What is the best Wainwright ridge walk for a first horseshoe?

The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside. WalkLakes gives 16.4 km and 1,080 m of ascent over eight Wainwrights, mostly on clear paths, and the 555 bus stops in Ambleside. Take a compass, because the top of Fairfield is confusing in mist.

How many Wainwrights are on the Kentmere Horseshoe?

Eight, according to WalkLakes, whose round from Kentmere village is 20.7 km with 1,085 m of ascent. The only escape in bad weather is at Nan Bield Pass, where you can drop south into the upper Kent valley.

Is there an easy Wainwright ridge walk?

Longside Edge above Bassenthwaite Lake. The WalkLakes round over Ullock Pike, Long Side and Carl Side is 10 km with 700 m of climbing, and its minor scrambling is entirely avoidable. The ridge from Catbells to High Spy is broad and easy to follow too.

Can I do a Wainwright ridge walk by bus?

Yes. The Fairfield Horseshoe starts in Ambleside on the 555 route, the Coledale Horseshoe starts in Braithwaite on the X5 and 77 routes, and you can walk the Newlands ridge one way from Hawse End to Grange and catch the 78 back to Keswick.

The best Wainwright ridge walks and horseshoes

The best Wainwright ridge walks are the horseshoes: rounds that climb one arm of a valley, follow the skyline around its head and come down the other side. The Fairfield Horseshoe above Ambleside, the Kentmere Horseshoe, the Coledale Horseshoe above Braithwaite, the Newlands round and the Mosedale Horseshoe from Wasdale Head each bag a handful of fells in a day. Shorter ridges, such as Longside Edge above Bassenthwaite Lake and the High Stile ridge above Buttermere, give you a skyline walk in half a day.

The fells below make up the Ridge Walk collection in the Upfell app.

