[1] START From the minor crossroads by the Heaton Cooper art gallery in Grasmere, walk north-west up Easedale Road for 850m, passing YHA on R, and fork R on a permissive track by Oak Lodge. This leads to the Lancrigg hotel. Follow the footpath signs through the woods – once a favourite haunt of William Wordsworth – and pass through a small gate onto Open Access land. Go straight ahead for 80m, then fork R on path with stone steps, with wall on R. Walk uphill to the corner of the wall and turn L on path, which twists around White Crag and climbs to a grassy plateau, before leading north to Helm Crag. The north-western crag, requiring a scramble, is the true summit, and the southern outcrop, prominent in views from Grasmere, is well known as the Lion and the Lamb.

[2] From the top, walk north-west, steeply downhill at first, by following the obvious path for almost 1km, across Bracken House and then over small rocky outcrops to the cairn on Gibson Knott. Continue along the ridge for 2km, skirting Pike of Carrs, and follow the path around low crags to reach the top of Calf Crag.

[3] The right of way continues west towards Greenup Edge, but walk north from the cairn for 150m to pick up the metal posts of an intermittent old fence. This heads north-east and marks the old boundary between Cumberland and Westmorland. An indistinct path follows the fence over marshy ground and swings east, past a couple of small tarns and around the head of the empty valley known as Greenburn Bottom. A broad ridge, now marked with a more recent fence, gradually leads to the cairn on the gently domed summit of Steel Fell, with fine views north towards Thirlmere, east to Fairfield and Helvellyn, and south to Windermere.

[4] Descend south-east from the top and follow the grassy path down the steep but easygoing ridge. Pass a small rocky outcrop and continue down to the wall with a wooden gate. Continue through the next gate, then through a gap in a wall and continue with wall on L. Go through the gate by the first house to join a narrow lane, downhill and past tall trees, for 300m.

[5] Turn R over a bridge along the quiet lane, fork R after 500m and then turn L at next junction to join Easedale Road. Walk back into Grasmere.