Great Carrs
785m (2576ft)
The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
Not familiar with this top?
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8ml (12km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,042ft (927m) |
| Time: | 5.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Fell Foot Bridge - Little Langdale - Hollin Crag - Wet Side Edge - Little Carrs - Great Carrs - Swirl How - Swirl Hawse - Keld Gill Head - Black Sails - Red Dell Head Moss - Wetherlam - Wetherlam Edge - Birk Fell - Greenburn Beck - Fell Foot Bridge
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.75ml (14km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,584ft (1,092m) |
| Time: | 6.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Low Tilberthwaite - Above Beck Fells - Hole Rake - Red Gill Head Moss - Steel Edge - Lad Stones - Wetherlam - Red Dell Head Moss - Black Sails - Keld Gill Head - Swirl Hawse - Prison Band - Swirl How - Great Carrs - Little Carrs - Hell Gill Pike - Wet Side Edge - High End - Greenburn Beck - Low Tilberthwaite
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9.5ml (15km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,523ft (1,074m) |
| Time: | 7 hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Walna Scar Road (nr Seathwaite (Duddon Valley) - Long Houses - Brown Pike - Dow Crag - Goat's Hawse - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Swirl Band - Swirl How - Great Carrs - Grey Friar - Seathwaite Tarn - Walna Scar Road.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.75ml (20.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,191ft (1,277m) |
| Time: | 8.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Walna Scar Road - Boo Tarn - Torver Beck - Cove Bridge - Goat's Water - Goat's Hawse - Dow Crag - Goat's Hawse - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Grey Friar - Great Carrs - Swirl How - Prison Band - Keld Gill Head - Black Sails - Wetherlam - Swirl Hawse - Levers Water - Crowberry Haws - Walna Scar Road - Coniston
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The Southern Fells of The Lake District National Park
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*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.
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Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Great Carrs
Richard Fulcher walked up Great Carrs on September 8th, 2025 [from/via/route] Parked near the Three Shires stone & set off up the path that joins up with the Wet Side Edge. We followed that path until it splits into two at the base of Great Carrs. We then headed off & up to Grey Friar. From there we turned around & headed up to Swirl How & back to Great Carrs. From there we descended back down Wet Side Edge & back to the car. [with] Jen [weather] Heavy rain at the start & then a sunny / cloudy day with blustery strong winds. - Great views all around, from Scafell, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, the Langdale Pikes through to the Hellvellyn range & the Old Man of Coniston.
Sarah Gunn climbed Great Carrs on July 27th, 2025 [with] Martin Gunn
John Ramsbottom bagged Great Carrs on September 22nd, 2024 [from/via/route] Dow Cragg, The Old Man of Coniston,Brim Fell,Swirl How, Great Carrs & Grey Friar [with] Lola [weather] Mainly warm & Sunny - Good day with & Lola, went to Wilson Inn Tover, for a quick pint
Clare Tait hiked Great Carrs on August 14th, 2024 [from/via/route] Our no:101 Wainwright. A beautiful day once again. Fantastic views all around including the Scafells. Early start from Wrynose. Managed parking from the start of the path. Found the climb up & down from Wet Stone Edge steep but manageable. Carried on to Swirl How & the memorial. [with] Charlie [weather] Sun 🌞
Tim Winn summited Great Carrs on July 24th, 2024 [from/via/route] Coniston [with] Simon [weather] Sunny & clear.
Neil Heywood conquered Great Carrs on September 6th, 2014 [from/via/route] Torver [with] Logan Heywood
Christine Shepherd scaled Great Carrs on July 31st, 2007 [from/via/route] Using walk c420 from Coniston [with] On my own [weather] Sunny & clear - Bagged this again on a much colder day with my daughter Rebecca on 31.3.08 & on my own again on a sunny Autumn day on 1.10.11. Did the Coniston Seven again on 4.8.23 in wonderful walking weather.
James Hughes walked up Great Carrs on March 27th, 2023 [from/via/route] Walna Scar Road, Brown Pike, Dow Crag, Old Man Coniston, Brim Fell, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar [with] Solo [weather] Clear, sun beginning to have some warmth, but cold on tops. Very boggy descent. - Awesome, if not brutal climb. Completed within 5 hoursish. Pint of Keswick Gold Bitter at Newfield Inn.
John Tippins climbed Great Carrs on October 23rd, 2022 [from/via/route] From Seathwaite (c179) [with] Alone [weather] Very low cloud, continual rain & strong winds almost all day.
Richard Marchant bagged Great Carrs on September 15th, 2022 [from/via/route] Parked at Wrynose Pass & walked straight up to Great Carrs over Little Carrs & then on to Grey Friar & back the same route. [with] On my Own [weather] Clear day with little or no breeze.
