Is it safe to climb Carl Side today and tomorrow?

747 m · Cumbria

Carl Side is a shoulder of Skiddaw above Bassenthwaite Lake, and walkers climb it from Millbeck or Dodd Wood as a quieter way on to Skiddaw.

There is no recent summit forecast cached for Carl Side right now. The main Carl Side page loads the live forecast when you open it. The reasons are below, followed by what the rating can't tell you.

Is it safe to climb Carl Side today?

There is no recent summit forecast cached for Carl Side right now. The main Carl Side page loads the live forecast when you open it. Open the live forecast.

Is it safe to climb Carl Side tomorrow?

There is no recent summit forecast cached for Carl Side right now. The main Carl Side page loads the live forecast when you open it. Open the live forecast.

What the verdict covers, and what it doesn't

Peakify rates each day Good, Marginal or Poor from the forecast summit wind, gusts, chance of rain and wind chill. Wind of 40 mph or gusts of 65 mph make it Poor; wind of 25 mph, gusts of 45 mph, a 60% chance of rain or a feels-like temperature of -8°C or below make it Marginal. That is all it measures: the weather forecast at the summit.

It does not know your fitness or experience, whether you can navigate in cloud with a map and compass, or what you are carrying. It does not see the state of the path, river levels, snow and ice already on the ground, or how the forecast is changing during the day. A Good day can still go wrong if you start late, turn an ankle or lose the path in mist, and a Marginal day can be fine for an experienced party on the easiest route.

On any day, carry waterproofs, warm layers, a hat and gloves, food, water, a head torch and a charged phone, and know how you would navigate if the top is in cloud. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be down. In winter conditions you need an ice axe and crampons and the skill to use them, or a guide.

Route notes for Carl Side

Millbeck via White Stones

From Millbeck (roadside parking). A steep path climbs the south ridge to the summit, with loose stony ground near White Stones. Graded Moderate: a hill path, rough or rocky in places, below the Hard and Scramble grades. In cloud, take care to stay on the path. About 2h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule (2.4 km one way, 626 m of ascent).

Dodd Wood via Ullock Pike and Long Side

From Dodd Wood car park. Follow the ridge from the woods over Ullock Pike and Long Side, with Bassenthwaite Lake below, before the last rise to Carl Side. Graded Moderate: a hill path, rough or rocky in places, below the Hard and Scramble grades. In cloud, take care to stay on the path. About 3h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule (5.0 km one way, 660 m of ascent).

Full distances, ascent and times are on the Carl Side routes page.

In an emergency

Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Mountain rescue teams in the UK are volunteers called out through the police. Give your location (a grid reference from a map or phone app if you can), what has happened, how many are in your group and your phone number, then keep the phone free. If you have no signal, try to move to higher ground or text 999; you need to have registered your phone with the emergencySMS service before for a text to work.

Questions about Carl Side

Is it safe to climb Carl Side today?

There is no recent summit forecast cached for Carl Side right now. The main Carl Side page loads the live forecast when you open it. The rating covers the summit weather only; your route, kit and experience matter as much.

Is it safe to climb Carl Side tomorrow?

There is no recent summit forecast cached for Carl Side right now. The main Carl Side page loads the live forecast when you open it.

How does Peakify decide whether Carl Side is safe to climb?

Peakify rates each day Good, Marginal or Poor from the forecast summit wind, gusts, chance of rain and wind chill. Wind of 40 mph or gusts of 65 mph make it Poor; wind of 25 mph, gusts of 45 mph, a 60% chance of rain or a feels-like temperature of -8°C or below make it Marginal. It does not judge your fitness, kit, navigation or the state of the path.

Who do I call in an emergency on Carl Side?

Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (a grid reference if you can), what happened and how many are in your group. Stay with the casualty and keep them warm.