Haska Rigg

The walk up Haska Rigg from Kirkby Stephen isn't exactly a scramble, but it'll get your heart going. You're climbing just over 300 metres to reach the summit, which sits at 510m, and the Pennine Way passes right through here - so you're treading properly established routes.

What makes this worthwhile is the payoff. From the top you get proper Pennine views: a roll of moorland stretching in every direction, with Wild Boar Fell dominating to the south. On a clear day the visibility is genuinely excellent. It's one of those peaks where the effort feels justified by the vista, not overblown.

This works best for hill walkers who don't need dramatic scrambles or technical routes. Families with older kids can manage it fine - the path is clear and well-trodden. The whole outing takes a couple of hours at a steady pace, making it ideal as part of a longer Pennine exploration rather than a standalone destination.

Timing matters here. Early morning or late afternoon light transforms the moorland into something genuinely atmospheric. Midday can feel a bit flat. Spring brings the moorland to life, but winter approaches require proper weather checking.

Gillcumber Glamping Pods sits just down the way near Kirkby Stephen - perfect if you want a comfortable base for tackling the local peaks without roughing it. The nearby market town has decent cafes for post-walk refuelling. Nothing fancy, but it does what it needs to.