The Wainwright - a guide to the route and record times

The Wainwright is a route made up of the 214 peaks in the Lake District as described in Alfred Wainwright’s seven volume ‘Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells’.

For mountain and ultra-runners it has become one of the greatest challenges in the UK.

The challenge must start and finish at Moot Hall in Keswick but after that, the route taken by each competitor can vary slightly as long as they summit each of the peaks. Most recent attempts have recorded around 320 miles covered with 118,000ft of ascent. This includes summiting England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike.

Wainwright record time

Scafell Pike – England’s highest mountain is one of the peaks facing anyone attempting the Wainwright – Photo by George Bannister on Unsplash

The current record for completing the Wainwright is five days, 12 hours, 42 minutes and 42 seconds and was set in May of 2022 by American John Kelly who took a remarkable 11.5 hours off the previous record held by Sabrina Verjee. In 2019 Verjee had become the first person to go under six days.

The first recorded continuous Wainwright was achieved in 1985 by Alan Heaton in nine days and 16 hours.

In December 2021, James Gibson became the first-ever person to complete a continuous on-foot winter Wainwright in eight days, six hours,43 mins. He became the first person to achieve Wainwright rounds in consecutive seasons in April 2022 in a time of six days and five hours.

Wainwright Peak List

The Wainwright peaks in height order

No.	Mountain	Region	Altitude (ft)
1	Scafell Pike	Southern Fells	3210′
2	Scafell	Southern Fells	3162′
3	Helvellyn	Eastern Fells	3118′
4	Skiddaw	Northern Fells	3053′
5	Great End	Southern Fells	2984′
6	Bowfell	Southern Fells	2960′
7	Great Gable	Western Fells	2949′
8	Pillar	Western Fells	2927′
9	Nethermost Pike	Eastern Fells	2920′
10	Catstyecam	Eastern Fells	2917′
11	Esk Pike	Southern Fells	2903′
12	Raise	Eastern Fells	2889′
13	Fairfield	Eastern Fells	2863′
14	Blencathra	Northern Fells	2847′
15	Skiddaw Little Man	Northern Fells	2837′
16	White Side	Eastern Fells	2832′
17	Crinkle Crags	Southern Fells	2816′
18	Dollywaggon Pike	Eastern Fells	2810′
19	Great Dodd	Eastern Fells	2807′
20	Grasmoor	North Western Fells	2791′
21	Stybarrow Dodd	Eastern Fells	2770′
22	Scoat Fell	Western Fells	2760′
23	St Sunday Crag	Eastern Fells	2756′
24	Eel Crag	North Western Fells	2749′
25	High Street	Far Eastern Fells	2718′
26	Red Pike (Wasdale)	Western Fells	2707′
27	Hart Crag	Eastern Fells	2698′
28	Steeple	Western Fells	2687′
29	Lingmell	Southern Fells	2649′
30	High Stile	Western Fells	2644′
31	High Raise (Far Eastern Fells)	Far Eastern Fells	2634′
32	Coniston Old Man	Southern Fells	2633′
33	Swirl How	Southern Fells	2630′
34	Kirk Fell	Western Fells	2630′
35	Haycock	Western Fells	2618′
36	Brim Fell	Southern Fells	2611′
37	Dove Crag	Eastern Fells	2603′
38	Green Gable	Western Fells	2603′
39	Grisedale Pike	North Western Fells	2593′
40	Watson’s Dodd	Eastern Fells	2584′
41	Rampsgill Head	Far Eastern Fells	2581′
42	Great Carrs	Southern Fells	2575′
43	Allen Crags	Southern Fells	2572′
44	Thornthwaite Crag	Far Eastern Fells	2569′
