Which fell should you climb first in the Lake District?

Catbells. It is short, the path is obvious, and the summit view over Derwentwater is out of all proportion to the effort — the ideal confidence-builder before longer days.

How fit do you need to be for your first fells?

If you can walk for three hours on hilly ground you can manage every route in this guide. Build up over a few days rather than starting with a Scafell Pike attempt.

What kit do you actually need?

Boots with ankle support, full waterproofs, a paper map and compass, food and water. Lakeland weather turns fast and mobile signal is unreliable on the tops.

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Your first fells in the Lake District

By Fiona MacLeod · 8 min read

Six summits to build confidence, in the order we'd walk them.

Six summits to build confidence, in the order we'd walk them. We've walked this one ourselves, and the order below is the one we'd repeat: it keeps the walking sensible, the queues short and the best meal of the day in the right place.

Start where the crowds aren't. the Lake District rewards an early morning more than almost anywhere in Britain — the light is better, the photographs are emptier and you'll have the pick of tables at lunch. May, June and September — long light and fewer school-holiday crowds.

Getting around is the part most people over-plan. Rail to Oxenholme or Windermere; a car helps for the quieter valleys. Once you're there, most of what follows is within a comfortable walk, and where it isn't, we've said so.

Book the two or three things that genuinely sell out, and leave the rest loose. British weather makes a mockery of rigid schedules, so keep one indoor option per day in your back pocket — a museum, a long lunch, a spa hour — and you'll never lose an afternoon.

Finally, spend a little more on one thing and a little less on everything else. A single memorable dinner or a room with the view does more for a trip than three merely fine ones. The places below are the ones reviewers keep coming back to.

Planning the wider trip? Our the Lake District destination guide covers where to stay, eat and spend your days.

Frequently asked questions

Which fell should you climb first in the Lake District?: Catbells. It is short, the path is obvious, and the summit view over Derwentwater is out of all proportion to the effort — the ideal confidence-builder before longer days.
How fit do you need to be for your first fells?: If you can walk for three hours on hilly ground you can manage every route in this guide. Build up over a few days rather than starting with a Scafell Pike attempt.
What kit do you actually need?: Boots with ankle support, full waterproofs, a paper map and compass, food and water. Lakeland weather turns fast and mobile signal is unreliable on the tops.