Climb Scafell Pike

If you want to tick Scafell Pike off your mountain-climbing bucket list, you have three main routes to choose from. Although each will take you to the very summit of the formidable mountain, each varies in incline, overall length, and difficulty, meaning choosing the right route for you can make or break your ascent to England’s highest peak. Each route starts from a different side of the mountain and offers its own perks, so here’s a brief guide to each to help you make up your mind.

The route from Wasdale is the shortest and most direct of the three routes, making it a good choice for beginners and those wanting to get straight to the mountain-top views. As one of the most popular routes up the mountain, it is also one of the best maintained and the easiest to follow for those less confident with navigation. The route starts roughly at sea level from Wasdale Head, a small hamlet in the Wasdale Valley which, despite its tiny size, is well worth checking out before you embark on your ascent. The village is notably home to the iconic Wasdale Head Inn, a two-hundred-year-old pub that is a perennial favourite of passing-through hikers; St. Olaf’s Church, a sixteenth-century chapel that claims to be the smallest church in England; and Wastwater, England’s deepest lake. From Wasdale Head you will begin to scale Lingmell Gill, which rises 700 metres upwards along two kilometres of trail before flattening out at Lingmell Col on the northwest of the summit. From there walkers will follow a path up the shallowest side of Scafell Pike, manoeuvring between two large crags before arriving at the summit for unforgettable views.

The walk from Borrowdale is a much gentler but much longer ascent than Wasdale that can take the entire day, so it is recommended you start as early in the day as you can. This trail begins at Seathwaite to the north of the mountain then follows the River Derwent up to Sprinkling Tarn, known as “the wettest place in England” due to its average precipitation levels of 3,552 millimetres, compared to the UK average of between 800mm and 1,400mm. From there the path overlooks a vast gill (a deep wooded ravine) then passes Styhead Tarn lake and Great End, a sublime black crag that overlooks the body of water. A sparse passage dotted with cairns will then bring you over Ill Crag and Broad Crag, Scafell Pike’s sister mountains, before planting you at the top of Scafell itself. This is a longer but slightly more rewarding ascent that allows you to see more of Scafell and the surrounding landscape.

The Scafell Pike from Great Langdale route is an intense but scenic journey for experienced and confident hikers wanting to see more of the Lake District. It traverses several other peaks on the way to Scafell and affords unbeatable views, making it well worth the additional time and effort. It begins in Langdale Valley by the three-hundred-year-old Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel before heading upwards towards The Band, a large, open ridgeline that overlooks the Langdale Valley, as well as Oxendale and Crinkle Crags. This leads to Three Tarns, a col that straddles Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell, before launching steeply upwards on a cairn-laden path towards the Bow Fell summit. From Bow Fell hikers can enjoy a breathtaking view of looming Scafell Pike before descending to the Ore Gap and walking the ridgeline to Esk Pike and continuing upwards along the Borrowdale ascent to Scafell Pike.

If you’re visiting Scafell Pike to conquer its mighty summit, keep in mind that there are also plenty of fascinating points of interest around the mountain that are worth exploring if you fancy extending your stay in the area (which we definitely recommend!). In the beautiful Borrowdale Valley you will find Seathwaite, a sleepy farming hamlet; the Brandlehow Woods, a magnificent oak forest; the Castlerigg Stone Circle; and St. Herbert’s Island on Derwentwater, once the hermitage of a seventh-century saint which became the inspiration for Beatrix Potter’s ‘Owl Island’. Great Langdale, meanwhile, has plenty of interesting geographical features to explore and rolls gently into Ambleside, one of the Lake District’s busiest towns with plenty of cosy cafes for a return to civilisation. Or, you can consult our guide to the Lake District for a full summary of the best things to do in the area!

For those not satisfied with just conquering one of Britain’s mightiest peaks, why not attempt to take on all three in 24 hours? The National Three Peaks Challenge has become something of a national thrillseekers’ rite of passage, whereby daring challenge-takers try to summit Scotland’s Ben Nevis, Wales’ Snowdon, and, of course, England’s Scafell Pike, the tallest mountain in each respective country, in less than a day. Collectively, these peaks rise some 42 kilometres (26 miles) skywards. Various packages are offered by different companies offering transport between the three locations and hiking expertise if you want to push yourself to your limits, however the challenge is extremely difficult and requires high levels of fitness and stamina. It is often recommended that you train for the challenge in advance. But you will be rewarded with memories to last a lifetime and indisputable bragging rights for having finished one of the UK’s most gruelling physical feats. So why not take it on?

The National Trust website warns that:

“Preparation is key to climbing Scafell Pike safely. We encourage people to use a map and compass for navigation and to check weather conditions before setting off. There’s information at the car park[s] to help you prepare.”

Always check the weather in advance. If you encounter a sudden and dangerous change in weather conditions or any other dangerous emergency situation, immediately ring 999 and ask for “Police - Mountain Rescue”. Give all relevant details and precise information on your location, then stay where you are and await help. Consider downloading the what3words app onto your mobile phone to help identify your precise location at any given point in case of emergency. This will make it easier for authorities to find you if worst comes to worse.

If you find yourself in a situation that isn’t urgent but you may be unsafe and are unsure on what to do, ring 112 and follow the same protocol. Scafell Pike is an extremely safe walk due to its popularity, however it is always important that you remain vigilant and sensible. For further advice on safe hiking, visit the AdventureSmart website here.

When hiking, it is important that you respect your environment. Read the UK government’s Countryside Code before visiting the Lake District to familiarise yourself with proper countryside conduct and what the different signs and postings you may encounter mean. It is important to always leave the land how you found it - don’t litter, and leave any gates you pass through as you find them. But, most importantly, always remember to have fun and make the most of the stunning British landscapes!