Scafell Pike is 978 metres and the highest point in England. It is also the most climbed mountain in the country. On a summer weekend there will be several hundred people on the summit. None of that diminishes the achievement or the mountain.
Routes
Wasdale Head: the most direct
Park at the NT car park at Wasdale Head (CA20 1EX, charged). The path rises via Brown Tongue to Hollow Stones beneath the crags, then ascends via Lingmell Col to the summit. 5.6 miles, 920m ascent, allow 5 to 6 hours. The path is well-worn and never in doubt, but the terrain above Hollow Stones is relentless boulder-field. Wasdale Head is 40 minutes from the nearest A-road. Plan the drive in.
Langdale via Esk Hause: the wilder route
Park at Old Dungeon Ghyll (LA22 9JU, National Trust). Ascend Rossett Gill, cross the high col at Esk Hause, and climb to the summit via the Great Moss or Great End. 8.5 miles, 1050m ascent, allow 7 to 8 hours. A more committing route through genuinely wild country. The Esk Hause junction is complex in mist and requires careful navigation.
The Corridor Route: the most interesting
From Sty Head, follow the Corridor Route, a narrow path cut into the hillside heading west beneath the crags of Great Gable and Scafell. This is the most spectacular approach and avoids the crowds of the Wasdale path on the upper mountain. Requires a start from Seathwaite (CA12 5XJ) or Wasdale.
The summit
A wide plateau of dark volcanic rock, cairn-strewn, disorienting in mist. The summit cairn is a substantial structure. On a clear day the Isle of Man is visible and the view encompasses the whole of the Lake District. In mist, you need a bearing. The compass bearing from the summit to the Lingmell descent is 310 degrees. Know this before you go up.
The one mistake most people make
Starting too late. The summit of Scafell Pike in July at 2pm has queues at the summit cairn and congestion on the descent paths. Start by 7am and you have the upper mountain largely to yourself. Start at 10am and you are walking with hundreds of other people in the same direction.
What to bring
- →Compass. Not optional. The summit plateau in cloud is genuinely disorienting.
- →OS Explorer OL6 (The English Lakes: South Western area).
- →Waterproofs and warm layers. This is the highest point in England and weather changes fast.
- →Water. At least 2 litres for the full route. No reliable source above Hollow Stones.
- →Head torch if you start very early or think you might be out after dark.
After the walk
The Wasdale Head Inn (CA20 1EX) is the post-walk destination if you come from Wasdale. It is one of the great post-fell pubs in England. Dogs welcome in the bar. The Old Dungeon Ghyll (LA22 9JU) serves the same purpose for the Langdale approach.
⚠️Do not attempt Broad Stand, the direct rock route between Scafell and Scafell Pike, without climbing experience and equipment. People have died on it.
Full fell guide for Scafell Pike on Hike The Lakes.
Scafell Pike on Hike The Lakes →
Damian Roche
Founder, Churchtown Media. Builder of TheLakesGuide.co.uk, TheLakesWildlife.co.uk, and HikeTheLakes.com. Southport-based. Regular Lakes visitor for decades.