Wainwrights on the best ridges

Wainwrights on the best ridges
Rank	Fell	Height	Area	Difficulty
3	HelvellynEastern Fells	950 m	Eastern Fells	Difficult
4	SkiddawNorthern Fells	931 m	Northern Fells	Moderate
6	BowfellSouthern Fells	903 m	Southern Fells	Difficult
9	Nethermost PikeEastern Fells	891 m	Eastern Fells	Moderate
12	RaiseEastern Fells	883 m	Eastern Fells	Moderate
13	FairfieldEastern Fells	873 m	Eastern Fells	Moderate
14	BlencathraNorthern Fells	868 m	Northern Fells	Difficult
16	White SideEastern Fells	863 m	Eastern Fells	Moderate
=17	Crinkle Crags (Long Top)Southern Fells	859 m	Southern Fells	Difficult
=22	Saint Sunday CragEastern Fells	841 m	Eastern Fells	Moderate
27	Hart CragEastern Fells	822 m	Eastern Fells	Moderate
30	High StileWestern Fells	806 m	Western Fells	Difficult
=31	Kirk FellWestern Fells	802 m	Western Fells	Difficult
=31	Swirl HowSouthern Fells	802 m	Southern Fells	Moderate
=38	Rampsgill HeadFar Eastern Fells	792 m	Far Eastern Fells	Easy
40	Grisedale PikeNorth Western Fells	791 m	North Western Fells	Difficult
41	Watson's DoddEastern Fells	789 m	Eastern Fells	Moderate
=42	Allen CragsSouthern Fells	785 m	Southern Fells	Difficult
=42	Great CarrsSouthern Fells	785 m	Southern Fells	Moderate
44	Thornthwaite CragFar Eastern Fells	784 m	Far Eastern Fells	Moderate
45	GlaramaraSouthern Fells	783 m	Southern Fells	Difficult
47	Harter Fell [Mardale]Far Eastern Fells	779 m	Far Eastern Fells	Moderate
49	Red ScreesEastern Fells	776 m	Eastern Fells	Moderate
53	Hopegill HeadNorth Western Fells	770 m	North Western Fells	Moderate
=55	Caudale Moor (Stony Cove Pike)Far Eastern Fells	763 m	Far Eastern Fells	Moderate
60	Ill BellFar Eastern Fells	757 m	Far Eastern Fells	Moderate
62	Red Pike [Buttermere]Western Fells	755 m	Western Fells	Difficult
=67	RobinsonNorth Western Fells	737 m	North Western Fells	Moderate
71	Long SideNorthern Fells	734 m	Northern Fells	Moderate
73	HindscarthNorth Western Fells	727 m	North Western Fells	Moderate
77	FroswickFar Eastern Fells	720 m	Far Eastern Fells	Moderate
84	Whiteside (west top)North Western Fells	707 m	North Western Fells	Moderate
85	YokeFar Eastern Fells	706 m	Far Eastern Fells	Moderate
90	Gray CragFar Eastern Fells	699 m	Far Eastern Fells	Moderate
=91	Caw FellWestern Fells	697 m	Western Fells	Moderate
=95	Ullock PikeNorthern Fells	690 m	Northern Fells	Moderate
97	Bannerdale CragsNorthern Fells	683 m	Northern Fells	Moderate
=100	BakestallNorthern Fells	673 m	Northern Fells	Moderate
=100	Wether HillFar Eastern Fells	673 m	Far Eastern Fells	Easy
106	Whiteless PikeNorth Western Fells	660 m	North Western Fells	Moderate
110	Selside PikeFar Eastern Fells	655 m	Far Eastern Fells	Easy
113	High SpyNorth Western Fells	653 m	North Western Fells	Moderate
=119	Causey PikeNorth Western Fells	637 m	North Western Fells	Moderate
123	YewbarrowWestern Fells	627 m	Western Fells	Difficult
132	Bleaberry FellCentral Fells	590 m	Central Fells	Moderate
=136	Hartsop above HowEastern Fells	581 m	Eastern Fells	Easy
140	Blake FellWestern Fells	573 m	Western Fells	Moderate
142	OutersideNorth Western Fells	568 m	North Western Fells	Moderate
163	Souther FellNorthern Fells	522 m	Northern Fells	Easy
166	SallowsFar Eastern Fells	516 m	Far Eastern Fells	Easy
174	Stone ArthurEastern Fells	504 m	Eastern Fells	Easy
178	Wansfell (Baystones)Far Eastern Fells	487 m	Far Eastern Fells	Easy
=179	Sour HowesFar Eastern Fells	483 m	Far Eastern Fells	Easy
=182	Burnbank FellWestern Fells	475 m	Western Fells	Easy
184	Lingmoor FellSouthern Fells	470 m	Southern Fells	Easy
187	BarrowNorth Western Fells	455 m	North Western Fells	Easy
189	CatbellsNorth Western Fells	451 m	North Western Fells	Easy
195	Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa)Far Eastern Fells	432 m	Far Eastern Fells	Easy
198	Gibson KnottCentral Fells	420 m	Central Fells	Easy
201	Helm CragCentral Fells	405 m	Central Fells	Moderate
207	Troutbeck TongueFar Eastern Fells	364 m	Far Eastern Fells	Moderate
209	High RiggCentral Fells	357 m	Central Fells	Moderate

The five great horseshoes

Fairfield Horseshoe

The classic first horseshoe. It starts from the Rydal Road car park in Ambleside, goes up Nab Scar above Rydal and over Heron Pike and Great Rigg to Fairfield. It comes back over Hart Crag, Dove Crag, High Pike and Low Pike, following a stone wall for much of the way. WalkLakes gives 16.4 km and 1,080 m of ascent over eight Wainwrights. The top of Fairfield is confusing in mist, and WalkLakes says you will need a compass bearing to leave it in the right direction. The full route is in the Fairfield Horseshoe guide.

Kentmere Horseshoe

A long round of the Far Eastern Fells. From Kentmere village the WalkLakes round is 20.7 km with 1,085 m of ascent, and it takes in eight Wainwrights, including Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag and Harter Fell. Thornthwaite Beacon, the summit cairn on Thornthwaite Crag, is a stone column about 4.3 m high and the obvious lunch stop. Parking in Kentmere is a spot for fewer than six cars beside the village hall, so get there early. The only escape in bad weather is at Nan Bield Pass. See the Kentmere Horseshoe guide.

