The Skiddaw Massif is one of those days that feels big from the start. From Millbeck, this route links all eight of the Skiddaw fells in one long, high-level round — deep snow, huge views, and by the finish, feet and dog both properly done in.
The eight-fell round from Millbeck
Route Map and GPX
A big, demanding Skiddaw round from Millbeck, taking in all eight Skiddaw fells on a long mountain day with steep climbs, broad ridges and huge views over Derwent.
HOW TO USE THE MAP
For the best ‘experience’ using the map, click on that box in the top left to go ‘full screen’ (Esc to come back). Click icons to reveal details. Zoom by pinching or hold CTRL and roll the mouse.
Route at a glance
- Distance: 19km (12 miles)
- Ascent: 1330m (4364ft)
- Time: 8 hours
- Start: Millbeck
- Difficulty: Tough
- Map: OS Explorer OL4
- AW Book: The Northern Fells
Wainwrights
- Dodd: 502m (1647ft)
- Carl Side: 746m (2448ft)
- Long Side: 734m (2408ft)
- Ullock Pike: 680m (2231ft)
- Skiddaw: 931m (3054ft)
- Skiddaw Little Man: 865m (2838ft)
- Lonscale Fell: 715m (2346ft)
- Latrigg: 368m (1207ft)
Field notes
- Terrain: Woodland paths, steep mountain tracks, broad ridges and long high-level ground, with snow and ice turning it into a much more serious day in winter
- Navigation: Straightforward in clear weather, but a much bigger undertaking in mist or snow once you are high on the massif
- Parking: Start from Millbeck, where roadside parking keeps the route practical without the tourist bustle lower down
Watch out for
A long, committing round — the pull onto Skiddaw after returning to Carl Side is where the day starts to bite, more so in snow or ice.
Why do it
One of the biggest rounds in the Northern Fells: eight Wainwrights, huge views over Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite in one day.
Dog friendly?
Only for very fit, experienced dogs. This winter round’s steep climbing, cold and long snow-covered ground is asking a lot.
Is this walk for you?
This is a very good walk if you want a proper all-day mountain round rather than a quick summit bag. The Skiddaw Massif suits walkers after scale, effort and a sense of range, but it is too long and demanding to treat as a casual outing, especially in winter conditions.
My winter Skiddaw story
Although it’s a lovely sunny day, it’s going to be a cold one on this epic hike ticking off all of the 8 Skiddaw fells. Lacey (the dog) will have ice hanging from her belly. It’s going to be one of the best days I’ve spent up at The Lakes.
I leave the van at 9:30 after travelling up from home, 100 miles away, with a plan of summitting 8 fells including Skiddaw but you know what? I’ll be happy with 5. It’s thick with snow up there and even if I get up Skiddaw and have to retreat I’ll be overjoyed.
This however will not be my fate.
(SKIDDAW) DODD
From the van, parked in Millbeck, there’s a sloping muddy path from the road up to the wood. It’s marked quite clearly on the map and when I get there it’s very obvious route out of the madness and into the healing fells.
This is a wonderful woodland ascent up paths if you can find them, or straight through the pine forest, wanting some adventure or you’re a bit daft – I took the latter route (judge for yourself why!!!).
On a clear day, as it was, the views are absolutely stunning for only 400 metres of ascent from the village. Derwent Water, Keswick, Coledale and of course Skiddaw peeking over the Carl Side ridge, my next call.
Even this photo of Dodd deserves a showing. It really is a beautiful little hill and so accessible. Round the other side, there’s a visitor’s centre of sorts with a cafe and public toilets. Even young children, loving woodland, would love getting up Dodd – they might have to enjoy a shoulder ride down but there are good laid trails.
CARL SIDE
It’s a lovely walk off Dodd down to the col. Lacey and I really started ascending then. By this time we had laid foot on no snow of course. Up and around to White Stones, an outcrop on the southern bank of Carl Side, we yet had another 400m climb ahead of us to get to our second Wainwright of the day. This is where we will meet the white stuff.
A trudge it may be but a rhythmic pace gets you there, and the odd break to take in the magnificence of ‘the big one’ ahead (you can’t see Carl Side summit yet), Derwent Water behind and the scores of dusted mountains around.
After the trudge, we get to Carl Side. A breath taking mound it is as well because the views it rewards you, with it being a clear day, are astounding.
There are 11 hikers coming down that path in the photo of Skiddaw. I counted them as I set off out to Long Side, you hardly see them in the original 12,000px image because that the mountain is absolutely huge.
Taking in Long Side and Ullock Pike on the end of the spur is a walk in the park, and a delight compared with the ascent we have ahead of us when we get back to Carl Side.
The cloud looms over Skiddaw but I’m really excited now. We’ve put in a lot of effort to get these four done already, now one last push to the highest point of the day. But first, we stop for a refuel.
If you zoom into the photo above you’ll see a Jordie fella in black descending past Carl Side Tarn. He’s a tiny speck on the bulk of Carl Side when seen from half way up Skiddaw. I know, you can’t see him. The enormity of these mountains when you’re up here is mental. I love this photo (the original is 10,000px wide), let me know if you would like it printed and framed.
SKIDDAW
The walk up the Western bank of Skiddaw is a tough one. In the snow I can use footprints left by the few descenders that have been before me today but it’s still hard work, I’m wearing B2 Scarpas and I have poles but no spikes. I’m lucky to get a good shot of Blencathra from the top of the path but cloud surrounds the summit 100ft above. It’s cold, I don’t want to be here too long, who knows if it’s going to get worse?
I ask a couple who get to the summit to take my photo at the ‘rime’ decorated trig, Lacey behaves. Having done the hard work, getting up Skiddaw, I think I can finish the 8 fells today if I get a move.
Rime Ice
When moisture holds on for dear life, in the gale force winds, to a frozen fence (or anything really), the ice gets longer and longer horizontally and creates these beautiful ice sculptures. We call it rime ice. Stunning to see.
Down now to LITTLE MAN and on to LONSCALE FELL, double back to the hause and down to the ‘car park’ that the tourists use for LATRIGG.
…and as the sun dipped down behind Coledale, Lacey and I descended Lonscale Fell. After 11 miles and nearly 5000ft of ascent, mostly in snow (some 6 inches) we looked at each other and thought, ‘balls to it, let’s get Latrigg in as well’.
By the time we dropped back down towards the van, eight fells and every one of them earned, my feet had gone well past aching. The last stretch into Millbeck is tarmac, and stiff winter boots on a hard road after a day like that are their own kind of punishment. Lacey wasn’t much better — she was in the footwell before I’d even shut the door.
Ticking off eight in a day? Track the lot.
The 214 Wainwrights Checkmap is built for days exactly like this one — colour in every summit as you go, Skiddaw massif included, and watch the map fill in over the whole your whole round.
Eight out of eight Skiddaw fells, but there’s a ninth hanging off the northern slopes that I didn’t touch that day — Bakestall, really just a spur running down off Skiddaw itself, and the one that got away. I don’t know that ground north of the massif well, and I’ve a feeling the parking up there is going to be its own small headache. A friend and I are planning to go back for it after dark with a wild camp on the summit — which feels like the right way to finally close it out.
READ NEXT
Bakestall — the one that got away
Going back after dark for the fell the Skiddaw round left out, with a wild camp to boot.
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