The English spiritual home of Fell Running, with it’s routes in the Highland Games, the Lake District provides ample opportunity for QMDs. It is difficult to get off the well marked paths simply because there are so many of them, especially in the more popular areas, and the area is so busy. Overall though a great area although not as wild as the Irish Mountains and very busy with bucket-listers and day trippers.

Many of the routes given here are ‘Indicative Only’. I don’t know the country as well as I know Wales although I have reasonable familiarity with the Wasdale-Langdale area. This was a country where I did some of my first real QMDs using only a 1:40 Harvey. I pitched camp at Langdale, woke up in the morning, and set off without any real planning and without any food other than a piece of 3 day-old quiche to do what I have called the ‘Langdale Circular’.

This can be demanding country at times with a lot of long, steep, gradients and a lot of rocky ground on longer routes. Anything over 8-10 miles should be carefully considered and cut-backs and escapes noted. It is also worth considering anything longer than 8-10 miles as a two-day route. There is little shortage of wild camping opportunities in the country, which means, like Snowdonia, many good camping spots resemble the words examples of motorway services with open air toilets. This has implications, clearly, for water sources.

There is plenty of rock in the country and the best sources of information are the relevant guidebooks, climbing clubs (including UKC, obviously), and your own experience.

The country has been divided up into West, East, and South countries. There are better ways of doing it but for some reason I did it this way and it all gets a bit messy if I try and change it around.

Maps Include

• Harvey Lake District XT40 1:40
• Harvey Lake District Outdoor Atlas 1:40 with some 1:25
• Havey Maps Lake District North, East, West & South East XT25 1:25
• OS Maps Explorer OL4, 5, 6, & 7 1:25
• OS Maps LR 90, 96, 97 1:50

Guide books and other sources

• Scrambles in the Lake District – North by Brian Evans. Cicerone.
• Scrambles in the Lake District – South by Brian Evans. Cicerone.

NOTE: The categorisation of GPX files for routes does not quite match up with the GPX files for summits.

The Western Fells Summits

GPX for Western Fells Summits

The Eastern Fells Summits

GPX for the Eastern Fells Summits

The Southern Fells Summits

GPX for the Southern Fells Summits

The Lake District West Country

This area in includes the highest mountain, Scafell, and some of the best known rock and summits. It is horrendously busy but even so quite routes can be found with a bit of imagination and the ability to read to a map. A number of the routes given below include some Grade One scrambles.

Maps include:

• Harvey Maps Lake District XT40 1:40
• Harvey Lake District Outdoor Atlas
• Havey Maps Lake District North & West XT25 1:25
• OS Maps Explorer OL4 & 6 1:25
• OS Maps LR 90 1:50

PDF Route Descriptions in downloadable format

Lake District West PDF Langdale Circular

Lake District West GPX files of routes

Lake District West GPX Langdale Scafell Crinkle Crags Circuit Indicative Only

Lake District West GPX Wasdale Pillar Classic Indicative Only

Lake District West GPX Grassmoor Circuit Indicative Only

Lake District West GPX Robinson Roundabout Indicative Only

Lake District West GPX Onethwaite Roundabout Indicative Only

Lake District West GPX Fleetwith Roundabout Indicative Only

Lake District East Country

Parts of this country are horrendously overcrowded, noisy, and resemble a carnival. Yet at times, even here, quiet corners can be found in the more inaccessible areas. Even the tourist hot spots can be worth a visit if you get the timing right and take a more imaginative route to the heaving summits, from which you can escape quickly.

Maps include:

• Harvey Map Lake District XT40 1:40
• Harvey Lake District Outdoor Atlas 1:40 with some 1:25
• Havey Maps Lake District East & South East XT25 1:25
• OS Explorer 5 & 7 1:25
• OS LR 96 & 97 1:50

PDF Route Descriptions in downloadble format

Lake District East PDF Helvellyn Circular

Lake District East GPX files of routes

Lake District East GPX of Helvellyn Circuit UPDATED

Lake District East GPX Grisedale Forest Roundabout Indicative Only

Lake District East GPX Matterdale Striding Edge Circuit Indicative Only

Lake District East GPX Park Fell Head Circuit Indicative Only

Lake District East GPX High Street Circuit Indicative Only

Lake District East GPX Scandale Fell Circuit Indicative Only

Lake District South Country

Lake District GPX Coniston Roundabout Indicative Only

Lake District Walks with Scrambles (Derived from The Ridges of England Wales and Ireland by Dan Bailey. Cicerone.)

Lake District Blenchartha Circuit with Scramble GPX

Lake District Blencartha Horseshoe Bailey Round with Scramble GPX

Lake District Deepdale Scramble Challenge Indicative Only GPX

Dollywaggon Circuit Bailey Round with Scramble GPX

Harrison Stickle Circuit with Scramble Indicative Only GPX