Whin Rigg, Illgill Head & the Wastwater Screes
Key facts
✎️ Whin Rigg and Illgill Head are the two fells that cap the Wastwater Screes, looking down England’s deepest lake. A magnificent but serious round — and the rule that matters most: resist any urge to drop down the Screes; the only safe way down is the walking route.
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 2 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 Whin Rigg (Wasdale)2 Illgill Head
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 16.86 km with around 682 m of ascent, taking in 2 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: Not a pushchair route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~36% drop around the 7.0 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 14 gates · 1 kissing gate · 2 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 2026-07-12. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whin Rigg (Wasdale) | 3.7 km | 493 m | 1:34–2:05 |
| Illgill Head | 6.1 km | 631 m | 2:16–3:01 |
| Finish | 16.9 km | 682 m | 4:31–6:00 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start (Nether Wasdale) → Whin Rigg (3.7 km, 493 m)
Climb steadily from the valley onto Whin Rigg, the first of the two Screes tops.
Whin Rigg → Illgill Head (2.4 km, 138 m)
Follow the airy edge north-east along the top of the Screes to Illgill Head, the high point, with the full drop to Wastwater at your side.
Easy to get wrong: The temptation to descend the Screes straight to the lake is strongest here — and most dangerous. Stay on the top.
Illgill Head → Finish (10.8 km, 51 m)
Descend away from the edge and take the long, safe circuit back to the start — not down the Screes.
Summits bagged (2)
- Whin Rigg (Wasdale) 537 m · Southern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Illgill Head 609 m · Southern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Marilyn
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
💧 Water, shelter & getting away
💧 Treat water from the fell before you drink it. A mapped point is usually a tap or public supply, but never drink untreated from a beck, stream or tarn — even clear-looking hill water can carry giardia or cryptosporidium from livestock or a carcass upstream and leave you seriously ill. Run it through a filter or purifier (a LifeStraw, Sawyer Squeeze or HydraPak) or bring it to a rolling boil first.
On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors — an absent marker does not mean the facility isn’t there.
🚌 Buses
No regular bus serves the start — this is one for the car. Nearest hubs: Penrith (X4/X5 & 508), Ambleside and Windermere (555, 505, 516).
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
- Do not try to cut the walk short down the Screes to the lake. It looks like a shortcut and is a serious mistake — the Wastwater Screes are steep, loose and boulder-choked, and the shoreline beneath them is a notorious, hazardous boulder-scramble, not an escape. The only safe way off is to finish the route.
- A high, exposed edge above a huge drop to Wastwater — keep well back from the crumbling rim, especially in wind or poor visibility.
- A long day (nearly 17 km, 680 m of ascent) with boggy stretches — carry map, compass and enough food and water, and start early.
- Livestock on the lower fields; keep dogs under close control.
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
Easier and harder options coming soon.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Whin Rigg, Illgill Head & the Wastwater Screes
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