Combe Head

The walk up Combe Head from Ambleside is honestly a bit of a slog, but the effort pays off properly. You're looking at a straightforward fell ascent starting from the valley floor - the path winds through woodland before opening out onto moorland where the gradient really bites. Once you're up there, the views across the Lake District are genuinely excellent. You can see right down into Great Langdale, which is where most of the nearby campsites cluster anyway.

It's not a technical climb. Anyone with reasonable fitness will manage it in under two hours, though allow longer if you want to potter about at the summit. The path can be boggy after rain, so waterproofs aren't optional. Real walkers will appreciate the quiet here - it's not Helvellyn, so you won't be queuing. Families with older kids (say, ten and up) will find it doable, though younger ones might struggle with the relentless uphill.

If you're staying at Great Langdale Campsite or BaysBrown Farm, Combe Head makes a decent day out without requiring a car journey. The fell connects into a broader network of peaks if you fancy linking walks together. Go midweek in shoulder season - spring or autumn - and you'll have the place largely to yourself. Summer weekends can be busy, though nothing like the honeypot peaks. The weather up here changes fast, so check conditions before you head out and don't be stubborn about turning back if it closes in.