Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile up Rough Crag: route map, distance and time
628 m · Cumbria
A hard mountain walk to the summit from Mardale Head car park, Haweswater.
Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile starts at about 249 m and gains 378 m over 3.2 km to 557 m on the track. The first kilometre climbs 111 m. The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 2 km, which climbs 123 m at an average of 12%, with a 500 m stretch from 2.1 km at about 23%. The final 0.2 km eases to the top. About 16% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5, so expect hands-on-knees going and a slow descent.
Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile at a glance
| Distance | 3.2 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Ascent | 440 m |
| Climb on the track | 378 m up, 72 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 249 m to 613 m (summit 628 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 23%, from 2.1 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 16% of the way |
| Time up | 1h 20m by Naismith's rule |
| There and back | 2h 0m, down the same way |
| Grade | Hard |
| Start | Mardale Head car park, Haweswater |
| Start grid reference | NY 469 107 |
| Summit grid reference | NY 454 112 |
| Parking | Mardale Head car park, Haweswater |
Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile map
The track from the start (green) to the summit (blue), with a marker at each kilometre.
Height profile and getting to the start
Download the Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile 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.
Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile 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 | 360 m | +111 m | 11% | NY 461 107 |
| 2 km | 483 m | +123 m | 12% | NY 452 108 |
| 3 km | 589 m | +106 m | 11% | NY 452 112 |
| 3.2 km | 557 m | -32 m | -15% | NY 454 112 |
How long Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile takes
| Pace | To the top | There and back |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up | 1h 5m | 1h 40m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 1h 20m | 2h 0m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 1h 40m | 2h 30m |
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 07:47, sunset 18:04. Start by 15:04 to be down before dark, allowing 2h 0m for the walk and an hour for stops.
- Tomorrow: sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:02. Start by 15:02 to be down before dark, allowing 2h 0m for the walk and an hour for stops.
Rough Crag summit weather for this route
-
Marginal Today Monday 19 October
Light drizzle, up to 9°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -1°C, summit wind 25 mph gusting 31 mph, 24% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:47, sunset 18:04.
-
Marginal Tomorrow Tuesday 20 October
Slight rain, up to 8°C at the summit, feeling as cold as 3°C, summit wind 23 mph gusting 29 mph, 100% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:02.
Best day of the next seven for Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile: Monday 19 October, with summit gusts around 31 mph and a 24% chance of rain.
Hour-by-hour Rough Crag 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 31 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 Rough Crag
More about Rough Crag, with the live forecast.
Challenges that include Rough Crag
More walks from Mardale Head car park, Haweswater
Routes in Peakify's guides that start within 500 m of this one, for another day from the same car park.
- Mardale Head via Gatescarth Pass up Branstree
- Mardale Head via Nan Bield Pass up Harter Fell
- Mardale Head via Gatescarth Pass up Harter Fell
- Mardale Head via Kidsty Pike up High Raise
- Mardale Head via Rough Crag and Long Stile up High Street
- Mardale via Nan Bield Pass up High Street
- Mardale Head via Kidsty Howes up Kidsty Pike
- Mardale Head via Small Water and Nan Bield Pass up Mardale Ill Bell
- Mardale Head via Kidsty Pike up Rampsgill Head
- Mardale Head via Gatescarth Pass and Branstree up Selside Pike
- Mardale via Nan Bield Pass up Thornthwaite Crag
- Mardale via Gatescarth Pass and Branstree up Branstree NE Top
In an emergency
Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (the start is at NY 469 107, the summit at NY 454 112), 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.
Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile: questions and answers
How far is Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile?
Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile is 3.2 km one way to the summit of Rough Crag, with 440 m of ascent. There and back by the same way is about 6.4 km.
How long does Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile take?
About 1h 20m to the summit of Rough Crag and 2h 0m 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 2h 30m for the round trip.
How steep is Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile?
The steepest 500 m averages about 23%, starting 2.1 km from the start, and 16% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile climbs 378 m in all on the track.
Where do you park for Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile?
Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile starts from Mardale Head car park, Haweswater. The grid reference is NY 469 107. Mardale Head car park, Haweswater
Is Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile 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.
What time should I start Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile today?
By 15:04 at the latest. Sunset on Rough Crag today is 18:04, Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile takes about 2h 0m there and back, and that leaves an hour for stops. Start earlier in winter or if the forecast turns.
Is there a GPX for Mardale via Rough Crag and Long Stile?
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.