Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass up Red Screes: route map, distance and time
779 m · 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.
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 624 m over 5.8 km to 756 m on the track. The first 3 km are the easy part, averaging 2%. The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 5.8 km, which climbs 174 m at an average of 21%, with a 500 m stretch from 5.1 km at about 26%. That last pull ends at the summit. About 24% 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 | 5.8 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Ascent | 640 m |
| Climb on the track | 624 m up, 36 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 164 m to 761 m (summit 779 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 26%, from 5.1 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 24% of the way |
| Time up | 2h 15m by Naismith's rule |
| There and back | 3h 25m, 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 396 087 |
| 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 | 582 m | +154 m | 15% | NY 390 091 |
| 5.8 km | 756 m | +174 m | 21% steep | NY 396 087 |
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 | 1h 50m | 2h 45m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 2h 15m | 3h 25m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 2h 45m | 4h 10m |
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 13:42 to be down before dark, allowing 3h 25m for the walk and an hour for stops.
- Tomorrow: sunrise 07:48, sunset 18:05. Start by 13:40 to be down before dark, allowing 3h 25m for the walk and an hour for stops.
Red Screes summit weather for this route
There is no recent summit forecast cached for Red Screes right now. The main Red Screes page loads the live forecast when you open it. Open the live Red Screes forecast.
Before you go, also check: MWIS Lake District forecast · Met Office mountain forecast · Weatherline fell top conditions.
About Red Screes
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. More about Red Screes, with the live forecast.
On the lists: Wainwright, Hewitt, Nuttall, Marilyn, Birkett.
Extend the walk: tops near the summit
- Middle Dodd (654 m), 0.8 km north
- Little Hart Crag (637 m), 1.6 km north-west
- High Hartsop Dodd (519 m), 2 km north
- High Pike (657 m), 2.2 km west
- Stony Cove Pike (764 m), 2.5 km north-east
- Low Pike (508 m), 2.5 km west
Challenges that include Red Screes
- Lake District 24 Peaks Challenge · 24
- Hewitts · 523
- Nuttalls · 442
- Wainwrights · 214
- Marilyns · 1,555
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 Dovedale up Dove Crag
- Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass up Dove Crag
- 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
Other routes up Red Screes
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time up | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkstone Pass | 1.1 km one way | 320 m | 0h 45m | Moderate |
| Ambleside via the south ridge | 5.8 km one way | 717 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 396 087), 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 5.8 km one way to the summit of Red Screes, with 640 m of ascent. There and back by the same way is about 11.6 km.
How long does Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass take?
About 2h 15m to the summit of Red Screes and 3h 25m 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 10m for the round trip.
How steep is Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass?
The steepest 500 m averages about 26%, starting 5.1 km from the start, and 24% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass climbs 624 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 Kirkstone Pass.
What time should I start Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass today?
By 13:42 at the latest. Sunset on Red Screes today is 18:07, Cow Bridge via Caiston Glen and Scandale Pass takes about 3h 25m 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.