Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns up Little Stand: route map, distance and time
740 m · Cumbria
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park.
Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns starts at about 97 m and gains 769 m over 7.8 km to 728 m on the track. The first kilometre climbs 14 m. The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 2 km, which climbs 208 m at an average of 21%, with a 500 m stretch from 1.6 km at about 31%. The final 0.8 km eases to the top. About 15% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5, so expect hands-on-knees going and a slow descent.
Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns at a glance
| Distance | 7.8 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Climb on the track | 769 m up, 140 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 97 m to 840 m (summit 740 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 31%, from 1.6 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 15% of the way |
| Grade | Hard |
| Start | Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park |
| Start grid reference | NY 285 060 |
| Summit grid reference | NY 250 033 |
| Parking | Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park |
Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns 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 The Band and Three Tarns 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 The Band and Three Tarns 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 | 319 m | +208 m | 21% steep | NY 269 057 |
| 3 km | 527 m | +208 m | 21% steep | NY 260 058 |
| 4 km | 636 m | +109 m | 11% | NY 251 061 |
| 5 km | 774 m | +138 m | 14% | NY 249 055 |
| 6 km | 821 m | +47 m | 5% | NY 248 047 |
| 7 km | 750 m | -71 m | -7% | NY 252 040 |
| 7.8 km | 728 m | -22 m | -3% | NY 250 033 |
How long Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns takes
| Pace | To the top | There and back |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up | 2h 20m | 3h 40m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 2h 50m | 4h 25m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 3h 30m | 5h 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.
Little Stand summit weather for this route
-
Marginal Today Monday 19 October
Overcast, up to 9°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -1°C, summit wind 29 mph gusting 36 mph, 29% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:06.
-
Marginal Tomorrow Tuesday 20 October
Slight rain, up to 7°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -1°C, summit wind 24 mph gusting 30 mph, 69% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:51, sunset 18:03.
Best day of the next seven for Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns: Monday 19 October, with summit gusts around 36 mph and a 29% chance of rain.
Hour-by-hour Little Stand 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 -1°C on top.
- A waterproof jacket. It can rain on the tops in any forecast.
- A windproof layer, and poles for balance in gusts to 36 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 Little Stand
More about Little Stand, with the live forecast.
Challenges that include Little Stand
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 Little Stand
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time up | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langdale via Red Tarn walking paths | 6.7 km one way | 660 m | 2h 25m | Hard |
| Wrynose walking paths and the Cold Pike ridge | 7.1 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 250 033), 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 The Band and Three Tarns: questions and answers
How far is Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns?
Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns is 7.8 km one way to the summit of Little Stand. There and back by the same way is about 15.6 km.
How steep is Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns?
The steepest 500 m averages about 31%, starting 1.6 km from the start, and 15% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns climbs 769 m in all on the track.
Where do you park for Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns?
Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns 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 The Band and Three Tarns 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.
Is there a GPX for Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns?
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.