The Ullswater Skyline

The Ullswater Skyline is a long distance Trail & Fell running loop around Ullswater in the Lake District of roughly 35 miles with 10’000 ft of elevation.

The route essentially follows the horizon ‘skyline’ of fells as viewed from Ullswater and mostly traces the line of watershed by linking up the prominent ridge line of hills - ie the Ullswater catchment area. Inspired by lockdown runs thinking of the Tahoe Rim Trail in America (after watching too many lockdown youtube videos…) it is an obvious ‘line’ to run and makes a tough day out in an iconic area and takes in well known fell tops.

It starts and finishes on Pooley Bridge, in the middle of the bridge and is to be run anti-clockwise.

In brief, the route follows the Ullswater Way from Pooley Bridge to Dockray (via Gowbarrow summit) then heads over the fells of Watermillock Common to Sticks Pass, over other tops including Helvellyn, Fairfield and Red Screes to Kirkstone Pass. From here it goes via other tops to High Street fell and follows the ridgeline of tops back to Pooley Bridge for a faster, hard last 7-8 miles of runnable, terrain back to the middle of the bridge to end the big loop.

We have learnt that similar routes have been done by others in the past and had been called the Ullswater Round, Ullswater Skyline, Ullswater Highway etc. Some options we’ve seen started at the foot of Gowbarrow and finish at Howtown, or from Kirkstone Pass, or Pooley Bridge and generally take in the obvious same main fells, or include extra fells, had been done in both directions etc etc. There is more info about it on the Go Far website too.

One can of course go and do whatever route, and call it anything you like, but our hope is that by setting this page up it helps it become better known and enjoyed, with a formalised and set route and having a leader board to keep records of completions and provide information to help with potential attempts.

It is a GREAT route and we hope many will take it on and have a go at it - we look forward to seeing just how fast it can be done in! We will keep a list of finishers and their times at the bottom of this page.

To make it a level playing field and ensure it is the same for everyone there has to be some rules for an official completion of the route, especially for those quickest boys and girls wishing their times be listed as the official Fastest Known Time for the route. (any potential FKT ‘contenders’ will need to make sure they meet any criteria as set down by the FKT website, plus submit any evidence and apply to have it added to the FKT website themselves)

Rules & Info for an official round of the route, to gain inclusion in our Hall of Fame list of ‘completers’ below;

  • A map of the route is here; Ullswater Skyline Route Map (map may not be centred on the route - move the map to view the North of England & Lake District)

  • A GPX file of the route can be downloaded here.

  • Start / Finish - is from the MIDDLE of the bridge at Pooley Bridge

  • The Ullswater Way MUST be followed to Dockray.

  • High points - most of the fells have a cairn / trig point at the top. You need to touch any summit markers / trigs of the hills listed during your run.

  • Support runners / pacers are allowed, and as in other fell running classic rounds they can carry your gear should you wish.

    Solo or Supported/Unsupported completions will be specified in the Hall of Fame results table.

    The completion will be marked as Supported if you do it as a pair or part of a group when you all stay together or if you are running it at the same time as friends but essentially doing your own thing.

    For eligible Fastest Know Time runs the above points are important, but you will also need to read up on their rules before your attempt to make sure you are eligible should your time be the fastest so far. This is up to the individual challenger to qualify and contact FKT about.

  • Support Points - There are 2 obvious places for people to meet you with extra food & drink etc; in Dockray @ 6.5 miles and at Kirkstone Pass @ 21 miles.

  • Follow the Countryside code, especially the basics such as keeping dogs on a lead during lambing season or in farmland and to make sure to close all gates and take your litter home. The route is on Public Rights of Way, Permissive footpaths & open access land, but in some places on lower ground is adjacent to private fields / land with no access right.

  • Acknowledgement - You need to show us proof of having done the route. This can be via a Strava link to your run, or your Suunto/Garmin record. Basically we will need to see a map of the route you took to confirm you visited the tops or points necessary, the distance recorded and time you took and if you were un-supported or not. Include a landscape photo of yourself on the route that could be included in this webpages imagery. This can either be shared on social media with @freedomracing tagged so we see it, messaged to us via the Freedom Racing facebook page or emailed to tom@freedom-racing.co.uk.

  • TIME - We need the TOTAL TIME you took to do the whole route, ie from the time you left the bridge to the time you got back. To be included in the Hall of Fame completers list this is a compulsory requirement and not fair on others if you are listed for the ‘moving time’ that Strava shows and not the total time!

Hilltops / Points to be visited on the route;

  • Gowbarrow Fell

  • Common Fell

  • Watermillock Common

  • Swineside Knott

  • Birkett Fell (to ensure you follow the path alongside the wall!)

  • Hart Side

  • White Stones

  • Sticks Pass

  • Raise

  • Whiteside

  • Lower Man

  • Helvellyn

  • Nethermost Pike

  • High Crag

  • Dollywagon Pike

  • Grisedale Tarn (possible water re-fill from stream alongside Seat Sandall)

  • Fairfield

  • Hart Crag

  • Dove Crag

  • Red Screes

  • Stony Cove Pike

  • Thornthwaite Beacon

  • High Street

  • Rampsgill Head

  • High Raise

  • Red Crag

  • Wether Hill

  • Loadpot Hill

  • Arthurs Pike

Hall of Fame of Completers, listed in order of finishing times (S = Solo, U = Unsupported, SD = Supported)

6:10:25 - Andy Berry - 28.4.23 - S+U

6:51.23 - Richard Keefe - 21.3.21 - S

7:53.59 - Tom Sutton - 24.8.20 - SD

8:50.33 - Colin Brearley & Matt Wynn - 22.5.21 - SD

9:12:55 - Eugene Cross - 17.5.23 - S+U

9:14:48 - Richard White - 22.4.22 - SD

F - 9:20:32 - Coral Mowbray - 19.4.23 - U

9:24.28 - Danny Judd, David Forsythe & Mike Howard - 20.9.20 - SD

F - 9:37.15 - Elaine Bisson - 1.9.20 - S+U

F - 9:41 - Coral Mowbray - 12.1.24 - SD - 1st WINTER ROUND

10:21:49 - Luke Jackson - 18.1.24 - S + U + WINTER Conditions