45	Kidsty Pike	Far Eastern Fells	2560′
46	Glaramara	Southern Fells	2560′
47	Dow Crag	Southern Fells	2555′
48	Red Screes	Eastern Fells	2541′
49	Harter Fell (Far Eastern Fells)	Far Eastern Fells	2539′
50	Grey Friar	Southern Fells	2536′
51	Wandope	North Western Fells	2533′
52	Sail	North Western Fells	2530′
53	Hopegill Head	North Western Fells	2525′
54	Great Rigg	Eastern Fells	2513′
55	Caudale Moor	Far Eastern Fells	2502′
56	Wetherlam	Southern Fells	2502′
57	High Raise (Central Fells)	Central Fells	2500′
58	Slight Side	Southern Fells	2499′
59	Mardale Ill Bell	Far Eastern Fells	2496′
60	Hart Side	Eastern Fells	2481′
61	Red Pike (Buttermere)	Western Fells	2479′
62	Ill Bell	Far Eastern Fells	2476′
63	Dale Head	North Western Fells	2473′
64	High Crag	Western Fells	2443′
65	The Knott	Far Eastern Fells	2423′
66	Carl Side	Northern Fells	2420′
67	Robinson	North Western Fells	2417′
68	Seat Sandal	Eastern Fells	2415′
69	Sergeant Man	Central Fells	2414′
70	Long Side	Northern Fells	2405′
71	Harrison Stickle	Central Fells	2403′
72	Kentmere Pike	Far Eastern Fells	2397′
73	Hindscarth	North Western Fells	2385′
74	Clough Head	Eastern Fells	2381′
75	Ullscarf	Central Fells	2370′
76	Froswick	Far Eastern Fells	2359′
77	Thunacar Knott	Central Fells	2351′
78	Birkhouse Moor	Eastern Fells	2350′
79	Lonscale Fell	Northern Fells	2344′
80	Brandreth	Western Fells	2344′
81	Branstree	Far Eastern Fells	2333′
82	Knott	Northern Fells	2329′
83	Pike o’Stickle	Central Fells	2323′
84	Whiteside	North Western Fells	2317′
85	Yoke	Far Eastern Fells	2309′
86	Bowscale Fell	Northern Fells	2306′
87	Pike o’Blisco	Southern Fells	2304′
88	Pavey Ark	Central Fells	2288′
89	Caw Fell	Western Fells	2288′
90	Grey Knotts	Western Fells	2287′
91	Gray Crag	Far Eastern Fells	2286′
92	Rest Dodd	Far Eastern Fells	2278′
93	Loft Crag	Central Fells	2270′
94	Seatallan	Western Fells	2266′
95	Great Calva	Northern Fells	2265′
96	Cold Pike	Southern Fells	2259′
97	Sheffield Pike	Eastern Fells	2232′
98	Bannerdale Crags	Northern Fells	2230′
99	Ullock Pike	Northern Fells	2230′
100	Wether Hill	Far Eastern Fells	2210′
101	Scar Crags	North Western Fells	2205′
102	Loadpot Hill	Far Eastern Fells	2201′
103	Bakestall	Northern Fells	2189′
104	Tarn Crag (Far Eastern Fells)	Far Eastern Fells	2176′
105	Carrock Fell	Northern Fells	2174′
106	Whiteless Pike	North Western Fells	2159′
107	High Pike (Northern Fells)	Northern Fells	2157′
108	High Pike (Eastern Fells)	Eastern Fells	2155′
109	Place Fell	Far Eastern Fells	2154′
110	High Spy	North Western Fells	2143′
111	Selside Pike	Far Eastern Fells	2142′
112	Harter Fell (Southern Fells)	Southern Fells	2140′
113	Great Sca Fell	Northern Fells	2131′
114	Fleetwith Pike	Western Fells	2126′
115	Base Brown	Western Fells	2120′
116	Middle Dodd	Eastern Fells	2106′
117	Rosset Pike	Southern Fells	2106′
118	Grey Crag	Far Eastern Fells	2093′
119	Little Hart Crag	Eastern Fells	2091′
120	Starling Dodd	Western Fells	2085′
121	Mungrisdale Common	Northern Fells	2068′
122	Yewbarrow	Western Fells	2058′
123	Birks	Eastern Fells	2040′
124	Causey Pike	North Western Fells	2035′
125	Great Borne	Western Fells	2019′
126	Hartsop Dodd	Far Eastern Fells	2018′
127	Heron Pike	Eastern Fells	2003′
128	High Seat	Central Fells	1995′
129	Illgill Head	Southern Fells	1983′
