From the lay-by on the left-hand side of the road (having travelled up from the from Sabden direction), cross the road and take any of the two main paths directly opposite, which converge after the initial short climb. Both paths go past information boards about Pendleton Common and the Rights of Way and footpaths on it. The path is fairly flat at the start, before rising upwards along the clearly defined path up to the first visible horizon. A short way along this path, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent can be seen in the distance to the left of Mearley Moor (the hill over the valley to the left, which forms the return path). On reaching the first summit (Apronfull Hill), Churn Clough Reservoir can be seen over to the right of the path.

The path flattens for a short time before rising up to the next horizon, where the path then goes down into a small dip before rising up onto the next horizon about fifty yards ahead. To the left now the vast expanse of Mearley Moor starts to open up. The path now flattens and starts to very slightly descend heading for Ogden Clough, which is the large sweeping valley ahead. To the right, the valley is much wider and heads down towards Ogden Clough Reservoir, whilst to the left the valley narrows and heads round towards the summit of Pendle Hill.

As the path approaches the valley, the direction of the triangulation point on the top of Pendle Hill is straight ahead, and the path used in this walk to reach the summit can be seen on the far horizon coming in from the left and heading over the it. Before reaching the valley itself, the path begins to bend around to the left and heads up the narrowing valley keeping initially about eighty feet above the stream. Whilst the steam gradually rises all the way up the valley, the footpath remains fairly flat, thereby getting closer and closer to the stream. The further up the valley the footpath goes the narrower it gets, but it is still very well defined. After a few hundred yards, the footpath to be followed can be seen up on the hill in the distance to the right, heading directly away from the stream.

The path continues on for about three-quarters of a mile. When the path is approximately ten yards from the stream and at the same level, a small tumbled down wall, of about two feet in height appears between the path and the stream. Continue past this, and about fifty yards further on there is an old stone gatepost, three feet in height, from where the footpath to be taken can now be seen a little further on, on the other side of the stream. Twenty yards past this, the footpath meets the stream, where it continues on the left-hand side of the stream for a further twenty yards, before crossing the stream just prior to another tumbled down wall, which appears and runs alongside the stream.

Upon crossing the stream the footpath is not so well defined but goes directly away from the stream for about twenty yards before it meets the man-made path. This path now from here runs up to within one hundred yards of the triangulation point, and is very well constructed of stone flags. Whilst protecting against erosion and keeping off the boggy ground on this section of the hill, if there is low cloud or mist, they provide an excellent navigational aid to the top. The path rises slowly from here up towards the summit. Over to the left, the return footpath follows the line of the horizon.

When the flags finish the triangulation point is visible about one hundred yards ahead. If visibility is poor, following a straight line along the final flags, will take you about twenty yards to the right of the triangulation point. From here there are excellent panoramic views. Longridge and Beacon Fells are now in full view, with Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent clearly visible to the north. Off the side of Pendle Hill, Upper and Lower Black Moss Reservoirs can be seen to the left of Barley, and Lower Ogden Reservoir to the right of Barley.

Continue past the triangulation point and continue along the footpath heading for the gate in directly ahead. Go over the stile to the right of the gate, and head diagonally left away from the wall, along a worn grassy path about four feet wide. The path can be seen stretching out almost in a straight line up as far as you can see. Follow this path up to the horizon, where the path, keeping on the same line, starts to approach a wall coming in from the left. Just before reaching the wall, the path bends around to the right and heads for a stile clearly visible in the wall ahead. Go over the stile and head directly away from the wall for the stone shelter, a couple of hundred yards ahead. The footpath leaves this and heads for the large cairn which is clearly visible another four hundred yards ahead. The path between the two stays close to the edge of the hill. The cairn is very well constructed and is ten feet in height.

Over to the right, Clitheroe and the main A59, which runs parallel to the side of Pendle Hill can be seen down below. The path can be seen turning diagonally to the left away from the edge of the hill, before turning right and following a line down the centre of the next hill, just to the left of the wall, which is visible in the distance. On leaving the cairn the path becomes more well defined, initially bending around to the left, then after passing over a small stream in a little dip, it bends back round to the right. The path now runs straight along Mearley Moor, parallel with the A59 below. After approximately half a mile, a tumbled down wall comes in from the left and crosses the path. Immediately on crossing this wall, another higher wall leaves this wall in the direction of the path (straight ahead), and stretches out in front as far as the eye can see. The path follows just to the left of this wall, for another half a mile, where upon reaching a cairn, erected as a memorial to a local fell runner who died in the Kentmere Horseshoe Fell Race, the wall turns away at ninety degrees to the right.

The path leaves the wall at this point and continues onwards in the same direction, where it starts to descend. From here the Nick of Pendle is again visible as is the Wellsprings Public House. From here to the end of the walk, the path roughly follows a straight line to the Wellsprings. After about two hundred yards, the footpath bends around sharply to the right. At this point there is a smaller path that leaves the main path, and heads steeply downhill into the valley below still heading in a line for the Wellsprings. On taking this path, it leads down through some heather, which ceases for a short time, before re-entering the heather by a metal stake in the ground. Cross the stream and take the path up to the right, which rises quite steeply initially. Continue along this path up and over the horizon, where the path bends around to the right and heads for a ruined farm building on the far side of the road. Follow the path back down onto the road and turn left, following the road past the Wellsprings and back up to the car.