Joss Naylor Lakeland Challenge leg three: Dunmail Raise to Sty Head — Lake District National Park

Leg three of the Joss Naylor Challenge is a cracker! Starting out from Dunmail Raise on the A591 and finishing at Sty Head below Great Gable, you’ll run through the central Lake District fells, ascending to High Raise, arguably the best viewpoint in the national park. From here, you’ll tick off the rocky summits at the head of Great Langdale and ascend to Great End. At 2,986 feet (910 m), this is the highest point on the Joss Naylor Challenge, its grand summit is the northern termination of the Scafell range, home to Scafell Pike, England's highest point.

This Tour is a tough 11 miles (17.7 km) with 4,360 feet (1,329 m) of ascent depending on your route choice. Sty Head is the pass at the top of the Borrowdale and Wasdale valleys and isn’t accessible by car, so if you’re planning to run this leg individually, you’ll need to add the extra distance and time to return to the road. It’s an extra 2.2 miles (3.5 km) downhill to either Seathwaite Farm in Borrowdale or Wasdale Head.

Dunmail Raise is easily reached on the 555 bus that runs between Keswick and Windermere. If you’re using public transport, Seathwaite and Borrowdale are easier to reach than Wasdale. You’ll need to run an extra mile-and-a-half down the road from Seathwaite to Seatoller, where you can catch the 77 or 78 bus back to Keswick.

This Tour includes some scree, boggy fell and the craggy summits of Bowfell, Esk Pike and Great End, so you’ll need trail or fell running shoes with good grip and protection. Some sections are quite remote and mountainous, so take spare clothes, waterproofs and emergency kit, as well as food and drink for the duration of your run.

Most of the Tour follows tracks and trails, but these can be hard to follow in poor visibility when you’ll need to take extra care to ensure you stay on the right route.

Grasmere, just south of the start, has good cafés and there’s the famous Grasmere gingerbread shop for stocking up with snacks for your run. If you head to Wasdale after Sty Head, the Wasdale Head Inn offers good food and drinks, as well as accommodation and camping. There’s also camping at Seathwaite Farm or, a little further down the valley, Seatoller Farm has a campsite, shop and tea stop. Otherwise, Keswick isn’t far to the north, with a great selection of food, accommodation and outdoor shops.