Very Long Day Out
Start Overbeck Bridge
Getting here Parking: Overbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, paid), 0.1 km from the start (straight line). Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Severe distance: 26.63 km — a long day out. Severe steepness: Steepest sustained climb about 49% around the 1.2 km mark. Graded scramble: Stirrup Crag, at Yewbarrow's north end (km 2.9–3.2).
Before you choose
- Middle Fell: The Wast Water-facing side falls away in tiers of crag. Don't be tempted to drop straight off the ridge — descend by the established lines at the ends. In cloud keep to the ridge crest and well back from the eastern edge.
- The ground here is broad and confusingly similar, and the path forks on the ascent of Red Pike; walkers have taken the wrong line in mist. The link between Red Pike, Little Scoat Fell and Pillar is easy to misjudge. Navigate deliberately by compass and account for the steep drops to the east.
- Yewbarrow: The north end drops in a steep set of ledges and chimneys — a genuine scramble that catches people out, especially as a descent. Walkers regularly become cragfast here unable to climb down, and falls have caused head and leg injuries. Tackle it only if you are comfortable scrambling on steep rock; if in doubt, avoid the traverse and return the way you came.
- Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell): The short ridge out to Steeple is narrow and exposed, with a steep drop, and becomes serious when banked with snow or iced. Cross it carefully and avoid it in fierce wind; it is the spot most likely to catch you out here.
- Caw Fell is a long way from any road or car park (Blengdale or Bowness Knott are the usual, distant, starts). A minor injury, navigation slip or late finish becomes serious because you are a long way from a road, and any rescue takes time to reach you. Carry full kit, food, water and a means of calling for help, and leave a generous time margin.
- Caw Fell: The wide, flat top has little to fix on and the connecting ground (e.g. toward Lank Rigg) is pathless and boggy in places. In cloud, navigate by compass — the ridge wall is a useful handrail, but don't rely on finding a trodden path.
- Seatallan: The way up is not obvious from below and the path is faint and indistinct in places; the wide, flat summit gives little to navigate by. In cloud, take a compass bearing to find the top and to choose the right line down.
- Haycock is a long, rough walk from any direction, with narrow paths. A minor injury, navigation error or late finish turns serious here because you are a long way from a road, and any rescue takes time to reach you. Carry full kit, food and water, a means of calling for help, and allow generous daylight.
- Steeple: The link to the main ridge is a short, narrow crest with steep, rocky drops on both sides. A fall here can be fatal. It is straightforward in dry, calm conditions but genuinely exposed; take care with foot placement, and treat it with great caution in wind, wet or cloud.
- The steep scree slope off Dore Head (toward Mosedale) is severely eroded, loose and unpleasant — once a scree run, now a notorious leg-breaker. The steep ground beside it has left walkers cragfast. Avoid it as a descent; safer ground exists, and the screes are best left alone.
- Red Pike (Wasdale): The summit and the ridge northward run along the lip of steep crags dropping into Mosedale. In wind or cloud a slip near the edge is serious. Keep to the western side of the crest and well back from the brink.
- Steeple: The summit and its ridge are flanked by steep coves dropping toward Ennerdale. A trip near the edge runs into serious ground. Keep to the crest and don't stray onto the steep grass and rock above the coves.
- Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell): The summit slopes gently to the south but breaks into impressive crags on its northern side, above the Ennerdale coves. In cloud or wind keep well back from the northern edge — the easy boulder top gives little warning before the drop.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 9 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 Yewbarrow2 Yewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag)3 Red Pike (Wasdale)4 Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)5 Steeple6 Haycock7 Little Gowder Crag8 Caw Fell9 Middle Fell10 Seatallan11 Glade How12 Buckbarrow
escape route
Easy 66%Moderate 15%Hard 16%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 line to the summit of Yewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag) is drawn, not recorded.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Yewbarrow (2.1 km, 556 m)
From the Overbeck Bridge parking area in Wasdale, cross the road and start climbing at once, up the southern nose of Yewbarrow: steeply through bracken and heather, then onto the rockier upper slopes. The ascent ends in a steep, hands-on scramble up the gullies of Great Door and Dropping Crag to the main ridge.
WaypointsOverbeck Bridge (approx. 70m): The start, on the valley floor by Wast Water. Great Door: The deep rocky notch on the ascent. Yewbarrow South Top (629m): The true summit of the fell, with a view straight down Wast Water.
Decision pointOverbeck: The deep ravine of the Overbeck stream bounds the fell to your left (west); keep it on your left as you climb. The ridge is narrow and steep, and the ground funnels you up the path of least resistance.
