Howgill 2000s - Monday 18 August 2025

Route 

Cross Keys - River Rawthey - Ben End - Yarlside - Saddle - Kensgriff - Randygill Top - Bowderdale Beck - Dales High Way - West Fell - Langdale Knott - Langdale Beck - Middledale End - Middleton - Simon's Seat - Breaks Head - Fell Head - Windscarth Wyke - Bush Howe - White Fell Head - The Calf - Bram Rigg Top - Calders - Great Dummacks - Cautley Crag - Cautley Spout - River Rawthey - Cross Keys

Parking

Verge parking (Free) on the A683 near The Cross Keys Inn which is 4.5 miles north east of Sedbergh. The Grid Reference is SD 69825 96933 and the nearest postcode is LA10 5NE.

Mileage

16.1 miles

Terrain

Good mountain paths for the most part. The ability to navigate is paramount, particularly in low cloud and poor visibility as some of the paths, whilst there on the ground are not marked on the OS Map.  

Weather

Warm at first becoming overcast with strong breezes

​Time Taken

9hrs 

Total Ascent

5433ft (1656m)

Map​

​​​OL19 - Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley

Walkers

Dave with Nicky Oliver, Sara Boyle & Christine Backhouse

GPX Files

​From 1 March 2025 GPX files will not be available directly from the walk page as there is difficulty in using a downloadable version from the website. To that end, if you require a GPX File please get in touch via the Contact Form below and we will gladly forward it to you - thank you.

​Route Map

Today's walk started from the parking area a few yards along the road from The Cross Keys Inn. The Inn is what is known as "Temperance" meaning in basic terms that it does not serve alcohol, however they are happy for you to bring in your own and do not charge corkage. 

The Inn is also a B&B establishment and a link to their website giving details plus some background on this interesting building can be found here

The parking area near The Cross Keys Inn which is the partially hidden white building a little further down the road.

The walk today was one I had in my back pocket for quite a while. It is a challenging day out climbing the nine Howgill Fells that are over 2000ft and at just over 16 miles with just under 5500ft of ascent is certainly no pushover. It is a long, hard day out but one completed in virtual solitude. Whilst they may linger in the shadow of the Pennines & Lake District, they offer great walking and spectacular views.

From the start the walk crosses the River Rawthey via a spanking new footbridge. Our route up to the first peak of Yarlside via Ben End can be seen ahead.

Great Dummacks with Cautley Crag over to the right - this would be our final peak today

Floki (aka Captain White Shorts) goes into sniff mode as we begin the ascent of Yarlside via Ben End

As introductory ascents go, the climb to Yarlside via Ben End is right up there with regard to both scenery and steepness. 

Looking over to our return route via Great Dummacks, Calders & The Calf. Cautley Spout can be seen in the centre of shot and this would be our route of descent back to the valley floor at the end of the walk.

The summit of Yarlside

From Yarlside the route descends to Saddle to pick up a path coming in from the right which ascends to Kensgriff ahead. The summit beyond Kensgriff is Randygill Top which we would approach from over to the right.

The descent into Saddle from Yarlside

Floki leads the way as we head from Saddle to Kensgriff

Looking back to Yarlside from the ascent of Kensgriff. A rough path can just about be seen which descends steeply from Yarlside however this cannot be seen from the summit. Having been here before I knew roughly where it was in order to avoid the rough scree to the right and the crags to the left. Whilst the way down looks ominously steep, this can be avoided by zig zagging across the fell thus easing the descent.

The summit of Kensgriff looking to Randygill Top

Ascending Randygill Top with Kensgriff & Yarlside over to the right

The summit of Randygill Top looking to our next summit of West Fell centre with Hooksey to the right

Descending to the south west into Bowderdale with Hazelgill Knott straight ahead

Whilst we have a breather, Floki has a dip in Bowderdale Beck

Looking back at our descent from Randygill Top

The glorious view to the head of Bowderdale from West Fell

The beautiful bridge over Langdale Beck - we crossed here and turned left to start the climb to Middleton

Langdale Beck

Looking across Langdale Beck to Langdale Knott as we start the ascent of Middleton

Looking back down into Langdale from the ascent of Middleton

The Trig Point on the summit of Middleton - we would now be following the ridge to the next top of Simon's Seat which is in the centre 

Following the ridge line to Simon's Seat

The tiny cairn that marks the summit of Simon's Seat. From here we would head firstly to Breaks Head then do a short out and back to Fell Head which is over to the right.

The large cairn that marks the summit of Fell Head

Heading for Bush Howe with White Fell Head to the right and The Calf in the distance

Despite the weather being overcast for most of the walk there were still good views to be had

The extremely understated summit of Bush Howe

Looking back to Fell Head from the approach to White Fell Head

Another understated summit - this time White Fell Head

From White Fell Head a path leads us on the final approach to The Calf

Approaching The Calf as we look back to White Fell Head & Fell Head

The summit of The Calf looking along the ridgeline to Bram Rigg Top with Calders beyond

Christine, Sara, Nicky & Floki on the summit of The Calf

Heading for Bram Rigg Top, the summit of which is over to the right

The summit of Calders with Arant Haw ahead - we would be turning left here to walk to Great Dummacks. From Calders there is a delightful walk to Sedbergh via Arant Haw & Winder.

The path to Great Dummacks initially follows the fence line and carries straight on when the fence turns to the right

From Great Dummacks there is a superb airy ridge walk along the top of Cautley Crag giving fantastic views over to Yarlside & Randygill Top. Our route of descent can be seen dropping down into the valley to the right.

The descent back to the start via the Cautley Spout path

Cautley Spout

Cautley Spout (Click Play to view)

Heading slightly off the main path to look down into Cautley Spout

Crossing the River Rawthey via the footbridge to bring us to the parking area - what a hard but fantastic days walking.

​Bearing in mind this walk took place in the middle of August on a fairly decent weather day, we saw only two other people.

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