130	Seathwaite Fell	Southern Fells	1970′
131	Bleaberry Fell	Central Fells	1932′
132	Shipman Knotts	Far Eastern Fells	1926′
133	Brae Fell	Northern Fells	1920′
134	Middle Fell	Western Fells	1908′
135	Haystacks	Western Fells	1900′
136	The Nab	Far Eastern Fells	1887′
137	Maiden Moor	North Western Fells	1887′
138	Blake Fell	Western Fells	1878′
139	Sergeant’s Crag	Central Fells	1873′
140	Hartsop above How	Eastern Fells	1870′
141	Outerside	North Western Fells	1863′
142	Ard Crags	North Western Fells	1860′
143	Angletarn Pikes	Far Eastern Fells	1857′
144	Brock Crags	Far Eastern Fells	1842′
145	Steel Fell	Central Fells	1811′
146	Lord’s Seat	North Western Fells	1811′
147	Rosthwaite Fell	Southern Fells	1807′
148	Hard Knott	Southern Fells	1803′
149	Tarn Crag (Central Fells)	Central Fells	1801′
150	Knott Rigg	North Western Fells	1790′
151	Blea Rigg	Central Fells	1776′
152	Lank Rigg	Western Fells	1775′
153	Meal Fell	Northern Fells	1770′
154	Calf Crag	Central Fells	1762′
155	Great Mell Fell	Eastern Fells	1760′
156	Whin Rigg	Southern Fells	1755′
157	Arthur’s Pike	Far Eastern Fells	1747′
158	Great Cockup	Northern Fells	1720′
159	Gavel Fell	Western Fells	1720′
160	Bonscale Pike	Far Eastern Fells	1718′
161	Crag Fell	Western Fells	1710′
162	High Hartsop Dodd	Eastern Fells	1702′
163	Whinlatter	North Western Fells	1696′
164	Sallows	Far Eastern Fells	1691′
165	Souther Fell	Northern Fells	1680′
166	Mellbreak	Western Fells	1676′
167	Broom Fell	North Western Fells	1670′
168	High Tove	Central Fells	1665′
169	Beda Fell	Far Eastern Fells	1664′
170	Hen Comb	Western Fells	1661′
171	Little Mell Fell	Eastern Fells	1657′
172	Low Pike	Eastern Fells	1657′
173	Stone Arthur	Eastern Fells	1652′
174	Eagle Crag	Central Fells	1650′
175	Dodd	Northern Fells	1612′
176	Green Crag	Southern Fells	1602′
177	Wansfell	Far Eastern Fells	1597′
178	Grike	Western Fells	1596′
179	Longlands Fell	Northern Fells	1580′
180	Burnbank Fell	Western Fells	1580′
181	Gowbarrow Fell	Eastern Fells	1579′
182	Armboth Fell	Central Fells	1570′
183	Sour Howes	Far Eastern Fells	1568′
184	Barf	North Western Fells	1536′
185	Lingmoor Fell	Southern Fells	1530′
186	Raven Crag	Central Fells	1520′
187	Great Crag	Central Fells	1500′
188	Barrow	North Western Fells	1494′
189	Cat Bells	North Western Fells	1481′
190	Graystones	North Western Fells	1476′
191	Binsey	Northern Fells	1466′
192	Nab Scar	Eastern Fells	1450′
193	Glenridding Dodd	Eastern Fells	1425′
194	Arnison Crag	Eastern Fells	1424′
195	Steel Knotts	Far Eastern Fells	1414′
196	Buckbarrow	Western Fells	1410′
197	Gibson Knott	Central Fells	1379′
198	Grange Fell	Central Fells	1363′
199	Fellbarrow	Western Fells	1363′
200	Low Fell	Western Fells	1360′
201	Helm Crag	Central Fells	1299′
202	Silver How	Central Fells	1292′
203	Hallin Fell	Far Eastern Fells	1271′
204	Walla Crag	Central Fells	1234′
205	Ling Fell	North Western Fells	1224′
206	Latrigg	Northern Fells	1203′
207	Troutbeck Tongue	Far Eastern Fells	1191′
208	Sale Fell	North Western Fells	1170′
209	High Rigg	Central Fells	1163′
210	Rannerdale Knotts	North Western Fells	1160′
211	Loughrigg Fell	Central Fells	1101′
212	Black Fell	Southern Fells	1056′
213	Holme Fell	Southern Fells	1040′
214	Castle Crag	North Western Fells	985′