Lakeland 800s (Hadley Round): route guide

Norman Hadley maps a long, Lakeland gaunlet and creates a new challenge for you: the Lakeland 800s, aptly dubbed the Hadley Round,

Fell-bagging challenges have been a Lakeland tradition for at least 120 years, with the Bob Graham Round still internationally famous, over ninety years on. Back when I was 14-year-old map-nerd, I devised a “Top Twenty” circuit, and there are any number of challenges, from the four three-thousanders all the way up to the full house of Wainwrights. This route sets a metric height threshold of 800 metres, capping the number of Wainwrights at thirty-five – thus the Lakeland 800s. They’re scattered wider than Bob Graham’s tops, including a pair in the Far Eastern fells and another two in the Coniston group. Over in the northwest, High Stile, Grasmoor and Crag Hill must be visited. These hills have never felt the imprint of a Bob Graham runner’s studs.

The route is a challenge on multiple levels. For mortals, it makes for a demanding few days’ walking. But the distance and altitude gain have been carefully calibrated to be just in reach of the very fastest runners in 24 hours. You, and they, can consider the gauntlet dropped.

Main image: From High Stile, looking down to Bleaberry Tarn | Credit: Norman Hadley

Lakeland 800s (Hadley Round): route description

START/FINISH: Keswick Moot Hall| MAPS: OS Explorer Lake District OL4, 5, 6, 7 (1:25k), Harvey Ultra Map Lake District East and West (1:40k) | DISTANCE: 157 km / 98 miles | ASCENT: 10,200m / 33,500ft | DURATION: several days, depending on ability

1. NY266234: Follow the Cumbria Way out of town, up through the woods alongside Latrigg to the Gale Road car park and up the main highway via Little Man to Skiddaw.

From the main summit, double back, descending the broad heathery ridge over Sale How to the honesty box at Skiddaw House. You may need refreshment to motivate you up the broad flank of Mungrisdale Common: arguably the unloveliest Wainwright. Keep on up this unflattering flank of Blencathra until you reach the exciting summit ridge, where all is forgiven. Treat yourself to the thrilling descent of the Hall’s Fell ridge to Threlkeld.

2. NY320254: You’re under no contractual obligation to climb Clough Head but it’s probably easier to use it as a stepping stone anyway. Head down the B5322 then L up the coach road signposted to Matterdale. Follow this until a footpath leads you up Clough Head. Now enjoy English ridge-wandering at its highest and simplest, over the Dodds to Helvellyn.

3. NY341153: Scramble out-and-back to Catstye Cam via Swirral Edge, then continue S over Nethermost and Dollywaggon Pikes before the long zigzags down to Grisedale Tarn. Slant leftward to Deepdale Hause for another out-and-back to St Sunday Crag.

4. NY369134: Tackle the lovely double peak of Cofa Pike to Fairfield. Follow the Horseshoers to Hart Crag, then descend the curving ridge of Hartsop-above-How, until the final short steep descent deposits you at Cow Bridge.

5. NY403134: Head up the Hayeswater bridleway, climbing steeply from the dam to gain the main High Street ridge just behind the tiny prominence of The Knott. Another out-and-back will claim High Raise, then head Sover High Street itself, taking the old Roman road to Troutbeck.

6. NY407026: Now follows a long low-level section that could be omitted at the cost of breaking the loop. Take Robin Lane, skirting the southern flank of Wansfell to Ambleside. Now work your way, with lanes and footpaths, to Tarn Hows and Coniston to get back on the fells.

7. SD301975: Follow the main track past Miners’ Bridge and Low Water to Coniston Old Man. Head N over to Swirl How and descend via Great Carrs to Wrynose Pass.

8. NY277027: Take the Red Tarn path to Crinkle Crags, detouring L to avoid the Bad Step: an awkward chockstone gully. Follow the ridge to Three Tarns, over Bowfell, Esk Pike, the quick detour to Great End from the top of the Calf Cove steps, and the awkward boulder-hopping over Scafell Pike, to be confronted by the colossal obstacle of Scafell Crag, making the Bad Step look like a kerbstone. Slither down the Eskdale side to gain the damp gully below Foxes Tarn and head up scree to England’s second summit.

9. NY207065: Descend the bouldery cleft of Lords Rake then traverse across the top of Hollowstones to welcome level ground at Lingmell Col. Another out-and-back for Lingmell, then carefully work your way around the savage maw of Piers Gill, following the Corridor Route down to Sty Head.

10. NY219095: Haul up stony zigzags to Great Gable. Remember to include Green Gable (it qualifies for this list by a solitary metre), descending stony ground NE to Windy Gap. Quickly up Green Gable then take the N Traverse under the impressive precipice of Gable Crag to Beck Head.

11. NY206107: The Mosedale Horseshoe is your guide over Kirk Fell (the further top is higher, of course), then multiple false summits to Pillar and round to the second, slightly higher top of Red Pike (Wasdale).

12. NY165105: Double back over Scoat Fell, noting that “Little” is higher than “Great.” I don’t make the rules. Then plunge down the dramatic Steeple ridge into the wilds of Ennerdale.

13. NY131142: To avoid Amazonian river-crossings and brash-bashing, detour downriver to the bridge, then ascend the steep forest ride to Red Pike (Buttermere). Detour to High Stile, then descend the steep bridleway to Bleaberry Tarn and the pitched zigzags to welcome level ground at Buttermere.

14. NY174170: Tackle Grasmoor via Whiteless Pike and the col at 722 metres then head E up your last “counter”: Crag Hill. Descend via Sail and Stonycroft Gill, then across the Newlands Valley via Stair and Skelgill, to the Cumbria Way, which will lead you triumphantly back to Keswick. Market traders will cheer, brass bands will parp, reporters will thrust microphones at you. Well, they should.

Further information

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: X5 Bus Penrith to Keswick

TOURIST INFORMATION: www.visitlakedistrict.com, 01539 822222

Our experts have mapped out more of their favourite UK mountain challenges here.