Bow Fell (Bowfell)
902m (2960ft)
The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9ml (14.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,459ft (1,054m) |
| Time: | 6.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Great Langdale - Old Dungeon Ghyll - The Cumbria Way - Mickleden Beck - Mickleden (Langdale) - Rossett Beck - Rossett Pike - Angle Tarn (Langdale) - Esk Hause - Esk Pike - Ore Gap - Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) - Bow Fell (Bowfell) - Bowfell Buttress - Cambridge Crag - Flat Crag - Climbers' Traverse (optional) - Three Tarns - Earing Crag - White Stones - The Band - Oxendale - Stool End Farm - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Great Langdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9ml (14.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,387ft (1,032m) |
| Time: | 6.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Great Langdale - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Oxendale - Oxendale Beck - Red Tarn (Langdale) - Great Knott - Crinkle - Crags (South Top) - Bad Step - Crinkle Crags (Long Top) - Crinkle Crags (Gunson Knott) - Shelter Crags - Shelter Crags (North Top) - Three Tarns - Climbers' Traverse (optional) - Flat Crag - Cambridge Crag - Bowfell Buttress - Bow Fell (Bowfell) - Three Tarns - Earing Crag - White Stones - The Band - Stool End Farm - Mickleden Beck - Mickleden - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Great Langdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11.25ml (18km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,604ft (1,098m) |
| Time: | 7.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Great Langdale - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Stool End Farm - Oxendale - Oxendale Beck - Browney Gill - Red Tarn (Langdale) - Great Knott - Crinkle Crags (South Top) - Crinkle Crags (Long Top) - Crinkle Crags (Gunson Knott) - Shelter Crags - Shelter Crags (North Top) - Three Tarns - Climbers' Traverse (optional) - Flat Crag - Cambridge Crag - Bowfell Buttress - Bow Fell (Bowfell) - Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) - Ore Gap - Angle Tarn (Langdale) - Rossett Pike - Rossett Beck - Mickleden - Mickleden Beck - The Cumbria Way - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Great Langdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11.75ml (19km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,680ft (1,426m) |
| Time: | 9 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Great Langdale - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Wall End Farm - Redacre Gill - Wrynose Fell - Pike of Blisco (Pike O' Blisco) - Red Tarn (Langdale) - Great Knott - Crinkle Crags (South Top) - Crinkle Crags (Long Top) - Crinkle Crags (Gunson Knott) - Shelter Crags - Shelter Crags (North Top) - Three Tarns - Climbers' Traverse (optional) - Flat Crag - Cambridge Crag - Bowfell Buttress - Bow Fell (Bowfell) - Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) - Ore Gap - Angle Tarn (Langdale) - Rossett Pike - Rossett Beck - Mickleden - Mickleden Beck - The Cumbria Way - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Great Langdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.5ml (20km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,684ft (1,428m) |
| Time: | 9.25hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Great Langdale - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - The Cumbria Way - Mickleden Beck - Mickleden - Rossett Beck - Rossett Pike - Angle Tarn (Langdale) - Esk Hause - Great End - Ill Crag - Broad Crag - Scafell Pike - Esk Hause - Esk Pike - Ore Gap - Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) - Bow Fell (Bowfell) - Bowfell Buttress - Cambridge Crag - Flat Crag - Climbers' Traverse (optional) - Three Tarns - The Band - Oxendale - Stool End Farm - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Great Langdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 14ml (22.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 6,009ft (1,832m) |
| Time: | 9 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Eskdale - Wha House Farm - Hare Crag - Quagrigg Moss - Slight Side - Sca Fell - Symonds Knott - Mickledore - Scafell Pike - Broad Crag - Ill Crag - Great End - Esk Hause - Esk Pike - Ore Gap - Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) - Bow Fell (Bowfell) - Bowfell Buttress - Cambridge Crag - Flat Crag - Climbers' Traverse (optional) - Three Tarns - Great Moss - Brotherikeld - Eskdale
See Bow Fell (Bowfell) and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Bow Fell (Bowfell) and the surrounding tops on our downloadable Peak Bagging Maps in PDF format:
NB: Whether you print off a copy or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers' Maps might prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.