Ian Ashton hiked Great Carrs on July 9th, 2022 [from/via/route] Part of seathwaite Round [with] SOLO
Geoff Hand summited Great Carrs on April 20th, 2022 [from/via/route] Walk c179 The Seathwaite Round Pt2 Brim Fell, Swirl How, Great Carrs & Grey Friar [with] Alone with Tess [weather] Another glorious sunny & warm day (ridiculous for this time of year!) - Second part of 2 goes at this walk. upto Seathwaite tarn, on to Goat's Hawse then on to Brim Fell, Swirl How, Great Carrs & Grey Friar. Great day out.
Kevin Foster conquered Great Carrs on September 6th, 2021 [from/via/route] Low Tilberthwaite. [with] By myself. [weather] Cloudy. Summits mostly covered. Good visibility on lower slopes. - An interesting route onto Wetherlam via Steel Edge. The one Wainwright doesn't mention in his books for some reason? Don't know why because it's a cracking way up. Sadly on Prison Band the cloud level was reached & the rest of the walk was view less. Of interest on route was the war memorial & Halifax bomber crash site between Swirl How & Great Carrs. The views opened up again on the descent of wet side edge & the clouds & sunshine poking through made for some great photos. I climbed Great Carrs a few days later (17th) in glorious sunshine. Good visibility & amazing views in contrast to the previous week's visit.
Pete George scaled Great Carrs on July 17th, 2021 [with] Roco [weather] Sunny & Hot
Andrew Flynn walked up Great Carrs on August 10th, 2021 [from/via/route] Coniston. Walk number 19. The Coniston Fells [with] Nicola [weather] Sunny
Neil Bennett climbed Great Carrs on July 23rd, 2021 [from/via/route] Climbed Great Carrs, Swirl How & Grey Friar from the Wrynose Pass. Our starting point was the Three Shires Stone, taking the path up Wet Side Edge & returning via the same route. [with] Pam Bennett, Oliver Bennett, Thomas Bennett. [weather] Hot & Sunny.
Jeremy Torrance bagged Great Carrs on September 25th, 2020 [from/via/route] Jon, Stu, Tim. Poor Ash was poorly. [with] Duncan and Johann
Richard Marshall hiked Great Carrs on June 4th, 2021 [from/via/route] Dow Crag [with] Dave Elsie and Roxy [weather] Cloudy/Sunny warm
Wayne Baxter summited Great Carrs on April 25th, 2021 [from/via/route] From Wrynose pass, park near three shire stone (be early limited parking) Head to wet side edge follow cairns to Great Carrs. Pass the memorial to the Canadians pilots who crashed in the second world war & follow a well defined path to Grey Friar. You can return by bypassing Great Carr back to the parking area. [with] Sue [weather] Sunny
Jill Dean conquered Great Carrs on September 20th, 2020 [from/via/route] Staying in Coniston. Walk was a bit too far! [with] Grez & dexter [weather] Lovely day - Found a few trackables in geocaches
John Fenwick scaled Great Carrs on September 12th, 2020 [from/via/route] Walked from car park bottom of Walna Scar Road, Seathwaite & Duddon Valley. Followed walk c179 but went clockwise by mistake. [with] Romany [weather] Cloudy, super windy up top - Good circular walk. Easy to follow
Stephen Eddy walked up Great Carrs on August 7th, 2020 [from/via/route] Coniston [with] Mike Woodhouse, Tony Harris, Martin Bayliss [weather] cloudy - After the old man
Paul Macey climbed Great Carrs on July 11th, 2020 [from/via/route] Via grey friar [weather] Over caste windy on summit
Andrew Johnson bagged Great Carrs on November 14th, 2019 [from/via/route] Coniston [weather] Some cloud, very windy, snow & ice on tops - Scary descent of Swirl How ridge.
Christina Lander hiked Great Carrs on June 29th, 2019 [from/via/route] Three Shires Stone - Wet Side Edge - Little Carrs - Great Carrs - Grey Friar - Little Carrs - Three Shires Stone [with] Dick & Meg [weather] Warm with sunny spells.
Elaine Evans summited Great Carrs on February 11th, 2019 [from/via/route] From car park at Low Tilberthwaite, via Tilberthwaite Gill & Dry Cove Bottom, then ascent via Wetherlam Edge, continued to Swirl How via Prison Band then on to Great Carrs before descending along West Side Edge & back to car park. [with] Sue and Christine [weather] Very good weather for walking, dry & clear, good visibility. - Oh dear! Scramble up Wetherlam Edge was a bit tricky, made more difficult due to snow underfoot & unclear route to top.......but we did it! Prison Band looked more challenging than it was - a pleasant surprise after Wetherlam Edge!
