Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths up Crinkle Crags South Top: route map, distance and time
834 m · Cumbria
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park.
Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths starts at about 97 m and gains 712 m over 5.9 km to 797 m on the track. The first 2 km are the easy part, averaging 3%. The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 3 km, which climbs 265 m at an average of 26%, with a 500 m stretch from 2.2 km at about 37%. It keeps climbing at 12% to the top. About 17% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5, so expect hands-on-knees going and a slow descent.
Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths at a glance
| Distance | 5.9 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Ascent | 750 m |
| Climb on the track | 712 m up, 13 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 97 m to 798 m (summit 834 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 37%, from 2.2 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 17% of the way |
| Time up | 2h 25m by Naismith's rule |
| There and back | 3h 35m, down the same way |
| Grade | Hard |
| Start | Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park |
| Start grid reference | NY 285 060 |
| Summit grid reference | NY 250 045 |
| Parking | Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park |
Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths 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
- Old Dungeon Ghyll Climbers Bar0.1 km
- Walker's Bar1.0 km
- Sticklebarn1.0 km
- Public toilets1.0 km
- Great Langdale Campsite0.3 km
From OpenStreetMap, within 2 km. Check opening times before you rely on them.
Download the Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths 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.
Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths 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 | 111 m | +14 m | 1% | NY 277 056 |
| 2 km | 149 m | +38 m | 4% | NY 270 052 |
| 3 km | 413 m | +265 m | 26% steep | NY 266 044 |
| 4 km | 534 m | +121 m | 12% | NY 265 038 |
| 5 km | 684 m | +149 m | 15% | NY 257 042 |
| 5.9 km | 797 m | +113 m | 12% | NY 250 045 |
How long Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths takes
| Pace | To the top | There and back |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up | 2h 0m | 3h 0m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 2h 25m | 3h 35m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 3h 0m | 4h 25m |
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.
- Today: sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:06. Start by 13:31 to be down before dark, allowing 3h 35m for the walk and an hour for stops.
- Tomorrow: sunrise 07:51, sunset 18:03. Start by 13:28 to be down before dark, allowing 3h 35m for the walk and an hour for stops.
Crinkle Crags South Top summit weather for this route
-
Marginal Today Monday 19 October
Light drizzle, up to 8°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -2°C, summit wind 39 mph gusting 48 mph, 49% 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 0°C, summit wind 19 mph gusting 24 mph, 86% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:51, sunset 18:03.
Best day of the next seven for Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths: Tuesday 20 October, with summit gusts around 24 mph and a 86% chance of rain.
Hour-by-hour Crinkle Crags South Top forecast
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.
- Waterproof jacket and overtrousers: 49% chance of rain.
- A windproof layer, and poles for balance in gusts to 48 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 South Top
More about Crinkle Crags South Top, with the live forecast.
Challenges that include Crinkle Crags South Top
More walks from Old Dungeon Ghyll 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.
- Great Langdale via Rossett Gill up Allen Crags
- Old Dungeon Ghyll via The Band up Bowfell
- Climbers' Traverse up Bowfell
- Great Langdale via Red Tarn up Cold Pike
- Old Dungeon Ghyll via Oxendale and Red Tarn up Crinkle Crags - Long Top
- Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns up Crinkle Crags - Long Top
- Great Langdale via Rossett Gill and Esk Hause up Esk Pike
- Langdale via Rossett Ghyll and Angle Tarn up Glaramara
- Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes up Harrison Stickle
- Mickleden via Stake Pass up High Raise
- Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes up Loft Crag
- Great Langdale via Red Tarn up Pike of Blisco
Other routes up Crinkle Crags South Top
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time up | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns | 6.3 km one way | 790 m | 2h 35m | Hard |
| Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge | 7.4 km one way | — | — | Hard |
In an emergency
Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (the start is at NY 285 060, the summit at NY 250 045), 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.
Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths: questions and answers
How far is Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths?
Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths is 5.9 km one way to the summit of Crinkle Crags South Top, with 750 m of ascent. There and back by the same way is about 11.8 km.
How long does Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths take?
About 2h 25m to the summit of Crinkle Crags South Top and 3h 35m there and back by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops. A relaxed group takes nearer 4h 25m for the round trip.
How steep is Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths?
The steepest 500 m averages about 37%, starting 2.2 km from the start, and 17% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths climbs 712 m in all on the track.
Where do you park for Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths?
Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths starts from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. The grid reference is NY 285 060. Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park
Is Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths 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.
What time should I start Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths today?
By 13:31 at the latest. Sunset on Crinkle Crags South Top today is 18:06, Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths takes about 3h 35m there and back, and that leaves an hour for stops. Start earlier in winter or if the forecast turns.
Is there a GPX for Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths?
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.