Cat Bells routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 2 measured routes up Cat Bells, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Cat Bells 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.

Cat Bells 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 Cat Bells route

Grange via Hause Gate

A path climbs from the road near Manesty to Hause Gate, then follows the ridge north to the rocky summit. It starts from Grange, Borrowdale. 3.0 km one way with 374 m of ascent. About 1h 15m to the summit and 1h 50m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Easy.

Hawse End via the north ridge

The pitched path climbs the north ridge in zigzags over Skelgill Bank, with short rock steps below the summit. It starts from Hawse End, Derwentwater (launch jetty and roadside parking). 2.2 km one way with 377 m of ascent. About 1h 5m to the summit and 1h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Cat Bells route GPX

This page doesn't offer a GPX download. To get a GPX file for a Cat Bells route, use the Peakify iPhone app: open Cat Bells, plan the route in the route planner (or import a GPX you already have), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.

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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 Cat Bells today and the Cat Bells 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Cat Bells 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 Cat Bells, 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 Cat Bells

What is the easiest route up Cat Bells?

Grange via Hause Gate has the easiest grade of the 2 routes listed here (Easy).

How much time does each Cat Bells route take?

Grange via Hause Gate: about 1h 15m up and 1h 50m there and back. Hawse End via the north ridge: about 1h 5m up and 1h 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 Cat Bells route?

Not from this page. In the Peakify iPhone app, plan the route in the route planner (or import one), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.