Catbells, Maiden Moor, Dale Head and Hindscarth from Lingholm
Five Wainwright summits in one continuous Newlands ridge, from gentle Catbells along the airy skyline to the high point on Dale Head, with the valley falling away on both sides.
Effort: Long day out, serious climb
Underfoot: Technical, navigation required
E4·T4 — how we grade routesNo photos of this route yet. Sign in to add one
Mostly runnable, with some steep sections you'll likely walk.
A 19.6 km Newlands skyline loop from Lingholm linking five Wainwrights: Catbells (451 m), Maiden Moor (576 m), High Spy (653 m), Dale Head (753 m) and Hindscarth (727 m). A sustained fell round high above the valley.
Five Wainwright summits in one continuous Newlands ridge, from gentle Catbells along the airy skyline to the high point on Dale Head, with the valley falling away on both sides.
The route
This 19.6 km horseshoe rings the eastern side of the Newlands valley from the Lingholm estate on Derwentwater's western shore. It is a true Wainwright collector's round, linking five summits along one continuous skyline: Catbells (451 m), Maiden Moor (576 m), High Spy (653 m), Dale Head (753 m) and Hindscarth (727 m). With over 1,000 m of climbing across the tops, treat this as a committing mountain day.
From Lingholm you pick up the Catbells north ridge and take the short rocky climb to its summit, with Derwentwater spread out behind. From here the route stays high, rolling south west along the broad ridge over Maiden Moor and on to High Spy, with the Newlands valley dropping away to the west and Borrowdale to the east.
The high ground
The pull onto Dale Head at 753 m is the high point and the finest summit of the day, its cairn perched right above the plunging head of the valley. The view north along the whole ridge you have just run, back to Catbells with Skiddaw beyond, is the reward for the climb. A short drop and rise then gains Hindscarth, the last of the five, on its northern spur.
The descent
Off Hindscarth the route follows the Scope End ridge down towards the valley floor, steep and stony in places, before easy lower paths carry you back through Newlands to Lingholm. The contrast between the airy ridge and the gentle green return is part of the appeal.
Why it works
It is one of the best ridge rounds in the northern Lakes, banking five Wainwrights in a single flowing skyline. Carry food, water and full kit, and be ready to navigate if cloud rolls in over the tops. Strong runners can extend the line on to Robinson or down into Borrowdale, but even as described it is a full mountain outing that rewards an early start, good legs and a careful eye on the weather.
The high ridge from Catbells over Dale Head is open, exposed and serious in cloud, with steep, stony ground on the Hindscarth and Scope End descent. There is no shelter or water on the tops, and map and compass skills are needed if visibility drops.
Summits on this route
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
Run by us· last checked July 2026
Jason Millward has run this route and written it up from the ground. How we check routes
About the author
Runner reports
Nobody's logged a run here yet. If you get out on it, a few lines about how it went helps the next person plan their day.
More routes in Lake District
MODERATE
VERY HARD
HARD
HARD
VERY HARD