David Watson conquered Great Carrs on August 29th, 2018 [from/via/route] Coniston [weather] Sunny
Phillip Bulley scaled Great Carrs on September 4th, 2018 [from/via/route] Via Grey Friars. [with] Ruby. [weather] Sunny
Vic Royle walked up Great Carrs on May 26th, 2018 [from/via/route] With Swirl Howe from Irish Cottageville [with] Team Wiggle [weather] T-shirt time until the top - Sick Mink pre peak jitters, Ulverston tapas gin, bank holiday wiggle, bun raid on Greggs was a game of 2 halves. Ulverston ice hunt
John Bryers climbed Great Carrs on May 13th, 2018 [from/via/route] Walna Scar Road [with] Janet Bryers, David, Janine and Freya Gray. With Mya and Jazz [weather] Sunny & warm with a cool breeze on ridges
Caroline Winter bagged Great Carrs on April 11th, 2018 [from/via/route] Wrynose pass, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Swirl How, Black sails, Wetherlam [with] Becky [weather] Cloud lifted & great views late morning/afternoon, breezy on ascent to Hell Gill Pike - Busy up here. Some off to Coniston from Swirl Hawse, we some how missed plane debris on Great Carrs! Lost time on descent of Prison Band & detour off path to Black Sails. Also, after rocky scramble decent.....ended up on the minor track to the mines, & boy was it steep & never ending. We were in dismay at another climb to get back over to Wet Side. Late for booked meal, but fantastic circuit
Graham Coules hiked Great Carrs on April 23rd, 2017 [weather] Perfect
Iain Jones summited Great Carrs on July 29th, 2015 [from/via/route] Great Langdale National Trust Campsite - 27 August 2017 - The Wainwright 60 - Day 7 (Coniston)
Andrew Joss conquered Great Carrs on July 23rd, 2017 [from/via/route] Coniston [with] Barbara [weather] Sunny with a little cloud
Simon Boddy scaled Great Carrs on June 30th, 2017 [from/via/route] Torver [with] HF Holidays [weather] Breezy & cool with low cloud turning warm & sunny later.
Nick Dobson walked up Great Carrs on May 28th, 2017 [from/via/route] the top of Wrynose Pass [with] Margaret & Ralph [weather] Hot & sunny with some cloud hovering on the higher tops - excellent views all round which became hidden due to cloud cover for around 70% of the view. then took the short ridge route I'm cloud to Swirl How.
Chris Sheard climbed Great Carrs on September 4th, 2015 [from/via/route] Ridge from Swirl How [with] George & Arron [weather] Cool on top - Good ridge day
Mark Davidson bagged Great Carrs on June 11th, 2005 [with] Theresa, Ann & Kevin [weather] Lovely & sunny
Charlie Housley hiked Great Carrs on May 21st, 2016 [from/via/route] Parked up at the Three Shire Stone for a circuit of Grey Friar, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Black Sails & Wetherlam. [with] Candy the dog. [weather] Atrocious; horizontal hale, 50mph gusts & low cloud. Challenging.
Colin Millar summited Great Carrs on April 16th, 2016 [from/via/route] Old Man from Coppermines [weather] Fair
Tony Rogerson conquered Great Carrs on May 25th, 2011 [from/via/route] Brown Pike Buck Pike Dow Crag & Old Man [weather] High cloud & sunny spells
Anthony Scott scaled Great Carrs on September 22nd, 2015 [from/via/route] Coppermines Valley [with] me [weather] Sunny, some white cloud & occasional mist, but 14 degrees & almost perfect
Tracey Cowell walked up Great Carrs on September 4th, 2015 [from/via/route] Three shire stones/grey friar/swirl how/ great carrs [with] Solo [weather] Sunny & some cloud
Kevin Parnham climbed Great Carrs on August 21st, 2015 [from/via/route] From Seathwaite via Dow Crag Swirl How [with] Jo and Charlotte [weather] very wet almost all day
Rob Cheshire bagged Great Carrs on August 23rd, 2015 [from/via/route] Starting from Three Shire Stone, horseshoe route including Great Carrs, Swirl Howl, Black Sails & Wetherlam. [with] Solo [weather] Warm & sunny, with a moderate haze.