Easy to get wrongThe Scramble: The climb through the crags near Great Door needs minor rock scrambling. It is highly exposed and intimidating for beginners, and dangerously slick in the rain. The whole climb comes straight from the car and tests your pacing and lungs at once.
If you need to get offBefore you commit to the scrambling at Great Door, you can turn around and carefully descend the steep grass back to the car park. Once on the crags, going down is often harder than pushing up.
- 2
Yewbarrow → Yewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag) (0.8 km, 37 m)
From the summit of Yewbarrow, the route is an undulating ridge walk along the grassy, rocky spine of the fell. It drops slightly into a shallow saddle, then rises to the North Top, whose far side is the sheer rock face of Stirrup Crag.
WaypointsThe Ridge Spine: The narrow, airy traverse between the two ends of the fell. Yewbarrow North Top (approx. 617m): The rocky top directly above the notorious descent to Dore Head.
Decision pointThe Valleys: Mosedale is to your right (east) and Over Beck to your left (west). Stay on the crest.
Easy to get wrongWind Exposure: Yewbarrow stands alone in the Wasdale valley, and the ridge takes the full force of any wind blowing down the lake. The Impending Descent: The ridge itself is straightforward, but the descent off Stirrup Crag begins immediately after the North Top. Stirrup Crag drops in a steep set of ledges and chimneys — a genuine scramble that catches people out, especially as a descent.
If you need to get offThere are no quick descents off the sides of Yewbarrow. If the weather turns, you must retrace your steps to the South Top and descend your ascent route, or push on to Dore Head.
- 3
Yewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag) → Red Pike (Wasdale) (2.2 km, 347 m)
The stage begins with the Grade 1 down-scramble off Stirrup Crag to the saddle at Dore Head. It means facing the rock, using handholds and careful route-finding. From Dore Head the route climbs at once up the southern flank of Red Pike, on heavily eroded, loose red scree, until it flattens onto the stony summit plateau.
WaypointsStirrup Crag: The near-vertical rock face dropping off Yewbarrow. Dore Head (475m): The crossroads saddle between Yewbarrow and Red Pike. Red Pike Summit (826m): A broad, rocky plateau looking across the valley to the Scafell massif.
Decision pointMosedale Edge: As you climb Red Pike, the sheer crags dropping into the Mosedale valley are on your right (east). Keep a safe distance, but use the rim as a guide.
Easy to get wrongStirrup Crag Descent: This is dangerous in wet or icy conditions. Take your time, test your handholds, and allow space for walkers ahead of you. The Red Scree: The path from Dore Head up Red Pike is deeply scarred, and the loose rocks slide away under every step.
If you need to get offAt Dore Head: This is your best early escape route. You can turn left (west) and follow the path down Overbeck back to your car. Do not descend the Dore Head Screes into Mosedale: the safety notes on this page say to avoid them as a descent. The mapped bail point at 3.4 km drops past Great Knott and along Gosforth Crag Moss to the Yewbarrow car park, out of the weather but boggy going.
- 4
Red Pike (Wasdale) → Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) (1.2 km, 83 m)
From Red Pike, the route joins the Mosedale Horseshoe, a high-level ridge walk arcing north-west around the head of the valley. The ground is rocky and shattered, but the gradient eases. You traverse the crag rim before the final rocky pull up to the broad plateau of Scoat Fell.
WaypointsScoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) (841m): The highest point on this section of the ridge, a cairn on top of the old drystone boundary wall.
Decision pointThe Boundary Wall: As you approach Scoat Fell, you meet an old, dilapidated drystone wall. It is a handrail across the Ennerdale fells.
Easy to get wrongLethal Drops: The right-hand (eastern) side of this ridge is a precipice. In winter, massive cornices form here; stay well back from the edge at all times. Ankle-Rolling Rock: The plateau of Scoat Fell is littered with broken stone.
If you need to get offYou must either retreat to Dore Head or push on to the descent routes beyond Haycock. Do not bail east into Mosedale.
- 5
Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) → Steeple (0.4 km, 12 m)
A highly exposed out-and-back detour. From the plateau of Scoat Fell, you branch north-west, dropping down a narrow, rocky arête to Steeple. The path is narrow, with minor rock-hopping and plunging drops into the Ennerdale valley on both sides.
WaypointsThe Arête: The sharp, rocky ridge from Scoat Fell to Steeple. Steeple (819m): A tiny, pointed summit jutting out over the valley like a ship's prow.
Decision pointLine of Sight: Steeple is easy to pick out—it is the sharpest, most prominent feature jutting north off the main ridge.
