YHA Hopping in the Lake District - YHA Langdale to YHA Coniston Holly How

(S) From the back of YHA Langdale, walk down the quiet road towards Elterwater.

(1) After about 500m take the Public Footpath off to the left of the road, heading across Walthwaite Bottom to the B5343.

(2) Bear left then right to descend the road into the village (indicated Little Langdale on a stone and Elterwater on a metal post). Just opposite the bus-stop you'll find the Britannia Inn. Carry on across the bridge that spans Great Langdale Beck.

(3) On the other side, turn right along a metaled road that runs alongside the river. This is part of the Cumbria Way and should be followed, taking care to go off the road to the right following the Public Footpath sign near some low buildings on the side of the river.

(4) Keep on this path until you reach a footbridge over the river heading to Chapel Stile. Don't cross the bridge but leave the Cumbria Way to take a path that swings left following the river. A short way further, the path bears left to leave the river and head back to the metaled road near Burlington Slate buildings.

(5) At the metaled road, turn right and follow the road to a T-junction. Go straight across to pick up the path that goes towards Banks Quarry at the edge of Baysbrown Wood. The footpath climbs steeply up to the col where a path leads off right to the summit of Lingmoor Fell (Wainwright 469m above sea level).

(6) Go back down to the col and head east following the cairns down Bield Crag into Little Langdale.

(7) Turn right at the bottom and go past The Bield and High Bield farms. Continue on this footpath, above Busk House to reach a tarmacked road (Side Gates Road).

(8) Turn left along the road, keeping the stone wall on the right. Take the dirt track off to the right to go down to the main road away from the cattle-grid, the Wrynose Pass and turn right. Follow this road down to cross over a bridge that spans Bleamoss Beck, then leave the road to the left (Public Footpath sign indicating High Tilberthwaite) to cross the River Brathay at Fell Foot Bridge.

(9) Go through the wooden gate onto a well defined path that heads over the fields to Bridge End that crosses Greenburn Beck. The path climbs gradually out of the valley alongside a dry-stone wall, bending to the right to go around Knott Head.

(10) Bear right at a fork in the track to climb above Atkinson Coppice. The route crosses a number of streams and passes a couple of disused quarries. Go past the waterfall at Knotts and continue south to reach High Tilberthwaite farm.

(11) Turn right to go through the farm then take the footpath left immediately after the farm, heading for Low Tilberthwaite. At a fork in the path bear left to reach Holme Ground farm.

(12) Cross over the road and head straight up hill to reach the cairn on the summit of Holme Fell (Wainwright 317m above sea level).

(13) From the top of the fell, head NE to pick up the path that runs down the other side to Uskdale Gap.

(14) Once in the Harry Guards Wood, at a junction turn right to head south below Ivy Crag and Long Crag. Coming out onto pasture lands, the Yew Tree Tarn can be seen on the left. Keep heading towards some buildings just the other side of a small wood.

(15) The track leads out at YewTree farm. Turn left to walk up to the car park, cross Glen Mary Bridge and take the public footpath off to the right through Lane Head Coppice. This path will take you past some waterfalls before reaching Tarn Hows.

(16) The picturesque tarn is in fact a reservoir, man-made but with a certain eye for esthetics to make the area blend into the landscape. A favourite with day-trippers, you'll probably find that there are plenty of visitors, so once you've taken the standard photo, turn right to go up towards the road but turn right again to go downhill to Lane Head farm. At a junction of paths, turn left to go uphill to a meeting of paths at the road.

(17) Go through the kissing-gate and swing left to reach Tarn Hows Cottage. Keep on downhill through Tarn Hows Wood to reach Yewdale Beck at Low Yewdale.

(18) Don't cross the beck but follow the path alongside for about 100m then branch off to the right to stay parallel to the beck. Keep following the signs for the Cumbria Way to cross Yewdale Beck just before reaching the road at Coniston.

(19) The track comes out onto Shepherds Bridge Lane, so turn right to reach the junction with the main A593. Go straight across (sign-posted YHA Holly Howe) to reach YHA Coniston(E)

Good strong and comfortable boots are essential and waterproofs are always recommended.
Food and water for the journey will be needed but don't leave anything behind apart from your footprints. Don't take anything away with you apart from photos and good memories.

• The YHA is a great institution and I guess most fell walkers have stayed at a hostel at some time in their lives. They were created "to help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside, particularly by providing hostels or other simple accommodation for them on their travels". Here's a collection of routes starting or finishing at a YHA in The Lakes.

• The Britannia Inn. Unfortunately they don't serve beakfast so make sure you had enough at the YHA. Also, they don't open until 11am, by which time you'll be up on the fells. Slates on the other corner do offer a hearty breakfast but they don't open until 10am.