Rampsgill Head (summit)

The walk up Rampsgill Head is proper fell country - nothing fancy, just honest Lakeland climbing. You're looking at roughly 2,400 feet of ascent from the valley floor near Penrith, which sounds grim on paper but the route from Glenridding spreads it out reasonably. Allow four to five hours for a circuit, depending on fitness and how often you stop to catch your breath.

What you get at the top is what you came for: unobstructed views across the Helvellyn range and down into Red Tarn, with the northern lakes spreading out to your right. On a clear day - and there aren't many - you can see as far as the Pennines. The summit itself is no tidy cairn; it's a windswept bit of stony ridge with the sort of exposure that reminds you why you're bothering with proper walking boots.

This is walker terrain, not a casual stroll. Families with older kids who've done fell walks before will manage it fine. Young children will find two hours of climbing tedious. The path is well-trodden but steep and rocky in places, particularly the final push to the ridge.

Glenridding car park is your starting point, and it gets rammed on weekends. Go early or go midweek. The whole circuit works perfectly as part of a longer Helvellyn ridge day if you're feeling ambitious. Both Crossgate Luxury Glamping and Sykeside Camping Park are close enough to make this a natural choice from either base - two and a half miles at most.