Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge up Crinkle Crags - Long Top: route map, distance and time
859 m · Cumbria
Long Top is the highest of the Crinkle Crags, a rough, knobbly ridge above Great Langdale with a rock step known as the Bad Step.
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Blea Tarn National Trust car park.
The Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge starts at about 205 m and gains 914 m over 8.0 km to 838 m on the track. It is steep from the start: the first kilometre climbs 167 m (17%). The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 1 km, which climbs 167 m at an average of 17%, with a 500 m stretch from 0.5 km at about 33%. The final kilometre eases to the top. About 19% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5, so expect hands-on-knees going and a slow descent.
Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge at a glance
| Distance | 8.0 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Climb on the track | 914 m up, 284 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 188 m to 840 m (summit 859 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 33%, from 0.5 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 19% of the way |
| Grade | Hard |
| Start | Blea Tarn National Trust car park, LA22 9PG |
| Start grid reference | NY 295 043 |
| Summit grid reference | NY 248 048 |
| Parking | Blea Tarn National Trust car park (NY295043) |
Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge map
The track from the start (green) to the summit (blue), with a marker at each kilometre.
Height profile and getting to the start
Near the start
From OpenStreetMap, within 2 km. Check opening times before you rely on them.
Download the Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge GPX
Ascent only: plan your way down. A planning track, not checked on the ground; it doesn't show safe scrambling moves. Track data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), heights from a terrain model.
Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge kilometre by kilometre
Height, climb and average gradient for each kilometre of the track, with a grid reference at the end of each one to check your position on the map.
| At | Height | Climb | Gradient | Grid ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 372 m | +167 m | 17% | NY 287 044 |
| 2 km | 521 m | +149 m | 15% | NY 278 041 |
| 3 km | 614 m | +93 m | 9% | NY 273 038 |
| 4 km | 436 m | -178 m | -18% | NY 275 030 |
| 5 km | 584 m | +148 m | 15% | NY 267 031 |
| 6 km | 654 m | +70 m | 7% | NY 260 037 |
| 7 km | 759 m | +106 m | 11% | NY 253 043 |
| 8 km | 838 m | +79 m | 8% | NY 248 048 |
How long the Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge takes
| Pace | To the top | There and back |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up | 2h 35m | 3h 55m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 3h 5m | 4h 45m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 3h 50m | 5h 50m |
Times leave out stops. Coming down the same way, the table counts the ascent once; steep descents on rough ground can be as slow as the climb.
Crinkle Crags - Long Top summit weather for this route
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Marginal Today Monday 19 October
Moderate drizzle, up to 7°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -2°C, summit wind 35 mph gusting 44 mph, 39% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:06.
-
Marginal Tomorrow Tuesday 20 October
Slight rain, up to 6°C at the summit, feeling as cold as 2°C, summit wind 20 mph gusting 29 mph, 99% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:51, sunset 18:03.
Best day of the next seven for the Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge: Monday 19 October, with summit gusts around 44 mph and a 39% chance of rain.
Hour-by-hour Crinkle Crags - Long Top forecast · 14-day forecast · Is it safe to climb Crinkle Crags - Long Top?
Before you go, also check: MWIS Lake District forecast · Met Office mountain forecast · Weatherline fell top conditions.
What to take today
- An insulated jacket, hat and warm gloves: it feels like -2°C on top.
- A waterproof jacket. It can rain on the tops in any forecast.
- A windproof layer, and poles for balance in gusts to 44 mph.
- Map and compass, and the skills to use them. A phone is a backup, not a plan.
- A head torch, food, water, a charged phone and a small first aid kit.
About Crinkle Crags - Long Top
Long Top is the highest of the Crinkle Crags, a rough, knobbly ridge above Great Langdale with a rock step known as the Bad Step. More about Crinkle Crags - Long Top, with the live forecast.
On the lists: Wainwright, Hewitt, Nuttall, HuMP, Birkett.
Extend the walk: tops near the summit
- Crinkle Crags South Top (834 m), 0.3 km south-east
- Shelter Crags (815 m), 0.5 km north
- Shelter Crags North Top (776 m), 0.9 km north
- Great Knott (695 m), 1.2 km south-east
- Cold Pike Far West Top (669 m), 1.4 km south-east
- Little Stand (740 m), 1.5 km south
Challenges that include Crinkle Crags - Long Top
More walks from Blea Tarn National Trust car park
Routes in Peakify's guides that start within 500 m of this one, for another day from the same car park.
- Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge up Cold Pike
- Blea Tarn via Side Pike up Lingmoor Fell
- Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge up Pike of Blisco
- Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge up Crinkle Crags South Top
- Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge up Shelter Crags
- Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge up Little Stand
- Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge up Great Knott
Other routes up Crinkle Crags - Long Top
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time up | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Dungeon Ghyll via Oxendale and Red Tarn | 6.0 km one way | 782 m | 2h 30m | Hard |
| Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns | 5.8 km one way | 770 m | 2h 25m | Hard |
In an emergency
Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (the start is at NY 295 043, the summit at NY 248 048), what happened and how many are in your group. If you have no signal for a call, a text to 999 works once you have registered your phone with emergencySMS: text "register" to 999 before you go.
Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge: questions and answers
How far is the Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge?
The Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge is 8.0 km one way to the summit of Crinkle Crags - Long Top. There and back by the same way is about 16.0 km.
How steep is the Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge?
The steepest 500 m averages about 33%, starting 0.5 km from the start, and 19% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. The Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge climbs 914 m in all on the track.
Where do you park for the Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge?
The Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge starts from Blea Tarn National Trust car park (postcode LA22 9PG). The grid reference is NY 295 043. Blea Tarn National Trust car park (NY295043)
Is the Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge suitable for beginners?
Not as a first mountain. Peakify grades it Hard: steep, rough ground where a slip matters. Build up on an easier route first.
Is there a GPX for the Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge?
Yes. Download it from this page. It is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.