Allen Crags routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 4 measured routes up Allen Crags, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Allen Crags routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Allen Crags route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Allen Crags route

Seathwaite via Grains Gill and Esk Hause

A well-used path climbs beside Grains Gill and Ruddy Gill to the shelter below Esk Hause. A short rocky rise leads north to the top. It starts from Seathwaite (roadside parking, Borrowdale). 5.3 km one way with 686 m of ascent. About 2h 10m to the summit and 3h 15m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Great Langdale via Rossett Gill

Walk up Mickleden and climb the pitched path beside Rossett Gill, then pass Angle Tarn and continue to Esk Hause before turning north. It starts from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. 7.1 km one way with 750 m of ascent. About 2h 40m to the summit and 4h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Seatoller National Trust car park. It starts from Seatoller National Trust car park. 8.3 km one way with 730 m of ascent. About 2h 55m to the summit and 4h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Rosthwaite and the Glaramara ridge

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Rosthwaite National Trust car park. It starts from Rosthwaite National Trust car park. 8.0 km one way. Grade: Hard.

Allen Crags route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Great Langdale via Rossett Gill, Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause, Rosthwaite and the Glaramara ridge. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.

Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Allen Crags today and the Allen Crags 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Allen Crags routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Allen Crags, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Allen Crags

What is the easiest route up Allen Crags?

Start at Seathwaite in Borrowdale, follow Grains Gill up to Esk Hause and turn north for the short climb to the summit.

How much time does each Allen Crags route take?

Seathwaite via Grains Gill and Esk Hause: about 2h 10m up and 3h 15m there and back. Great Langdale via Rossett Gill: about 2h 40m up and 4h 5m there and back. Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause: about 2h 55m up and 4h 30m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Allen Crags route?

Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.