High Raise routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX
804 m ยท Cumbria
High Raise is the second highest of the Far Eastern Fells, a stony dome north of High Street above Haweswater and Martindale.
Peakify lists 3 measured routes up High Raise, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.
High Raise 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.
| Route | Start | Distance | Ascent | Time up | There and back | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mardale Head via Kidsty Pike | Mardale Head car park, Haweswater | 5.7 km one way | 640 m | 2h 10m | 3h 20m | Moderate |
| Hartsop via Hayeswater and The Knott | Hartsop village car park | 4.7 km one way | 650 m | 2h 0m | 3h 0m | Moderate |
| Burnbanks eastern Haweswater walking paths | Burnbanks village car park | 7.5 km one way | 620 m | 2h 30m | 4h 0m | Hard |
High Raise 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 High Raise route
Mardale Head via Kidsty Pike
Climb the ridge over Kidsty Howes to Kidsty Pike, then walk north on stony ground to High Raise. It starts from Mardale Head car park, Haweswater. 5.7 km one way with 640 m of ascent. About 2h 10m to the summit and 3h 20m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.
Hartsop via Hayeswater and The Knott
Walk up to Hayeswater, climb to The Knott and follow the ridge over Rampsgill Head to the summit. It starts from Hartsop village car park. 4.7 km one way with 650 m of ascent. About 2h 0m to the summit and 3h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.
Burnbanks eastern Haweswater walking paths
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Burnbanks village car park. It starts from Burnbanks village car park. 7.5 km one way with 620 m of ascent. About 2h 30m to the summit and 4h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.
High Raise route GPX
Download a GPX for each route with a track: Mardale Head via Kidsty Pike, Hartsop via Hayeswater and The Knott, Burnbanks eastern Haweswater walking paths. 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 High Raise today and the High Raise 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.
Planning a day on High Raise 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 High Raise, 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 High Raise
What is the easiest route up High Raise?
From Mardale Head, climb over Kidsty Pike and walk north along the ridge to the summit.
How much time does each High Raise route take?
Mardale Head via Kidsty Pike: about 2h 10m up and 3h 20m there and back. Hartsop via Hayeswater and The Knott: about 2h 0m up and 3h 0m there and back. Burnbanks eastern Haweswater walking paths: about 2h 30m up and 4h 0m 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 High Raise route?
Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.