Red Screes routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX
779 m ยท Cumbria
Red Screes is the big fell above Kirkstone Pass and Ambleside, with a short, steep climb from the pass to a summit with a trig point and a small tarn.
Peakify lists 3 measured routes up Red Screes, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.
Red Screes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkstone Pass | Kirkstone Pass summit car park | 1.1 km one way | 320 m | 0h 45m | 1h 0m | Moderate |
| Ambleside via the south ridge | Ambleside (Kirkstone road) | 5.8 km one way | 717 m | 2h 20m | 3h 30m | Moderate |
| Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass | Cow Bridge car park, Brothers Water | 5.8 km one way | 640 m | 2h 15m | 3h 25m | Hard |
Red Screes 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 Red Screes route
Kirkstone Pass
Climb the steep, rocky path up the eastern face from the top of the pass to the summit. It starts from Kirkstone Pass summit car park. 1.1 km one way with 320 m of ascent. About 0h 45m to the summit and 1h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.
Ambleside via the south ridge
Leave the Kirkstone road above Ambleside and follow the long grassy south ridge over Snarker Pike to the top. It starts from Ambleside (Kirkstone road). 5.8 km one way with 717 m of ascent. About 2h 20m to the summit and 3h 30m 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. 5.8 km one way with 640 m of ascent. About 2h 15m to the summit and 3h 25m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.
Red Screes route GPX
Download a GPX for each route with a track: Kirkstone Pass, 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 Red Screes today and the Red Screes 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.
Planning a day on Red Screes 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 Red Screes, 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 Red Screes
What is the easiest route up Red Screes?
Kirkstone Pass has the easiest grade of the 3 routes listed here (Moderate).
How much time does each Red Screes route take?
Kirkstone Pass: about 0h 45m up and 1h 0m there and back. Ambleside via the south ridge: about 2h 20m up and 3h 30m there and back. Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass: about 2h 15m up and 3h 25m 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 Red Screes route?
Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.