The classic - Cat Bells fallback for a poor weather walk

STD

Cat Bells [NW]

PREV NEXT

REX May 09, 2026 'Cattle Grid', Cat Bells, Lingholm, Portinscale

Start Point, Map

Distance 8.18 km, Time 2.57 h, Total Ascent 458 m [linear route] Imperial | Metric

REX SAYS: Cat Bells is easy. I said hello to 100 people

Chilly, damp, low clouds/overcast

After a rainy morning we decide to fit in a quick Cat Bells during a break in the weather. Clouds are low today, but Cat Bells should be clear.
We caught the bus to 'Cattle Grid' (see start info), walked a loop and back to Portinscale. However, it wasn't so much Cat Bells as Piccadilly Circus. Although I appreciate the irony of being a person on a fell complaining about the amount of people on a fell, this was a bit much.

Earlier in the day, low clouds over the Skiddaw range from Portinscale

As you can see, even on a grey day, the ascent of Cat Bells can be

more of a procession than a Lakeland hike!

The flipside of the crowding was a rather jocular ambience as people saw the funny side of the British managing a queue even on a mountain.
Rex loves people of course, and said hello to as many as possible

I wander off to the side to catch some views of Rowling End, Causey Pike

and Robinson

The best I can do for a summit pic today - a crowd is spreadeagled all across it

Rex occasionally takes to short periods of descent like this.
We have an amusing video of it on the Catstycam Hike

We take the less popular side route off Cat Bells. Blencathra under low clouds

Rex with Derwent Water and Keswick behind

Walking back to Portinscale through

Lingholm woods

Start: Cat Bells (Cattle Grid)

1) Walk from Keswick or Portinscale, through Lingholm woods
2) "Honister rambler" bus from Keswick or Portinscale. Alight at "Cat Bells Cattle Grid" [Grid Ref: NY 24749 21230] [GPS 54.580650, -3.165770] View on map
3) Take the Keswick Launch to Hawes End Landing Stage
4) Park at and walk from Lingholm [Grid Ref: NY 25165 22357] [GPS 54.590838, -3.159623] View on map. Otherwise very limited car parking at Gutherscale [Grid Ref: NY 24552 21104] [GPS 54.579488, -3.168788] View on map and a couple of small pull ins along the E side of Cat Bells

Route

'Cattle Grid', Cat Bells, Lingholm, Portinscale
Distance 8.18 km, Time 2.57 h, Total Ascent 458 m [linear route]
Wainwright Pictorial Guide: The North Western Fells

Fells

Cat Bells 451 m

Back to top

Please do your own research to verify current routes and information on car parking, bus services and so on

Route maps from Ordnance Survey are scaled 1:25000 unless otherwise indicated.
Distance, Hike Time and Total Ascent as supplied by OS. Image shows planned route.
Distance 8.18 km, Time 2.57 h, Total Ascent 458 m [linear route]

You are viewing in HD mode with full size images. To switch to STD mode, click here