The day on the hill
A fine day on St Agnes Beacon: dry, with light winds and clear tops for most of the day.
Wind
On the summit expect light winds of up to 10 mph, mainly north-westerly, with gusts of 5–15 mph at the windiest.
Cloud and visibility
The tops are likely to stay mostly clear of cloud, though brief patches cannot be ruled out.
Rain and ground
It should stay dry.
Warmth and kit
On the tops it will be around 4 to 8°C, feeling like 2 to 6°C in the wind. It turns milder through the day. The freezing level is above the summits. Take a warm layer and a hat for the top.
Daylight
Sunset is around 4:50pm, so allow time to get off the hill before dark, and carry a head torch.
Sunshine context Model-grid estimate, not summit sunshine
The surrounding model grid indicates 7.7 h of sunshine. This is not a forecast of time in sunshine on the summit. Use the cloud and views outlook above for the conditions on this mountain.
- Early
- 2 h
- Midday
- 4 h
- Later
- 0 h
Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaGood conditions for exposed scrambling. Good80 View detailsHide details
Full climbing & scrambling outlook
Good conditions for exposed scrambling. The rock should be drying, but damp patches, shaded holds and drainage lines may still be wet. The rock around the summit is mostly mudstone or slate, a soft, fine-grained rock that splits into thin flakes. It has only fair grip even when dry and is slippery when wet. It is often shattered, breaking into loose flakes, scree and poor holds. These are general notes for each rock type, taken from geological maps around the summit, so the rock on your line may differ.
Mudstone or slate is a soft, fine-grained rock that splits into thin flakes. It has only fair grip even when dry and is slippery when wet. It is often shattered, breaking into loose flakes, scree and poor holds. These are general notes for each rock type, from geological map samples at and around the summit. The rock on your line can differ, and lichen, vegetation and seepage all change how it feels underfoot.
Geological detail and BGS records
2 rock types appear in the mapped samples
Samples around the summit inform the main rock-response profile, with the summit pin shown separately where it differs. Route samples add further context, but this is not a continuous geological survey.
Mudstone or slate is a soft, fine-grained rock that splits into thin flakes. It has only fair grip even when dry and is slippery when wet. It is often shattered, breaking into loose flakes, scree and poor holds.
BGS recordLoose deposits is gravel, sand and clay rather than solid rock. It gives poor footing and turns muddy and slippery when wet. It moves underfoot and offers no reliable holds.
BGS recordGeneric exposed scrambling terrain; BGS summit-area bedrock samples are included where available, but route grade, exact rock, polish, drainage and escape options remain unresolved. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling forecast.
Did this match your experience?Tell us about the rock surface and wind to help improve this beta forecast.Give feedback
Overnight · Aurora, stars & meteorsAfter darkBetaNight-sky guidance is unavailable for this night. View forecastClose forecast
After dark: aurora and stargazing
Night-sky guidance is unavailable for this night. This does not mean clear skies or no aurora.
Explore the dedicated aurora forecast, meteor shower forecast or dark-sky and astrophotography forecast.
Recommended kit for this dayWeather-aware packing prompts, plus your core hillwalking kitView kit
For a day hillwalk, not a complete route-specific checklist. Carry navigation and backup you can use, warm and waterproof layers, suitable footwear, food and water, a headtorch, emergency shelter, first aid and a way to call for help. Snow, ice, technical terrain and overnight trips need additional equipment and skills.
Does the weather shape your plans?Optional hill-user research. One answer helps; further questions are up to you.Take part
Help the Mountain Decisions Project understand how forecasts influence hill days, including when plans stay the same. Findings will be shared publicly as summaries, not individual responses.
This is about St Agnes Beacon on Friday 6 November 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.
Open the questions to take part.
About the research and your privacy · Already been out? Share that experience instead

