Crag Hill routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

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

Crag Hill 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.

Crag Hill 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 Crag Hill route

Braithwaite via Coledale Hause

Follow the mine track up Coledale to Coledale Hause, then climb east on to the stony summit plateau. It starts from Braithwaite / lower Whinlatter Pass car park. 6.4 km one way. Grade: Moderate.

Stair via Causey Pike and Sail

Walk the long ridge from Causey Pike over Scar Crags and Sail, finishing on a short rocky ridge to the top. It starts from Stair (Newlands valley). 5.8 km one way with 854 m of ascent. About 2h 35m to the summit and 3h 45m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Lanthwaite via Gasgale Gill and Coledale Hause

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park. It starts from Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park. 6.7 km one way with 800 m of ascent. About 2h 40m to the summit and 4h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Buttermere via Whiteless Pike

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Buttermere village National Trust car park. It starts from Buttermere village National Trust car park. 4.7 km one way with 750 m of ascent. About 2h 10m to the summit and 3h 10m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Crag Hill route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Braithwaite via Coledale Hause, Lanthwaite via Gasgale Gill and Coledale Hause, Buttermere via Whiteless Pike. 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 Crag Hill today and the Crag Hill 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Crag Hill 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 Crag Hill, 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 Crag Hill

What is the easiest route up Crag Hill?

From Braithwaite, follow the track up Coledale to Coledale Hause and climb east to the summit plateau.

How much time does each Crag Hill route take?

Stair via Causey Pike and Sail: about 2h 35m up and 3h 45m there and back. Lanthwaite via Gasgale Gill and Coledale Hause: about 2h 40m up and 4h 0m there and back. Buttermere via Whiteless Pike: about 2h 10m up and 3h 10m 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 Crag Hill route?

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