Coledale Horseshoe

From Braithwaite, the full round goes over Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Crag Hill, Sail and Outerside, 15 km with 1,178 m of ascent. Hopegill Head's summit is a small rocky point on the edge of Hobcarton Crag, so stay on the main path where the crags turn sheer. The Coledale Horseshoe guide has the details.

Newlands Horseshoe

The Newlands fells ring the valley west of Derwentwater. The half horseshoe from Hawse End goes over Catbells and Maiden Moor to High Spy, then drops to Dalehead Tarn and comes back down beside Newlands Beck, 16 km with 750 m of ascent. On the other side of the valley, WalkLakes' Scope horseshoe from Little Town climbs Robinson and comes down the narrow, knotted ridge of Hindscarth, 11.3 km with 795 m. The full round links the two over Dale Head; see the Newlands Horseshoe guide.

Mosedale Horseshoe

The wildest of the five, from Wasdale Head around the valley of Mosedale. It goes over Yewbarrow, Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Pillar and Kirk Fell. It is rough and long. On Red Pike the path from Dore Head runs close to the Mosedale crags, and the screes at Dore Head and Wind Gap are escape routes of last resort. Yewbarrow's ends are Grade 1 scrambles, with a side path round the crags. The Mosedale Horseshoe guide covers the route and the escapes.

On the horseshoes

Shorter ridges for half a day

Longside Edge climbs from the A591 above Bassenthwaite Lake. The WalkLakes round from the Old Sawmill tearoom goes over Ullock Pike, Long Side and Carl Side, 10 km with 700 m of climbing. WalkLakes calls it a relatively easy high ridge walk, and the minor scrambling is entirely avoidable. You can carry on to Skiddaw from Carlside Col.

The Buttermere Edge takes in Red Pike, High Stile and High Crag above Buttermere village, 13.5 km with 945 m of ascent. There is a short section of steep, loose scree at each end, and crags fall away close to the path, so in mist follow the old fence posts rather than the edge.

Bannerdale Crags has a curving line of crags almost a mile long above Mungrisdale. The spur that climbs to the summit from the Glenderamackin is a gentle scramble, and the best line on the fell. Swirl How is where the Coniston ridges meet. The stony ridge of Prison Band climbs to it from Swirl Hawse, and you can go on over Great Carrs or back along the main ridge.

On the Helvellyn range, the main ridge runs from Raise over White Side and Helvellyn to Nethermost Pike. In the Far East, the ridge from Kentmere and Troutbeck continues north along the line of the Roman road of High Street. If you want the ridge with your hands on rock, Wainwright scrambles covers Striding Edge, Sharp Edge and Hall's Fell.

Walking a ridge well

A ridge is the most exposed place on a fell. The whole east ridge of Grisedale Pike takes the full force of a westerly, and on a narrow crest a strong gust can knock you off balance. Check the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) forecast for wind speed on the tops as well as rain.

Before you start, know where you can get off. The Kentmere Horseshoe has one escape, at Nan Bield. On the Mosedale round the escapes are steep screes. Tell your group in advance where you will turn back if the weather changes.

Broad tops are where people go wrong. WalkLakes calls Fairfield a confusing place, where you need a compass bearing to leave the top in the right direction in mist. Take a bearing before you leave any summit you are not sure of.

Horseshoes that start in a town can be walked on the bus. The 555 serves Ambleside for Fairfield, and the X5 and 77 serve Braithwaite for Coledale. The Wainwrights by bus guide has more.

For the ridges that need a clear day, see Wainwrights to avoid in bad weather. If you are after rounds with fewer people on them, the quiet Wainwrights guide covers the outlying ridges back o' Skiddaw and above Haweswater. The town guides for Ambleside, Braithwaite, Buttermere, Wasdale and Windermere have parking and buses for each start.