Pen-y-ghent routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

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

Pen-y-ghent 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.

Pen-y-ghent 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 Pen-y-ghent route

Horton via Brackenbottom

A walled lane climbs to the southern ridge, then rocky steps lead up the nose to the summit wall. It starts from Horton in Ribblesdale village car park. 3.9 km one way with 459 m of ascent. About 1h 35m to the summit and 2h 20m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Horton via Hull Pot

The Pennine Way follows a walled track past Hull Pot, then climbs west slopes to the summit. It starts from Horton in Ribblesdale village car park. 5.8 km one way with 465 m of ascent. About 1h 55m to the summit and 3h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Pen-y-ghent route GPX

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

Planning a day on Pen-y-ghent 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 Pen-y-ghent, 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 Pen-y-ghent

What is the easiest route up Pen-y-ghent?

The Pennine Way from Horton in Ribblesdale is the more gradual route, avoiding the rock steps on the south nose.

How much time does each Pen-y-ghent route take?

Horton via Brackenbottom: about 1h 35m up and 2h 20m there and back. Horton via Hull Pot: about 1h 55m up and 3h 5m 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 Pen-y-ghent 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.