hikes.guideLake District

13.56 km · ~671 m ascent · ~3.5–5 h · loop · 7 summits

Home / Routes / Whinlatter Loop
SevereLoop

Whinlatter Loop

13.56 km
Distance
~3.5–5 h
Typical time
~671 m
Ascent
7
Summits
Download GPX →Maps & guidebooks

Key facts

Distance 13.56 km
Ascent ~671 m
Descent ~670 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

LengthModerate13.56 km round.
SteepnessSevereSteepest sustained pull about 56% around the 0.3 km mark.
TerrainModerateMostly good mountain path. desk assessment — not field-verified
NavigationHardCare needed in cloud — ~36% 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 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.

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 163 m to 526 m over 13.6 km, with the summits marked in order. 526 m 163 m 0 km 13.6 km 1234567

1 Graystones2 Graystones (Graystones North Top)3 Broom Fell4 Lord's Seat5 Barf6 Whinlatter Top7 Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)

~671 m
Total ascent
526 m
High point
163 m
Start height

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

This walk covers about 13.56 km with around 671 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
Steep in places
  • Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
  • Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
  • Knees: A sustained ~21% descent around the 10.4 km mark — a little jarring on tired knees.

On the line: 7 gates · 2 step-over stiles · 5 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 2026-07-19. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).

Pacing

SummitCumulativeAscentTime (fast–steady)
Graystones0.9 km291 m0:40–0:53
Graystones (Graystones North Top)1.2 km292 m0:44–0:59
Broom Fell3.5 km419 m1:24–1:51
Lord's Seat4.6 km483 m1:44–2:18
Barf5.8 km497 m1:59–2:39
Whinlatter Top9.1 km659 m2:55–3:53
Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter)9.8 km659 m3:03–4:04
Finish13.6 km671 m3:50–5:06

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

The walk, stage by stage

Start → Graystones (0.9 km, 291 m)

Climb of about 291 m over 0.9 km (around 32% average).

Graystones → Graystones (Graystones North Top) (0.3 km, 2 m)

Undulating section of about 0.3 km.

Graystones (Graystones North Top) → Broom Fell (2.2 km, 126 m)

Climb of about 126 m over 2.2 km (around 6% average).

Broom Fell → Lord's Seat (1.2 km, 64 m)

Climb of about 64 m over 1.2 km (around 5% average).

Lord's Seat → Barf (1.2 km, 14 m)

Descent of about 95 m over 1.2 km.

Barf → Whinlatter Top (3.3 km, 162 m)

Climb of about 162 m over 3.3 km (around 5% average).

Whinlatter Top → Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter) (0.7 km, 0 m)

Undulating section of about 0.7 km.

Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter) → Finish (3.8 km, 12 m)

Descent of about 340 m over 3.8 km.

Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.

Summits bagged (7)

🅿️ Getting there & parking

Whinlatter Visitor Centre (paid) — 3.0 km from the start (straight line)
Forest centre — Lord's Seat, Barf, Whinlatter fells, Grisedale Pike's back route.
Directions
Lanthwaite Green (NT) — 4.8 km from the start (straight line)
At the foot of Grasmoor and Whiteside, Crummock Water.
Directions

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

💧 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.)

🚌 Buses

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.

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

⬇️ Download

Download GPX

GPX track for your GPS or phone.

📚 Maps & guidebooks for Whinlatter Loop

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work →