Skiddaw from the Latrigg car park (Gale Road)
The quickest honest way up Skiddaw: the old pony track from the top of Gale Road, up Jenkin Hill and along the stony summit ridge to the trig point.
- Distance
- 10.7 km
- 6.6 miles
- Ascent
- 755 m
- High point 930 m
- Time
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- Walking time, no stops
- Grade
- Hard
- There and back
Take this walk with you
Google Maps does not know most fell paths, so use it to get to the start, then follow the GPX in an app like OS Maps, Komoot or AllTrails. To see the line in Google Maps, open Google My Maps, create a map, choose Import and pick the KML file. It then appears in the Google Maps app under Saved, Maps.
Weather on this walk
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Skiddaw is the big, smooth-shouldered mountain that fills the view north of Keswick, and the Jenkin Hill path from the top of Gale Road is the route most people take. It was built as a pony track for Victorian tourists, so it is never difficult underfoot, just long and relentlessly uphill for the first hour.
Starting from the car park above Underscar gives you a head start on the climb from town. The steep pull is up the flank of Jenkin Hill; after that the gradient eases past the shoulder of Skiddaw Little Man and the final stretch runs along a bare, stony ridge to the summit. On a clear day the reward is a huge view over Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite Lake and out to the Solway.
It suits fit walkers who want a first 900 metre summit without scrambling. Come back the same way, or add Skiddaw Little Man on the descent if your legs allow.
The route
- 1
Gale Road car park to the gate
From the car park at the top of Gale Road follow the signed path north onto the open fell, where the Jenkin Hill path begins its climb.
- 2
Up the flank of Jenkin Hill
The broad path climbs the slope of Jenkin Hill in a long, steep rise. This is the hardest section of the day; take it at a steady pace and enjoy the view opening up over Keswick behind you.
- 3
Past Skiddaw Little Man
The angle eases as the path swings north below Skiddaw Little Man. Keep to the main path across the broad col towards the main summit ridge.
- 4
The summit ridge
A last rise over loose slate brings you onto the long, bare crest of Skiddaw. Follow it north to the highest point.
- 5
Back to Gale Road
Return the way you came. In mist take care to leave the summit ridge by the main path you came up, as the top is broad and other paths lead off it in different directions.
Questions people ask
Where do you park to walk up Skiddaw?
The Latrigg car park at the very top of Gale Road, above Underscar, is the usual start for the Jenkin Hill path and saves a long climb out of Keswick.
How long is the walk up Skiddaw from Gale Road?
Mud and Routes gives about 5 km each way from the Gale Road car park, so about 10 km there and back, and around 2.5 hours for the ascent.
Is Skiddaw hard to climb?
It is a long, steep walk but there is no scrambling. The Jenkin Hill path is a broad, well-trodden track, which is why it is often recommended as a first big fell.
How high is Skiddaw?
Wikipedia gives the summit as 931 metres, making it one of the highest mountains in England.
More walks nearby
Latrigg from Keswick
Moderate, 4.9 km, 292 m up, about 1 hour 30 minutes
Keswick's own small fell: up Spooney Green Lane and the zigzags to a grassy top with one of the finest views of Derwentwater in the Lakes.
Castlerigg Stone Circle from Keswick
Easy, 6.3 km, 130 m up, about 1 hour 30 minutes
An easy walk from Keswick to Castlerigg, the stone circle ringed by fells, out along the old railway line and lanes and back through farmland.
Walla Crag from Keswick
Moderate, 10.6 km, 377 m up, about 2 hours 30 minutes
A half-day round from Keswick over Castlehead to the cliff-top of Walla Crag, down to Ashness Bridge and home along the Derwentwater shore.
Food, drink and beds near the start
The Twa Dogs
Traditional, Keswick, £
A friendly Jennings pub on the eastern edge of Keswick, named after the Burns poem, with a prize-winning floral garden, a few guest rooms and folk singing on Sunday afternoons.
The Keswick Country House Hotel
Country House Hotel, Keswick, ££
A grand Victorian hotel set in four acres of tended gardens beside Keswick's old railway station, two minutes' walk from the market town centre. Expect classic dining in the Lonsdale Restaurant and views out to the surrounding fells.
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Heritage, Keswick
A 5,000-year-old stone circle set against a natural amphitheatre of fells. Free to visit, impossible to forget.
The Square Orange
Pizza & Bar, Keswick, £, dogs welcome
A cosy, buzzy cafe bar on St John's Street serving stone-baked Roman style pizzas, tapas and good coffee, with a full bar and regular live music evenings. No bookings, just walk in.
The Dog and Gun
Traditional, Keswick, £, dogs welcome
A proper Keswick town-centre local, run by Greene King, known for its homemade Hungarian goulash, well-kept ales and a warm welcome for dogs.
Fellpack
Casual Dining, Keswick, £
A laid-back Keswick restaurant built around Fellpots, generous bowls that put creative twists on classics. The short, seasonal menu might put a Japanese dish next to neeps and haggis.