Wendy John hiked Great Carrs on August 8th, 2015 [from/via/route] Coniston, Brown Pike, Buck Pike, Dow Crags, Great Hawse, Brim Fell, Great Crags [with] Chris Bunce [weather] sunny
David Noble summited Great Carrs on May 23rd, 2015 [from/via/route] Walna Road [with] Chris [weather] Bright sunny day
Leon Harvey conquered Great Carrs on April 5th, 2015 [from/via/route] c179 [with] Solo [weather] Sunny
Andrew Martin scaled Great Carrs on November 22nd, 2014 [from/via/route] coniston
Ann Davis walked up Great Carrs on September 24th, 2014 [from/via/route] dungeon ghyll up wrynose [weather] sunny - stunning day great views of scafell massiv
Dave Eyes climbed Great Carrs on August 22nd, 2014 [from/via/route] From Coniston Village via Wetherlam & Swirl How [with] Christine Eyes [weather] Sunny
Andy James bagged Great Carrs on August 4th, 2014 [from/via/route] C179
Keith Eastman hiked Great Carrs on July 21st, 2014 [from/via/route] c179
Craig Steeland summited Great Carrs on July 15th, 2014 [from/via/route] From Coniston village via Swirl How [with] On my own [weather] Warm & sunny with low wind. Perfect!
Marcus Bradshaw conquered Great Carrs on April 24th, 2014 [from/via/route] Dow Crag , old Man , brim Fell , Swirl How , great Carrs , Grey Friar . [with] marcus [weather] sunny
Michael Vaughn scaled Great Carrs on July 17th, 2013 [from/via/route] coniston [with] alone [weather] clear
Doug Martin walked up Great Carrs on June 4th, 2014 [from/via/route] Low Tilberthwaite - Wetherlam - Swirl How - Greenburn Round [with] Fellwalkers [weather] Fine until coffee break then continuous rain with low cloud until end of walk. - Hard pull up to Wetherlam made the Prison Band to Swirl How seem innocuous.
Steve Frank climbed Great Carrs on April 20th, 2013 [from/via/route] Coniston Fold [with] Jackie Frank
Harry Meijer bagged Great Carrs on June 4th, 2014 [from/via/route] Wetherlam from Little Langdale [with] The Lake District Walker
Clive Ward hiked Great Carrs on April 13th, 2013 [from/via/route] From Tilberthwaite, Grrnburn Beck, Swirl How, Wetherlam, Birk Hawse [with] Hazel [weather] Misty to start then bright. Lots of snow on tops making it hard going. - Difficult descent down Wetherlam Edge
Jan Dixon summited Great Carrs on August 25th, 2013 [from/via/route] Coniston Old Man, Brim Fell [with] Anya Dixon [weather] Sunny & Hot
John Nicholson conquered Great Carrs on October 16th, 2010 [from/via/route] walk c179 The Seathwaite Round from Seathwaite, Duddon Valley
Martin Corbett scaled Great Carrs on June 1st, 2013 [from/via/route] Wetherlam [with] Jemima [weather] Sunny but cool
Dale Verrall walked up Great Carrs on May 4th, 2009 [from/via/route] Coniston [with] Donna Griffin [weather] Very windy
David Lane climbed Great Carrs on August 19th, 2010 [with] Kelly
Iain Taylor bagged Great Carrs on November 8th, 2009 [from/via/route] Coniston (SD 30001 97460)
Darren Mortimer hiked Great Carrs on July 8th, 2012 [from/via/route] Coniston [with] Dermot Palmer [weather] Wet & Misty
Linda Walker summited Great Carrs on May 19th, 2012 [from/via/route] Seathwaite, via Grey Friar & round to Dow Crag - camped at Turner Hall camp site - excellent
Chris Bramley conquered Great Carrs on May 20th, 2012 [from/via/route] Wyrestone pass [with] Janet and neve [weather] Sunny spells - Went wrong on descent from wetheram
Christine Knowles scaled Great Carrs on April 28th, 2010 [from/via/route] Fell Foot Farm, Wmtherlan [with] Graham [weather] Windy
Neil Smith, Stephen Byrne, Dawn Roberts, David Hallam, Katherine Bonner, Patrick Rogozinski, Jenny Godfrey, Clare Houlihan, Tracy Corbett, Wendy Sockett, Michael Austin, Melanie Dunn, David Kelley, Louise Sandwith, Trevor Longman, Jo Dixon, David Shaw, John Walter, David Laws, Claire Rigg, Elaine Grayson, Simon Clark, Stephanie King, David Butterfield, Louis Smith, Jonathan Tobin, Patricia Dilley, Simon Duerden, Colin Egan, Michael Nolan, Paul Booth, Peter Clark, David Hickin, Gordon Lee, Lee Maddison, Linda Mckeogh, Trevor Williams, John Kendall, Libby Burns, John Cuthbert, Matthew Thomas, Les Bennett, Patrick Buckland, David Kelley, John Southward, Stephen Millington, Chris Bede, Rob Barklamb, Andy Nicholls, Paul Warren, Jeanette Coward, Adam Shewry, Ray O'hara, Martin Cowell and Steve Davenport have all walked, climbed & bagged Great Carrs.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Great Carrs
Cold Pike (left) and Pike of Blisco (Pike o' Blisco) from the summit of Great Carrs
. . . see all 32 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of Great Carrs
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