Up to Skiddaw Round Trip
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Key facts
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score — all field-checked on the ground here, with nothing left as a desk estimate.
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.
1 Lonscale Fell2 Jenkin Hill3 Skiddaw Middle Top4 Skiddaw5 Skiddaw South Top6 Skiddaw Little Man7 Skiddaw Lesser Man
Easy 65%Moderate 21%Hard 14%Severe
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: 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 (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-18. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lonscale Fell | 2.8 km | 420 m | 1:15–1:40 |
| 2Jenkin Hill | 4.5 km | 558 m | 1:50–2:26 |
| 3Skiddaw Middle Top | 6.6 km | 763 m | 2:36–3:27 |
| 4Skiddaw | 6.9 km | 763 m | 2:39–3:32 |
| 5Skiddaw South Top | 7.5 km | 767 m | 2:46–3:41 |
| 6Skiddaw Little Man | 8.6 km | 798 m | 3:03–4:03 |
| 7Skiddaw Lesser Man | 8.9 km | 798 m | 3:06–4:07 |
| Finish | 12.0 km | 799 m | 3:44–4:58 |
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
Start → Lonscale Fell (2.8 km, 420 m)
Depart the Gale Road car park through the gate and take the path heading north-east onto the lower flanks of Lonscale Fell, following the Cumbria Way trail. Cross Whit Beck and traverse north along the high path above the Glenderaterra Valley. Before reaching the gate entering Glenderaterra, turn sharp left (north) to climb the steep, grassy trail along the line of the fence on Burnt Horse Ridge, taking you straight up to the summit cairn of Lonscale Fell
WaypointsGale Road car park (start), Whit Beck crossing, Burnt Horse Ridge fence junction, Lonscale Fell summit cairn
Decision pointWhit Beck and the Cumbria Way track provide a clear traverse. The fence running up Burnt Horse Ridge acts as a continuous handrail directly to the summit
Easy to get wrongThe ascent up Burnt Horse Ridge along the fence line is very steep (averaging 15%) and can be wet and slippery underfoot
If you need to get offTurn around at any point along the lower traverse or the Burnt Horse Ridge climb to retrace your steps back to the car park via Whit Beck
© Lee McCoy - 2
Lonscale Fell → Jenkin Hill (1.7 km, 138 m)
From the summit cairn of Lonscale Fell, head west-north-west along the crest, keeping near the fence. Drop into the grassy col known as Flag Pots, pass through the gate, and climb gently westwards along the fence to reach the broad, grassy junction at Jenkin Hill, where your trail meets the main Skiddaw tourist track
WaypointsLonscale Fell summit, Flag Pots col / gate, Jenkin Hill junction
Decision pointThe fence line provides a clear handrail across the saddle between Lonscale Fell and Jenkin Hill
Easy to get wrongThe ground in the Flag Pots depression can be boggy after rain
If you need to get offAt Flag Pots or Jenkin Hill, turn left onto the main, wide tourist path and descend directly south back down to the car park, safely bypassing all the high summits
- 3
Jenkin Hill → Skiddaw Middle Top (2.1 km, 205 m)
At the Jenkin Hill gate, join the wide, main mountain track heading north. The route climbs steadily up the stony ridge, passing above the head of Little Man before tackling the steep slate slope that leads to the southern edge of the summit plateau. Follow the high ridge path north past South Top to reach Skiddaw Middle Top
WaypointsJenkin Hill gate, main Skiddaw track, Little Man bypass slope, South Top, Skiddaw Middle Top cairn
Decision pointThe main track is a wide, gravel motorway-like path, and cairns mark the route across the summit plateau
Easy to get wrongA long, sustained climb over loose slate scree and gravel. The summit plateau is fully exposed to high winds and weather
If you need to get offTurn around at any point on the climb to descend via the main Jenkin Hill tourist path back to the car park
- 4
Skiddaw Middle Top → Skiddaw (0.3 km, 0 m)
Follow the broad, gravelly summit ridge trail north across the high plateau for 300 metres from Middle Top to reach the true summit of Skiddaw (High Man), marked by a trig point and large stone orientation table
WaypointsSkiddaw Middle Top, High Man summit trig point & OS indicator
Decision pointThe broad ridge path and prominent trig point / orientation table at High Man
Easy to get wrongHigh exposure to extreme mountain weather, freezing winds, and potential loss of visibility in thick cloud
