A difficult route in Northern Fells. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Ormathwaite/Underscar area (NY 280 254)
IMPORTANT — MOUNTAIN SAFETY: This is a serious and demanding mountain walk in the Skiddaw range, covering four Wainwright summits with almost 900m of ascent. This walk is suitable for experienced hill walkers with appropriate clothing, footwear and equipment. The weather on these high fells can deteriorate rapidly — check the forecast before setting out and be prepared to turn back if conditions worsen.
A serious and satisfying day on the Skiddaw range, ticking four Wainwrights in a single outing despite persistent and heavy rain that would test the best waterproofs. The outward leg climbs steeply from the Cumbria Way onto the track towards Lower Man, with a short and easy out-and-back over pathless ground to the summit of Lonscale Fell getting the Wainwright tally underway. The route then continues west over Jenkin Hill and steeply up to Little Man before joining the main Skiddaw path for the final push to the highest point in the range at 931 metres. The descent north to the wall and the climb to Bakestall completes the four summits — I did push out to the cairn beyond the grid reference just to make absolutely sure — before the long and increasingly boggy descent of Birkett Edge to the Cumbria Way. Skiddaw House, one of the most remote buildings in the Lake District with a fine history, provides a welcome waypoint before the Cumbria Way carries you south through Lonscale Crags and back to the start. In good weather this walk would deliver extraordinary views across the Northern Fells and beyond — hopefully next time.