Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass up Dove Crag: route map, distance and time
792 m · Cumbria
Dove Crag is a grassy top on the eastern arm of the Fairfield Horseshoe, with a steep crag facing Dovedale and a bivvy cave below its edge.
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water.
Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass starts at about 167 m and gains 642 m over 6.5 km to 783 m on the track. The first 3 km are the easy part, averaging 2%. The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 4 km, which climbs 186 m at an average of 19%, with a 500 m stretch from 5.5 km at about 23%. The final 0.5 km eases to the top. About 14% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5, so expect hands-on-knees going and a slow descent.
Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass at a glance
| Distance | 6.5 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Ascent | 660 m |
| Climb on the track | 642 m up, 30 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 164 m to 783 m (summit 792 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 23%, from 5.5 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 14% of the way |
| Time up | 2h 25m by Naismith's rule |
| There and back | 3h 40m, down the same way |
| Grade | Hard |
| Start | Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water, CA11 0NS |
| Start grid reference | NY 402 133 |
| Summit grid reference | NY 374 104 |
| Parking | Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water |
Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass 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 Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass 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.
Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass 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 | 171 m | +4 m | 0% | NY 399 124 |
| 2 km | 170 m | -1 m | 0% | NY 398 115 |
| 3 km | 242 m | +71 m | 7% | NY 397 105 |
| 4 km | 428 m | +186 m | 19% | NY 391 098 |
| 5 km | 600 m | +173 m | 17% | NY 385 099 |
| 6 km | 735 m | +134 m | 13% | NY 377 101 |
| 6.5 km | 783 m | +48 m | 9% | NY 374 104 |
How long Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass takes
| Pace | To the top | There and back |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up | 2h 0m | 3h 5m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 2h 25m | 3h 40m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 2h 55m | 4h 35m |
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 07:46, sunset 18:07. Start by 13:27 to be down before dark, allowing 3h 40m for the walk and an hour for stops.
- Tomorrow: sunrise 07:48, sunset 18:05. Start by 13:25 to be down before dark, allowing 3h 40m for the walk and an hour for stops.
Dove Crag summit weather for this route
-
Good Today Sunday 18 October
Partly cloudy, up to 6°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -3°C, summit wind 17 mph gusting 21 mph, 0% chance of rain. Rated Good. Sunrise 07:46, sunset 18:07.
-
Marginal Tomorrow Monday 19 October
Slight rain, up to 8°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -2°C, summit wind 32 mph gusting 40 mph, 67% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:48, sunset 18:05.
Best day of the next seven for Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass: Sunday 18 October, with summit gusts around 21 mph and a 0% chance of rain.
Hour-by-hour Dove Crag forecast · 14-day forecast · Is it safe to climb Dove Crag?
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 -3°C on top.
- A waterproof jacket. It can rain on the tops in any forecast.
- Microspikes for icy paths. In snow, an ice axe and crampons and the skills to use them.
- 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 Dove Crag
Dove Crag is a grassy top on the eastern arm of the Fairfield Horseshoe, with a steep crag facing Dovedale and a bivvy cave below its edge. More about Dove Crag, with the live forecast.
On the lists: Wainwright, Hewitt, Nuttall, Birkett.
Extend the walk: tops near the summit
- Hart Crag (823 m), 1 km north-west
- Little Hart Crag (637 m), 1.3 km east
- High Pike (657 m), 1.6 km south
- Hartsop Above How (586 m), 1.8 km north-east
- Great Rigg (766 m), 1.9 km west
- High Hartsop Dodd (519 m), 1.9 km east
Challenges that include Dove Crag
- Lake District 24 Peaks Challenge · 24
- Fairfield Horseshoe · 9
- Hewitts · 523
- Nuttalls · 442
- Wainwrights · 214
More walks from Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water
Routes in Peakify's guides that start within 500 m of this one, for another day from the same car park.
- Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass up Fairfield
- Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass up Hart Crag
- Cow Bridge via Hartsop Hall up High Hartsop Dodd
- Brothers Water via High Hartsop Dodd up Little Hart Crag
- Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass up Little Hart Crag
- Brothers Water by the north ridge up Middle Dodd
- Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass up Middle Dodd
- Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass up Red Screes
Other routes up Dove Crag
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time up | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambleside via Low Pike and High Pike | 6.5 km one way | 738 m | 2h 30m | Moderate |
| Cow Bridge via Dovedale | 5.4 km one way | 730 m | 2h 20m | Moderate |
In an emergency
Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (the start is at NY 402 133, the summit at NY 374 104), 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.
Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass: questions and answers
How far is Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass?
Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass is 6.5 km one way to the summit of Dove Crag, with 660 m of ascent. There and back by the same way is about 13.0 km.
How long does Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass take?
About 2h 25m to the summit of Dove Crag and 3h 40m 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 35m for the round trip.
How steep is Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass?
The steepest 500 m averages about 23%, starting 5.5 km from the start, and 14% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass climbs 642 m in all on the track.
Where do you park for Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass?
Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass starts from Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water (postcode CA11 0NS). The grid reference is NY 402 133. Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water
Is Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass 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, such as Ambleside via Low Pike and High Pike.
What time should I start Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass today?
By 13:27 at the latest. Sunset on Dove Crag today is 18:07, Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass takes about 3h 40m there and back, and that leaves an hour for stops. Start earlier in winter or if the forecast turns.
Is there a GPX for Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass?
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.