The hardest hikes in the United Kingdom, by the numbers
Of the 525 trails in the United Kingdom in our dataset, 50 (10 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; these are the 25 with the highest rating.
Mortimer Trail leads with 3,881 ft of gain over 28.2 miles, 138 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 17 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 1,715 to 5,211 ft and distance from 9.3 miles to 28.8 miles; the median gain is 2,828 ft and the median distance 18.5 miles.
14 of the 25 are out-and-back routes; the rest are point-to-point (8) or loop (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mortimer Trail | 28.2 | 3,881 | 138 | 17% | 270 to 1,184 | 467.9 | |
| 2 | Worcestershire Way | 28.8 | 3,345 | 116 | 26% | 68 to 1,128 | 438.9 | |
| 3 | South Glen Shiel Ridge | 16 | 5,211 | 326 | 41% | 123 to 3,234 | 408.4 | |
| 4 | Three Peaks WalkYorkshire Dales NP | 18.9 | 4,323 | 229 | 32% | 750 to 2,364 | 404.2 | |
| 5 | Cape Wrath Trail (Bendronaig → Craig → Kinlochewe) | 20.4 | 3,527 | 173 | 26% | 103 to 1,994 | 379.3 | |
| 6 | Cape Wrath Trail (Letterewe - Carnmore - Larachantivore) | 20.9 | 3,120 | 149 | 31% | 42 to 1,760 | 361.1 | |
| 7 | Rum Cuillin traverse | 13 | 4,820 | 371 | 60% | 30 to 2,505 | 354 | |
| 8 | Cape Wrath Trail (Morvich → Bendronaig) | 18.1 | 3,379 | 187 | 28% | 40 to 1,708 | 349.7 | |
| 9 | Mamores Trail | 11.5 | 4,966 | 432 | 55% | 186 to 3,477 | 338 | |
| 10 | Three Castles Walk (Monmouthshire) | 18.5 | 2,828 | 153 | 28% | 144 to 1,251 | 323.5 | |
| 11 | Two Castles Trail | 23.4 | 2,148 | 92 | 16% | 164 to 1,172 | 317.1 | |
| 12 | Great Trossachs PathLoch Lomond and The Trossachs NP | 28.7 | 1,742 | 61 | 22% | 26 to 854 | 316.2 | |
| 13 | North Wales Pilgrim's Way | 26.6 | 1,775 | 67 | 17% | 40 to 924 | 307.3 | |
| 14 | Heart of Wales Line Trail | 20 | 2,352 | 118 | 25% | 390 to 1,389 | 306.7 | |
| 15 | Pennine Way (Hawes to Tan Hill)Yorkshire Dales NP | 16.1 | 2,762 | 172 | 18% | 737 to 2,326 | 298.2 | |
| 16 | The Ullswater WayLake District NP | 20.5 | 2,120 | 103 | 29% | 478 to 1,551 | 294.8 | |
| 17 | Berwickshire Coastal Path | 23.8 | 1,825 | 77 | 17% | 10 to 690 | 294.7 | |
| 18 | Gordano Round | 25.2 | 1,715 | 68 | 15% | 18 to 506 | 294 | |
| 19 | Nant Peris to Llyn Ogwen RouteEryri NP | 9.3 | 4,571 | 492 | 76% | 759 to 3,255 | 291.6 | |
| 20 | Cleveland WayNorth York Moors NP | 16.3 | 2,394 | 147 | 21% | 9 to 1,004 | 279.4 | |
| 21 | Sgurr na Ciche Trail | 10.6 | 3,504 | 331 | 55% | 256 to 3,192 | 272.6 | |
| 22 | Cape-Wrath-Trail (Carnach → Inverie → Barisdale) | 11.1 | 3,050 | 275 | 30% | 49 to 1,796 | 260.2 | |
| 23 | Pennine Way (Tan Hill to Middleton in Teesdale) | 16.3 | 2,074 | 127 | 14% | 719 to 1,720 | 260 | |
| 24 | South West Coast Path (Section 3: Lynmouth to Combe Martin) | 13.2 | 2,526 | 191 | 28% | 16 to 1,037 | 258.2 | |
| 25 | Pennine Way (Malham to Horton in Ribblesdale)Yorkshire Dales NP | 14.5 | 2,295 | 158 | 37% | 648 to 2,269 | 258 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "the United Kingdom" here means the 525 trails in the United Kingdom in our dataset, not every trail in the United Kingdom.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Mortimer Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.