Easy to get wrongExposure: This is not for those with severe vertigo. The drops into Mirk Cove and Mirklin Cove are sudden and immense. Wind: The narrow arête is highly dangerous in gale-force winds.
If you need to get offTurn around and carefully retrace your steps up the arête to the broad ground of Scoat Fell.
- 6
Steeple → Haycock (1.8 km, 150 m)
Back on Scoat Fell from Steeple, the traverse resumes, heading south-west. Drop into the wide, rocky saddle, then take the long, boulder-strewn ascent up the eastern flank of Haycock. The gradient is moderate, but the ground is rugged, with constant high-stepping over shattered rock.
WaypointsThe Saddle: The stony dip between the two peaks. Haycock Summit (797m): A boulder-strewn summit plateau with a prominent cairn and the boundary wall.
Decision pointThe Ennerdale Wall: Rejoin the dilapidated boundary wall on Scoat Fell and use it as a handrail all the way across the saddle and up to the summit of Haycock.
Easy to get wrongThe climbing is adding up, and the rocky ground is hard on the soles of the feet. The arête between Steeple and Little Scoat Fell is a short, narrow crest with steep, rocky drops on both sides.
If you need to get offDo not drop north into Ennerdale. To bail, retreat all the way back to Dore Head. The mapped bail point at 8.2 km follows Nether Beck to the Middle Fell car park, difficult in wet conditions.
- 7
Haycock → Little Gowder Crag (0.6 km, 6 m)
From Haycock, the route descends the high ridge towards the Caw Fell plateau. The boulder fields of Haycock give way to a slightly narrower, highly exposed rocky spine dropping toward Little Gowder Crag.
WaypointsLittle Gowder Crag: A rocky prominence sitting squarely on the ridge line.
Decision pointThe Wall: The drystone boundary wall traces the crest of the ridge. Follow it closely.
Easy to get wrongBoulder Hopping: The ridge is uneven. The stones become very slick in the rain and need careful footwork; trekking poles can jam in the gaps.
If you need to get offTo retreat, re-ascend Haycock. The mapped bail point at 8.2 km, just before Haycock, follows Nether Beck to the Middle Fell car park, difficult in wet conditions.
- 8
Little Gowder Crag → Caw Fell (0.8 km, 22 m)
An undulating walk along the crest of the ridge. After the rocky descent from Haycock, the ground flattens into a stony, wind-blasted plateau leading to the remote summit of Caw Fell.
WaypointsCaw Fell Summit (697m): A cairn tight against the boundary wall.
Decision pointThe Wall: Continue keeping the boundary wall on your right (if facing west).
Easy to get wrongRemoteness: You are now at the route's furthest summit, highly exposed to weather coming in from the coast, with no quick way down.
If you need to get offRetrace your steps east over Haycock. Bailing west or south from Caw Fell drops you into the remote, pathless Bleng valley, a very long walk out that ends far from your start.
- 9
Caw Fell → Middle Fell (7.2 km, 296 m)
The track doubles back on itself twice. From the summit of Caw Fell, follow the path west-south-west for about 0.9 km to a viewpoint OSM marks at about 670m, then turn round and walk back east-north-east to Caw Fell. Carry on east along the ridge the way you came, beside the dry-stone wall, over Little Gowder Crag and back up to the summit of Haycock. From Haycock the path heads south and then south-south-west, dropping about 310 m in 2.1 km and passing about 100 m from Pots of Ashness, then turns south-south-east across wet ground to the stage's low point, at about 470m. From there a mapped footway climbs south-south-east and then south to the summit of Middle Fell. OSM maps paths along the whole of this stage's track (on the ground they may be faint). You walk back over ground you have already crossed before the long drop and the final climb up Middle Fell.
WaypointsCaw Fell Summit (697m): The stage starts here, and you pass it again on the way back from the viewpoint. Viewpoint west of Caw Fell (about 670m): Where the track turns back, about 0.9 km west-south-west of the summit. Little Gowder Crag (735m) and Haycock Summit (797m): The ridge from Stages 7 and 8, walked in reverse. Pots of Ashness: An OSM place name about 100 m from the path, passed at about 490m on the descent from Haycock. The Low Point (about 470m): Wet ground at the foot of Middle Fell. Greendale Tarn is about 240 m from the track on the climb that follows. Middle Fell Summit (582m): A rocky peak after the bogs.
Decision pointThe Wall: From Caw Fell back to Haycock, the dry-stone wall is your handrail, as it was on the way out. Seatallan: The grassy dome of Seatallan (693m) is ahead of you, south-south-west, as you come down from Haycock, then sits to your right (west) as the path turns south-south-east towards Middle Fell.
