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12.01 km · ~799 m ascent · ~3.5–5 h · loop · 7 summits

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Up to Skiddaw Round Trip

12.01 km
Distance
~3.5–5 h
Typical time
~799 m
Ascent
7
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 12.01 km
Ascent ~799 m
Descent ~800 m
Time ~3.5–5 h
Type Loop
A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

Difficulty profile

LengthModerate12.01 km round.
SteepnessHardSteepest sustained pull about 31% around the 10.6 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~23% featureless high ground. 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.

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 292 m to 924 m over 12.0 km, with the summits marked in order. 924 m 292 m 0 km 12.0 km 1234567

1 Lonscale Fell2 Jenkin Hill3 Skiddaw Middle Top4 Skiddaw5 Skiddaw South Top6 Skiddaw Little Man7 Skiddaw Lesser Man

~799 m
Total ascent
924 m
High point
293 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 12.01 km with around 799 m of ascent, taking in 7 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
Mostly gates
Buggy
Not buggy-able
Knees
Tough descent
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A long, steep ~31% drop around the 10.4 km mark — hard on the knees.

On the line: 8 gates · 2 kissing gates · 2 step-over stiles · 3 stiles (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 2026-07-18. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Lonscale Fell2.8 km420 m1:15–1:40
Jenkin Hill4.5 km558 m1:50–2:26
Skiddaw Middle Top6.6 km763 m2:36–3:27
Skiddaw6.9 km763 m2:39–3:32
Skiddaw South Top7.5 km767 m2:46–3:41
Skiddaw Little Man8.6 km798 m3:03–4:03
Skiddaw Lesser Man8.9 km798 m3:06–4:07
Finish12.0 km799 m3:44–4:58

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Lonscale Fell (2.8 km, 420 m)

Climb of about 420 m over 2.8 km (around 15% average).

Lonscale Fell → Jenkin Hill (1.7 km, 138 m)

Climb of about 138 m over 1.7 km (around 8% average).

Jenkin Hill → Skiddaw Middle Top (2.1 km, 205 m)

Climb of about 205 m over 2.1 km (around 10% average).

Skiddaw Middle Top → Skiddaw (0.3 km, 0 m)

Undulating section of about 0.3 km.

Skiddaw → Skiddaw South Top (0.6 km, 4 m)

Undulating section of about 0.6 km.

Skiddaw South Top → Skiddaw Little Man (1.1 km, 31 m)

Descent of about 89 m over 1.1 km.

Skiddaw Little Man → Skiddaw Lesser Man (0.3 km, 0 m)

Undulating section of about 0.3 km.

Skiddaw Lesser Man → Finish (3.2 km, 0 m)

Descent of about 519 m over 3.2 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (7)

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Gale Road / Latrigg top (free) — 0.1 km from the start (straight line)
Free car park at the road end behind Latrigg — shortest way up Skiddaw via Jenkin Hill.
Directions
Keswick town (various paid) — 2.5 km from the start (straight line)
Hub for the Northern and North Western fells; bus interchange for the Ramblers.
Directions

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

💧 Water, shelter & getting away

🛖 map (5 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.

🚌 Buses

Stagecoach 555
Kendal – Staveley – Windermere – Ambleside – Rydal – Grasmere – Thirlmere (Wythburn & Swirls) – Keswick
Catch it from: Windermere · Ambleside
Year-round, roughly hourly. The backbone bus of the A591 — ideal for Helvellyn (Wythburn/Swirls), Fairfield, the Central fells and anything around Grasmere/Rydal. From Penrith, take the X4/X5 to Keswick and change.
Stagecoach X4 / X5
Penrith – Rheged – Threlkeld – Keswick – Braithwaite – Cockermouth – Workington
Catch it from: Penrith
Year-round, frequent. From Penrith this is your way into Keswick and the Northern fells — Threlkeld/Scales stops serve Blencathra directly, Braithwaite serves the Coledale fells.
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 (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.
Stagecoach 78 “Borrowdale Rambler”
Keswick – Lodore – Grange – Rosthwaite – Seatoller
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 or X4/X5)
Year-round, frequent in season. Serves all the Borrowdale starts — Glaramara, the Scafells and Great Gable via Seathwaite (alight Seatoller, 20 min walk up the lane).

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 6.9 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Up to Skiddaw Round Trip

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