Cross Fell routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

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

Cross Fell 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.

Cross Fell 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 Cross Fell route

Kirkland

Tracks climb the western slopes past old mine workings to the scarp and onto the summit plateau. It starts from Kirkland, near Culgaith. 6.0 km one way with 682 m of ascent. About 2h 20m to the summit and 3h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Dufton via the Pennine Way

A long route on the Pennine Way over Knock Fell, Great Dun Fell and Little Dun Fell, crossing high moorland the whole way. It starts from Dufton village car park. 12.2 km one way with 858 m of ascent. About 3h 50m to the summit and 6h 20m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Cross Fell route GPX

This page doesn't offer a GPX download. To get a GPX file for a Cross Fell route, use the Peakify iPhone app: open Cross Fell, 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 Cross Fell today and the Cross Fell 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Cross Fell 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 Cross Fell, 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 Cross Fell

What is the easiest route up Cross Fell?

The route from Kirkland climbs the western slopes on tracks and is shorter than the Pennine Way approach from Dufton.

How much time does each Cross Fell route take?

Kirkland: about 2h 20m up and 3h 30m there and back. Dufton via the Pennine Way: about 3h 50m up and 6h 20m 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 Cross Fell 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.