A difficult route in Western Fells. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Maggie's Bridge Car Park, Loweswater (NY 134 210) PARKING NOTE: Parking at Maggie's Bridge is very limited. Arrive early.
Terrain: Driveway, High Nook Farm, fell path, Holme Wood edge, Holme Beck path (fading to barely a path), steep fence climb (hard going, very faint path), Burnbank Fell summit, fence path south, Blake Fell summit, fence path to Gavel Fell, descent over Whiteoak, long boggy crossing of Whiteoak Moss, fell climb to Hen Comb, wild walk descent southeast through crags (steep — take care), Mosedale Beck, footbridge, wild walk east (hard going), path, Mellbreak ascent, steep descent northwest, Mosedale Beck path, Kirkgate Farm, Loweswater village, road return IMPORTANT — MOUNTAIN SAFETY: This is a demanding and serious walk covering five Wainwright summits with over 1,000m of ascent across 18 kilometres. The route includes several sections of wild walking — including a steep pathless descent from Hen Comb through crags requiring great care — as well as a long boggy crossing of Whiteoak Moss and a very faint path alongside the fence from Holme Beck to Burnbank Fell. Navigation skills and appropriate equipment are essential. Full mountain kit required.
A demanding and rewarding day on the western fells above Loweswater, taking in five Wainwrights across nearly 18 kilometres with a character all of its own. The approach via High Nook Farm and around Holme Wood is pleasant enough, but the climb from Holme Beck alongside the fence to Burnbank Fell — where the path fades to almost nothing and the going is genuinely hard — sets the tone for a walk that asks a good deal of its walker. The cloud hung obstinately over the first two summits but was beginning to lift by Gavel Fell and had largely cleared by the time Hen Comb was reached, delivering the best views of the day across Crummock Water and the surrounding fells. The descent from Hen Comb is the walk's most serious moment — a steep wild walk through crags to Mosedale Beck that attracted at least two followers who had correctly concluded that any other option involved a much longer detour. The subsequent wild walk east from the footbridge is hard going but brief, and Mellbreak's rocky summit provides a fine and well-earned finale with a classic view down the length of Crummock Water. A tough, varied and ultimately very satisfying day out.