You can find Bow Fell (Bowfell) & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (pink/magenta covers):
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Pete George walked up on October 13th, 2025 [from/via/route] Wasdale Head [with] Roco [weather] Beautiful cloud inversion on Lingmell, cloud rising on Scafell Pike, rest of day in fog
James Hughes climbed it on April 2nd, 2025 [from/via/route] c371 Esk Pike & Bow Fell from Great Langdale [weather] Beautiful clear skies, blustery on tops, warm in valleys & in sheltered spots. - Epic double walk day from Old Dungeon Ghyll including Rosset Pike, Esk Pike, Bow Fell, Cringle Crags, Cold Pike, Pike of Blisco. Helped down 'Bad Step', unorthodox descent of Cold Pike & ascent of Pike of Blisco. Great views of Sca Fell. Awesome Day.
David Peebles bagged it on June 1st, 2024 [from/via/route] Langdale Campsite Carpark [with] Group [weather] Great Weather. Sun & not t cold or windy.
Christine Shepherd hiked it on April 25th, 2009 [from/via/route] Used walk c371 from Langdale to bag Rossett Pike, Esk Pike & Bowfell which I had bagged before in July 1997 but couldn't remember the exact date. Climbed again on 6.10.2021 using the same walk but in reverse & going up via The Climber's Traverse; superb! Climbed for the 4th time on 2.7.22 after climbing Cold Pike & Crinkle Crags with H4TH in Cold cloudy conditions. The sky cleared as we made our descent. On 25.04.23 I walked route c371 again; adding on Great End & descending next to the Great Slab & following the Climbers' Traverse. I decided that prefer going up this way. [with] On my own [weather] Windy & fine to start with. The storms which had been forecast for the afternoon kicked in while I was coming down the band. - I had studied the mountain forecast & made an early start so I could be off the tops before the storms. Some people heading for Scafell were putting their wet weather gear back in the car as they 'couldn't see any clouds'. They chose to ignore my warnings about the forecast. I guess they got wet!
John Tippins summited on October 25th, 2022 [from/via/route] From the Old Dungeon Ghyll [with] Alone [weather] Dry most of the day, even a bit of sunshine. Some light rain around lunchtime, warm by mid-afteroon. Winds much lighter than recently, but also colder, maybe the fact that I was higher. - At least the second time I've walked this peak but I have no record of the previous date(s).
Chris Sheard conquered it on September 28th, 2022 [from/via/route] Up from Stool end via the band [with] George [weather] middling coolish winds lessened with no rain, brightening through the day - Fairly relentless up the band with worn out path up from three tarns. Offed by passing over crinkle crags. Great day but quite tiring due to covid & flue jabs day before i think
Martyn Atherton scaled on March 12th, 2022 [from/via/route] c371 Rosset Pike, Esk Pike & Bowfell From Langdale [with] Self [weather] Wet at first then dry & misty
Tim Winn walked up on August 15th, 2022 [with] Barry [weather] Hot with clouds. One quick shower.
Shirley Philips has climbed it [from/via/route] Great Langdale
Ian Ashton bagged it on November 13th, 2021 [with] Solo
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Heading for The Band from the Three Tarns col between Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell (Bowfell)
*Pike of Blisco (Pike o' Blisco), Crinkle Crags (South Top), Crinkle Crags (Long Top), Gunson Knott, Bow Fell (Bowfell), The Scafell Massif, Great Gable and Pike of Stickle (in the foreground) from Harrison Stickle
Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) and Esk Pike from the shelter on Esk Hause
*Kettle Crag (left), Oxendale, The Band (centre - with Crinkle Crags (Crinkle Crags (South Top), Crinkle Crags (Long Top), & Gunson Knott) (top left) and Bow Fell (Bowfell) (top right), Mickleden and The Langdale Pikes from Side Pike
*Crinkle Crags featuring Crinkle Crags (Long Top), Gunson Knott & Crinkle Crags (South Top) (left), Bow Fell (Bowfell) (centre) and The Langdale Pikes (right) from Great Langdale
*Cinkle Crags, Bow Fell (Bowfell) and the Langdale Pikes from Great Langdale in the early morning
From left to right: Slight Side and Sca Fell, Mickledore, Scafell Pike, Ill Crag and Great End, Esk Hause, Esk Pike, Bow Fell (Bowfell), Crinkle Crags (Long Top), Cold Pike, Little Stand and finally the shoulder of Grey Friar from the summit of Hard Knott
Cambridge Crag and Bowfell Buttress from The Climbers' Traverse below Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Rossett Pike and Black Crags from the top of Great Slab below Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Three Tarns (or two tarns and a puddle) with Shelter Crags, Gunson Knott and Crinkle Crags beyond from Bow Fell (Bowfell)
. . . see all 79 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Bow Fell (Bowfell)
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