts (information boards within 150 m; benches and shelter within 50 m):
Also mapped within reach: 2 information boards.
Distances are straight lines from where this route starts, not walking routes. Opening hours are as mapped and change; none of this is checked daily.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab), ODbL.
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
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
Five independent axes, not one score. Three of the five were set on the ground; the rest 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Whiteside (Whiteside West Top) | 2.1 km | 562 m | 1:21–1:48 |
| 2Whiteside East Top (Whiteside) (Gasgale Crags) | 2.6 km | 608 m | 1:32–2:03 |
| 3Gasgale Crags | 3.0 km | 634 m | 1:39–2:12 |
| 4Hopegill Head | 3.7 km | 738 m | 1:59–2:38 |
| 5Sand Hill | 4.1 km | 756 m | 2:05–2:46 |
| 6Grasmoor | 6.8 km | 1031 m | 3:04–4:05 |
| 7Thirdgill Head Man | 8.9 km | 1084 m | 3:35–4:46 |
| 8Whiteless Pike | 9.6 km | 1131 m | 3:49–5:04 |
| 9Rannerdale Knotts | 12.6 km | 1232 m | 4:34–6:05 |
| Finish | 16.2 km | 1304 m | 5:24–7:12 |
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: No mapped stiles; terrain Moderate – graded by Lee on the ground, but the going for wheels is not recorded; not a buggy line on what we know.
- Knees: A long, steep ~40% drop over 250 m around the 12.9 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 21 August 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Scale Force — 3.8 km from this start
- Walks from Moss Force — 4.8 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.