Easy to get wrongThe Slog: 7.2 km and 293 m of climbing, and almost 2 km of it is the walk out to the viewpoint and back. The climb from Caw Fell back to Haycock is about 120 m and the last pull up Middle Fell about 110 m, both with most of the day already in your legs. Expect wet boots and deep fatigue. Clag Navigation: Between Caw Fell and Haycock the path stays within about 20 m of a dry-stone wall. South of Haycock no wall runs beside the line, and although OSM maps paths along this stage's track, they may be faint on the ground. A compass or GPS is mandatory.
If you need to get offWe have not checked a line down Greendale Gill from Greendale Tarn for this guide, so none is offered here.
- 10
Middle Fell → Seatallan (1.9 km, 234 m)
Drop north off Middle Fell back into the boggy saddle near Greendale Tarn, then climb west-north-west up the big, grassy eastern flank of Seatallan. OSM maps a path up it, though on the ground it may be faint. It is a steep slog straight up deep grass to the wide, domed summit plateau.
WaypointsThe Saddle: The wet dip at the foot of the climb. Seatallan Summit (693m): Marked by a white OS trig pillar and a wind shelter.
Decision pointOnce on the plateau, the white pillar is a good landmark.
Easy to get wrongA steep grassy climb with most of the day already in your legs is hard going. False Summits: The dome of Seatallan is very broad; the trig pillar does not show until you are almost on top of it.
If you need to get offRetreat down the grass to Greendale Tarn. We have not checked a line down Greendale Gill for this guide, so none is offered here.
- 11
Seatallan → Glade How (2.4 km, 6 m)
From the summit of Seatallan, the route turns for home down the fell's big, grassy southern shoulder. The walking gets much easier, from the bogs of the plateau to a broad grassy ridge.
WaypointsSeatallan Trig Pillar: The start of the descent. Cat Bields: Small rocky outcrops on the ridge. Glade How (approx. 440m): A small grassy bump before the Buckbarrow crags.
Decision pointThe ridge is broad but well-defined. Keep the steep drop into the Bleng valley well to your right (west).
Easy to get wrongSlippery Grass: Technically easy, but the steep grassy descent can be slick, especially after rain, and hard on tired knees.
If you need to get offYou are now on the descent back to the start. The better option is to continue along the ridge toward Buckbarrow and the valley floor.
- 12
Glade How → Buckbarrow (0.3 km, 5 m)
A short, undulating stroll across the grassy plateau from Glade How to the summit of Buckbarrow. The ground is flat and grassy until it ends suddenly at a series of sheer crags above the Wasdale valley.
WaypointsBuckbarrow Summit (423m): A cairn sitting precariously close to the edge of the southern crags.
Decision pointThe summit cairns are obvious, but navigate strictly by sight and avoid the sheer southern edges.
Easy to get wrongCrag Edges: Buckbarrow is a series of sheer cliffs behind a grassy dome. The drops here are vertical and fatal. Extreme caution is required.
If you need to get offTurn east away from the crags to meet the descent path heading down toward Greendale.
Buckbarrow → Finish (4.9 km, 56 m)
The stage begins with a steep, winding descent down the fellside, through rocky outcrops and heavy bracken, to the road at Greendale. Then walk about 3 km north-east along the Wasdale valley road, beside Wast Water all the way back to the Overbeck Bridge parking area.
WaypointsGreendale (approx. 70m): The hamlet where you reach the road. Wast Water: England's deepest lake, beside you on the walk out. Overbeck Bridge: The finish.
Decision pointWast Water: At the road at Greendale, turn left (north-east). The lake on your right is your handrail all the way back to the car.
Easy to get wrongWalking about 3 km on hard tarmac with nearly 24 km of mountain terrain in your legs is a hard finish. Expect severe foot fatigue. Traffic Hazard: The Wasdale road is narrow and winding. Stay alert for passing traffic, especially near the blind corners by the lake.
If you need to get offThe descent to Greendale commits you to the valley floor. Once on the road, walk back to the start.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Planned route · not yet walked
Escape routes
- At about 3.3 km: descend to Wasdale Head village green car park (free) (1.6 km SE, 407 m down) — This takes you down to the south of Great Knott and along Gosforth Crag Moss. Will take you out of the current weather but may be difficult going if boggy.
- At about 8.0 km: descend to Car park for Middle Fell (paid) (4.5 km SE, 636 m down) — Will take you along Nether Beck so will be difficult in wet conditions.
This route has not been walked; these escape lines are checked on the map only. In poor visibility a marked descent can be safer than retracing a ridge.