If you need to get offRetrace your steps south along the summit ridge to join the main Jenkin Hill descent back to the car park
© Lee McCoy - 5
Skiddaw → Skiddaw South Top (0.6 km, 4 m)
Head back south along the broad summit plateau from High Man, passing Middle Top to return to the cairn at Skiddaw South Top, where the main descent route off the plateau begins
WaypointsHigh Man summit, Middle Top, Skiddaw South Top cairn
Decision pointThe slate/gravel summit path and prominent cairns
Easy to get wrongFully exposed ridge top; requires a due south compass bearing if visibility drops in thick fog
If you need to get offFrom South Top, continue down the main tourist track directly to the car park, bypassing the summit ridge of Little Man if tired
© Lee McCoy - 6
Skiddaw South Top → Skiddaw Little Man (1.1 km, 31 m)
Descend south off the summit plateau into the shallow dip between Skiddaw and Little Man. Instead of taking the lower bypass track, branch right/south-east to ascend the distinct, sharp slate ridge up to the rocky cairn at the summit of Skiddaw Little Man
WaypointsSkiddaw / Little Man col, Skiddaw Little Man summit cairn
Decision pointThe summit ridge of Skiddaw Little Man forms a distinct, narrow spine leading to the cairn
Easy to get wrongThe short re-ascent to Little Man is steep with loose slate underfoot
If you need to get offStay on the lower tourist bypass track to the right, which skirts around Little Man and leads directly down to Jenkin Hill and the car park
© Lee McCoy - 7
Skiddaw Little Man → Skiddaw Lesser Man (0.3 km, 0 m)
Continue south-east along the crest of the ridge from Skiddaw Little Man, dropping down slightly and crossing over the small subsidiary peak of Skiddaw Lesser Man, marked by a small iron post overlooking Grey Crags
WaypointsSkiddaw Little Man summit, Skiddaw Lesser Man summit outcrop
Decision pointThe physical ridge line guides you directly south-east
Easy to get wrongAn exposed narrow ridge with steep drops down Grey Crags to the east
If you need to get offDrop down the short grassy slope to your right (west) to join the main Jenkin Hill tourist path for an easy descent
Skiddaw Lesser Man → Finish (3.2 km, 0 m)
From Skiddaw Lesser Man, descend south-west down the grassy spur to rejoin the main Jenkin Hill tourist track above the gate. Pass through the gate and follow the wide bridleway as it descends steadily down the ridge, passing the Hawell memorial and continuing alongside the fence line all the way back down to the Gale Road car park
WaypointsLesser Man descent spur, Jenkin Hill gate, Hawell Memorial, Gale Road car park (finish)
Decision pointThe main path is a broad, unmistakable mountain thoroughfare flanked by a fence on the lower section
Easy to get wrongA long, 519m continuous descent on hard-packed gravel and stone pitching that can be taxing on the knees
If you need to get offDirect, clear descent back to the starting car park with no complex navigation required
© Lee McCoy
Summits bagged (7)
- 1Lonscale Fell715 m
- 2Jenkin Hill735 m
- 3Skiddaw Middle Top929 m
- 4Skiddaw930 m
- 5Skiddaw South Top926 m
- 6Skiddaw Little Man865 m
- 7Skiddaw Lesser Man824 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 →
Water, shelter & getting away
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
Buses
The 509 stops at Keswick, at Latrigg Close. From there it is 2.6 km and 330 m of ascent to this start — a walk in before the walk. Last bus: Monday to Friday 21:15 towards Keswick (555); Saturday 21:15 towards Keswick (555); Sunday 19:06 towards Keswick (555). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 8 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.
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.
- Latrigg car park
- Latrigg car park (free)
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.
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. 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.
- Lonscale Fell — 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 March — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- Skiddaw — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Skiddaw Little Man — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
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.
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 6.9 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
Places to stay near this start
From Underscar: 10 places in Keswick
