Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Illgill Head & Wast Water loop from Wasdale Head — Lake District National Park

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Illgill Head & Wast Water loop from Wasdale Head — Lake District National Park

Hard

4.8

(21)

178

hikers

Illgill Head & Wast Water loop from Wasdale Head — Lake District National Park

05:48

17.0km

700m

Hiking

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: June 6, 2024

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Lake District National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

5.12 km

Illgill Head

Highlight • Viewpoint

Illgill Head is a Wainwright Fell that I've hiked 3 times. Once in beautiful sunshine, once in the dark and most recently in a glorious summer haze. It never disappoints. The walk between Illgill Head and Whin Rigg offers wonderful views down to Wast Water, and I particularly love the view to Great Gable, Kirk Fell and Yewbarrow from here. A great 609m mountain!

Tip by

7.45 km

Whin Rigg

Highlight • Natural Monument

Whin Rigg is a 1,755-foot (537m) fell in the South Western Lake District. It forms part of a stretch of high ground that hugs the south-eastern edge of Wast Water which is the deepest body of water in the Lake District. Walking the full ridge to Illgill Head in both directions is recommended so you can fully appreciate the jutting cliffs that curve in and out from the main ridge. Spectacular!

Tip by

11.9 km

View of the Wasdale Screes

Highlight • Viewpoint

There are many tremendous viewpoints for Wast Water and the famous north west-facing aspect of the Illgill Head and Whin Rigg ridge. This is known as the Screes and it is a familiar sight to anyone who has ever ventured to Wasdale Head.

Tip by

16.6 km

Wasdale Head Inn

Highlight • Pub

The Wasdale Head Inn is known to be the spiritual home of British climbing. From here the first pivotal climbing expeditions into the Lakes crags took place during the 'golden era' of British climbing.

As a walkers inn the pub has a drying room, useful for those soggy expeditions!

Tip by

17.0 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

5.48 km

4.65 km

3.56 km

3.20 km

119 m

Surfaces

5.84 km

5.22 km

3.19 km

2.38 km

260 m

114 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (600 m)

Lowest point (60 m)

Weather

Tuesday 1 September

17°C

13°C

99 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

Want to know more?

This route was planned by komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Report restricted access

Nearby routes

Moderate

4.8

5,128

Buttermere loop

02:03h

7.81km

60m

Hard

4.8

3,795

Striding Edge, Helvellyn & Swirral Edge loop from Glenridding — Lake District National Park

05:10h

13.1km

810m

Hard

4.8

3,985

Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside — Lake District National Park

06:01h

17.7km

890m

Moderate

4.7

3,941

Derwent Water loop from Keswick — Lake District National Park

04:45h

17.3km

260m

Moderate

4.9

1,966

Cat Bells & Derwent Water loop — Lake District National Park

02:27h

7.09km

360m

Moderate

4.9

2,894

Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park Trail

02:16h

6.96km

300m

Hard

4.6

1,140

Scafell Pike loop from Wasdale — Lake District National Park

05:09h

9.14km

940m

Moderate

4.8

1,197

Derwent Water & Walla Crag loop from Keswick — Lake District National Park

02:38h

8.42km

290m

Moderate

4.7

1,154

Scales Tarn & Blencathra loop

03:11h

7.31km

580m

Hard

4.7

855

The Langdale Pikes - Pavey Ark, Thunacar Knott and Pike of Stickle

04:23h

11.7km

730m

Moderate

4.8

1,170

Derwent Water Ferry & Catbells loop from Keswick

04:20h

14.3km

410m

Hard

4.7

1,059

Kentmere Horseshoe

06:22h

18.8km

930m

Illgill Head & Wast Water loop from Wasdale Head — Lake District National Park

Illgill Head

Whin Rigg

View of the Wasdale Screes

Wasdale Head Inn

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️