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

Peakify lists 3 measured routes up Dove Crag, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Dove Crag 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.

Dove Crag 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 Dove Crag route

Ambleside via Low Pike and High Pike

Follow the ridge north from Ambleside beside a long stone wall over Low Pike and High Pike to the summit. It starts from Ambleside (Rydal Road car park). 6.5 km one way with 738 m of ascent. About 2h 30m to the summit and 3h 50m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Cow Bridge via Dovedale

Walk up Dovedale beneath the crag and climb on steep ground to the ridge north of the summit. It starts from Cow Bridge car park, near Brothers Water. 5.4 km one way with 730 m of ascent. About 2h 20m to the summit and 3h 25m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water. It starts from Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water. 6.5 km one way with 660 m of ascent. About 2h 25m to the summit and 3h 40m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Dove Crag route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass. 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 Dove Crag today and the Dove Crag 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Dove Crag 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 Dove Crag, 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 Dove Crag

What is the easiest route up Dove Crag?

From Ambleside or Rydal, follow the eastern ridge of the Fairfield Horseshoe over Low Pike and High Pike.

How much time does each Dove Crag route take?

Ambleside via Low Pike and High Pike: about 2h 30m up and 3h 50m there and back. Cow Bridge via Dovedale: about 2h 20m up and 3h 25m there and back. Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass: about 2h 25m up and 3h 40m 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 Dove Crag route?

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