Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts from the Pelter Bridge car park at Rydal and goes anticlockwise round the rim of Rydal Beck, over eight Wainwrights. It climbs by Nab Scar (450 m), Heron Pike (612 m) and Great Rigg (766 m) to Fairfield (873 m), then turns over Hart Crag (823 m) and Dove Crag (792 m) and comes down the Scandale ridge by High Pike (657 m) and Low Pike (508 m), returning through Rydal Park. It is on path nearly all the way.
It is 16.8 km with 1,083 m of ascent; allow about 8 hours. The grade is Strenuous for the length and the total climb: the pull onto Nab Scar is steep, then it is a long day on high ground.
Fairfield's broad summit is confusing in mist, so make sure you leave it in the right direction. Carry a map and compass, check the forecast and use your judgement. Winter snow and ice make it far more serious. There are no mapped water sources on the route.
The car park charges a fee. The nearest station is Windermere, about 9 km away in a straight line.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Eight Wainwrights round the rim of Rydal Beck
- The classic Lake District horseshoe, anticlockwise from Rydal over Nab Scar
- Fairfield's broad summit is confusing in mist
- Down the Scandale ridge and back through Rydal Park
Summits on the way
- Nab Scar 450 m
- Heron Pike (Rydal) 612 m
- Great Rigg 766 m
- Fairfield 873 m
- Hart Crag 823 m
- Dove Crag 792 m
- High Pike (Scandale) 657 m
- Low Pike 508 m
Getting there
Start: Rydal · Pay and display. 54.44512, -2.98150
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Windermere: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
