The Skiddaw Group

The hills rising north of Keswick and the river Greta form a close-knit group entirely separated from the rest of the district. The character of the hills is a little different too. The fells here are formed of slate and are typically vast, rounded bulks with grassy slopes and few crags. There are no villages, hamlets, farms or roads within the group; just a single, isolated building now functioning as Skiddaw House youth hostel.

Skiddaw House sits at the centre of the group and has valleys radiating from it to the south, northwest and northeast. These valleys serve to divide the Northern Fells into three sub-groups. The southwestern group is the Skiddaw massif; rising to 3053 ft Skiddaw itself is England's fourth highest mountain. It dominates Keswick and pretty nearly all views along Borrowdale. Although Skiddaw is really just one big mountain it has many outliers and Wainwright - who is the definitive reference source in these situations - recognises nine separate fells altogether, including the delightful Latrigg which sits immediately north of Keswick. Skiddaw is one of Britain's easiest 3000ft mountains to climb.

Gallery Index

	Lonscale Fell and Glenderaterra Valley (25 May 1997) The relatively unknown valley between Skiddaw and Blencathra
	Latrigg, April 2003 A short walk across Keswick's local fell.

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