Summits bagged (12)
- 1Yewbarrow629 m
- 2Yewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag)617 m
- 3Red Pike (Wasdale)826 m
- 4Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell)841 m
- 5Steeple819 m
- 6Haycock797 m
- 7Little Gowder Crag735 m
- 8Caw Fell697 m
- 9Middle Fell582 m
- 10Seatallan693 m
- 11Glade How440 m
- 12Buckbarrow423 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.
- Yewbarrow — 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 — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 08:45.
- Red Pike (Wasdale) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in late December — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Steeple — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Haycock — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Caw 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 September — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- Middle 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 September — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- Seatallan — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:30, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:15. It waits longest in midsummer — about a quarter of an hour after sunrise.
- Buckbarrow — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:45, about a quarter of an hour later. In late September, about 07:30. It waits longest in midsummer — about an hour after sunrise. In late December, not until about 08:45.
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
Nearest fuel to the parking at Lake Head, Wasdale: Holmrook, A595, 14.5 km by road (06:00-20:00 daily when checked on 8 August 2026; hours change, so check on the day). Nearest shop: Budgens, 13.1 km. Both measured along the road from that parking, which is not where this route starts, checked 8 August 2026. Coming in from a particular direction you may pass a closer one — the last petrol before each valley →
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.
- Greendale, Nether Wasdale (roadside, free) — joins the loop at about km 23.4 of 26.6: a 60 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
- Overbeck Bridge, Wastwater (NT, paid) — at the start
- Greendale, 0.8 km SE, south (layby) — joins the loop at about km 24.3 of 26.6: a 320 m walk to the line, and you walk the round from there
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
We don’t know yet. Wasdale Explorer (seasonal) serves this area, but we don’t hold its stop positions, so we can’t measure the walk from it — and we won’t tell you to drive on the strength of a gap in our own data. The Wasdale Action Group lists it as running Saturdays, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays from the start of May to the end of August (read 30 September 2026): check before you travel.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival The National Trust car park at Overbeck Bridge, about 105 m from the start: £7 up to 2 hours, £8 up to 4 hours, £9.50 all day; free for members; no overnight parking. 105 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (National Trust, car parks in Wasdale, checked 11 August 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 Yewbarrow’s north end drops in steep ledges and chimneys, a genuine scramble that catches people out, especially on the way down. (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: an information board.
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.
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.)
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: Length and steepness
Five independent axes, not one score. This route has not been walked yet, so none of them was set on the ground: three of the five are our judgement from the map and the route’s record, and 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yewbarrow | 2.1 km | 556 m | 1:21–1:47 |
| 2Yewbarrow North Top (Stirrup Crag) | 2.9 km | 593 m | 1:34–2:05 |
| 3Red Pike (Wasdale) | 5.1 km | 940 m | 2:35–3:26 |
| 4Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell) | 6.3 km | 1024 m | 2:58–3:56 |
| 5Steeple | 6.7 km | 1036 m | 3:04–4:05 |
| 6Haycock | 8.5 km | 1186 m | 3:41–4:53 |
| 7Little Gowder Crag | 9.1 km | 1192 m | 3:48–5:03 |
| 8Caw Fell | 9.9 km | 1214 m | 4:00–5:19 |
| 9Middle Fell | 17.1 km | 1509 m | 5:56–7:54 |
| 10Seatallan | 19.0 km | 1743 m | 6:42–8:55 |
| 11Glade How | 21.4 km | 1749 m | 7:11–9:34 |
| 12Buckbarrow | 21.7 km | 1754 m | 7:16–9:40 |
| Finish | 26.6 km | 1810 m | 8:21–11:06 |
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 dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~45% drop over 250 m around the 3.0 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: rock and scrambling. The steepest stretch is a sustained climb of about 49% around the 1.2 km mark.
- Rock and scrambling: Graded scramble: Stirrup Crag, at Yewbarrow's north end (km 2.9–3.2). Ground underfoot: Hard – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
- Stiles and gates: A step-over stile at 0.4 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 26 July 2026)
- Drops and exposed ground: Moderate – our judgement from the map and the route’s record; not walked yet.
- Ways off early: Marked on this route at about 3.3 km: Wasdale Head village green car park (free) (1.6 km SE, 407 m down); at about 8.0 km: Car park for Middle Fell (paid) (4.5 km SE, 636 m down). The escape routes section below has the detail.
- Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.
On the line: 3 gates · 1 step-over stile
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 26 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
We have not verified an independent place near this start — these are the chains and charities that serve it.
- YHA Wasdale Hall (opens in new tab) hostelabout 3.3 km
We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Wasdale — 1.5 km from this start
- Walks from Ritson's Force — 2.9 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.