Arguably the best-kept secret is the Stand Crags ridge.
4 Diverge left from Route 2 at the point where the fence meets the wall corner. Follow the wall contouring, then slightly rising, across the shoulder of Stangs. At the point where the wall crosses the ridge and prepares to plummet into the Hogget Gill valley, bear right up the ridge, initially with bracken on your left, and weave up by a crag to top a broken wall and continue on to crest the Stand Crags ridge on grass. Join the fence and cross the head of the Hogget Gill ravine, marvelling in a fabulous view into Dovedale and towards the white-washed Brotherswater Inn. Follow the old fence to the Black Brow fence-junction, and turn right to complete the ascent onto Dove Crag.
Splintered outcrop on the plateau above the Dove Crag buttress
Ascent from Rydal Road 17 off map S
There are two basic lines of approach from here. The principal and most entertaining route climbs via Low Sweden Bridge onto the Low and High Pike ridge. The second and distinctly quieter journey advances up Scandale, with two options at the dale head – to go by Scandale Pass or, slightly more adventurously, High Bakestones.
Via High Pike →8km/5 miles ↑745m/2445ft
5 From the car park, cross the mini-roundabout into Smithy Brow, turning left into Nook Lane. Tarmac continues to Nook Farm. Here go through the gate and cross Low Sweden Bridge. The ensuing track switches up right above the bank then goes left, keeping the wall to the left. Beyond the next gateway the path forks, with a way bearing up left accompanying the ridge-top wall, via ladder-stiles, and negotiating the awkward Sweden Crag ‘bad step’. (This is a very minor challenge in ascent but still some walkers prefer to take an alternative scarp path to the right, joining back on top of High Brock Crags.) The main way leads on through two further gateways before bearing up through High Brock Crags onto the ridge, skirting round some fenced-off boggy ground and climbing by the wall to the summit of Low Pike. From here just follow the wall on, due north, down to the depression, over the ladder-stile and back up again to High Pike. The ridge wall continues north, with the popular path keeping to the east side for shelter from prevailing winds. A lesser path exists on the west side, and this is better on sunny days as the views are just that bit better. The detour to High Bakestones is recommended. A clear path that diverges from the popular east-side path after ½ mile runs along the edge to the landmark cairn. As it approaches the summit, the ridge wall becomes intermittently broken.
Via Scandale →7.2km/4½ miles ↑745m/2445ft
6 Leave the car park to the east, crossing the footbridge to reach Rydal Road and here turn left to the mini-roundabout and right to climb up Smithy Brow past the Golden Rule pub. Bend left on Kirkstone Road and then take the next left, Sweden Bridge Lane. This becomes a walled lane which passes through woodland and forks, after about 2km, with High Sweden Bridge down to the left. Stay with the old valley track as it wanders into an undulating lane, after passing through a gate traversing Scandale Bottom, to reach a sheepfold complex and, beyond, to pass through a gate. At this point you have a choice.
The handsome standard cairn distinguishing High Bakestones
7 Continue for another kilometre up to the Scandale Pass ladder-stile and bear left to follow the path above Scandale Tarn which winds up to High Bakestones (Beckstones). The path continues beyond to meet the ridge wall, where you turn right (north) to reach the bleached outcrop and summit cairn. 8 Alternatively, go through the gap immediately left of the gate, cross the first beck confluence and go up to where a wall and fence meet at the top of the bank above the beck. Keep adjacent and above the beck, rising right with the first feeder-gill. Above the bracken the ridge steepens, and a grooved path winds above the eastern side of the gill and crosses a marsh to join the path from Scandale Tarn. Bear left to gain the distinguished cairn surmounting High Bakestones and rejoin Route 6 to the summit.
Summit cairn
The summit
A relatively small outcrop forms a plinth for the cairn set 25m east of a deteriorating ridge wall. The plateau has a random scattering of stones, while west of the wall the fell is largely grass. In settled weather you might consider visiting the top of Dove Crag itself, where a length of wall to keep out sheep defines the limit of safe exploration.
Safe descents
The ridge wall is key, as any vague wandering to the E will surely end in tears. Either head N to the depression short of Hart Crag, descending Houndshope Cove (1) for Dovedale, or go S 360m to the old fence-junction, religiously following the fence down to Scandale Pass (6) for both Brothers Water via Caiston Glen and Ambleside via Scandale.
Ridge routes
Hart Crag →0.8km/½ mile ↓45m/150ft ↑75m/250ft
Again it is the ridge wall that acts as the guide – descend easily NW to the shallow depression at the head of Houndshope Cove, and clamber to the summit cairn amid an abundance of splintered rock.
High Pike →2km/1¼ mile ↓135m/445ft
Follow the wall S on a gentle grassy, occasionally peaty, path to where the ridge narrows at the summit.
Little Hart Crag →2km/1¼ miles ↓165m/540ft ↑15m/50ft
Follow the wall S for 360 metres, at which point an old fence diverges east. Follow this, descending, to run along the undulating peaty moor above Black Brow and continue direct to the twin-outcrop summit.
8
Fairfield 873m/2864ft
| Start | |
| Climb it from | Deepdale Bridge 23, Dunmail Raise 8, Winterseeds 9, Rydal Mount 15 or Pelter Bridge 16 |
| Character | A flat-topped favourite, its rugged qualities held securely within Deepdale |
| Fell-friendly route | 9 |
| Summit grid ref | NY 359 118 |
| Link it with | Great Rigg, Hart Crag or St Sunday Crag |
Presiding over the southern part of the Near Eastern Fells and separated from the Helvellyn massif by the deep trough of Grisedale, Fairfield is a fine mountain. The popularity of the Fairfield Horseshoe on the south side notwithstanding, the fell reserves its most stunning qualities for its northern slopes. Observers high on St Sunday Crag, or within the secretive depths of Deepdale, are privy to a ferocious gallery of crags each interlaced with runs of scree which stream into the barren dale heads of Link and Cawk Coves.
Most of the fell, however, falls away as rather featureless slopes, so the daily procession on the Horseshoe, knowing little more than these plainer aspects, must value it as a viewpoint, notably the breathtaking view north across the headwall of Grisedale towards Helvellyn.
Of the five natural lines of ascent, the best by far, and the least tested (1), climbs pathless out of Deepdale into Link Cove to mount the Step. The ‘Horseshoe’ ridges rising from the Rothay valley give simple connections from Great Rigg (8-9) and Hart Crag (not described