The English Lake District - A Walkers Guide To Scafell Pike
The highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike, lies in the western part of the English Lake District - an area of breathtaking scenery mostly within the Lake District National Park. The mountain at 978 metres or 3210 feet is generally accepted as being a harder walk than the slightly higher Snowdon in Wales, and though a very popular hike it is probably less climbed than Helvellyn in the eastern part of Lake District. Scafell Pike lies in probably the least accessible part of the region and all of the routes to it cross excessively rough and stony ground. That's without the weather - we'll come to that later!
Scafell Pike though is one of Lakeland's best outings and here I have outlined the main routes of ascent and their individual merits. None have any technical difficulties but you will become well aquainted with large stones - lots of them.
For the walker approaching from Borrowdale to the north - easily accessible from the Keswick area - there are two main routes to Scafell Pike. The path via Esk Hause is probably the most used and the easiest. This well marked and usually busy path leaves Seathwaite which is as far as you can drive up Borrowdale, and continues up the valley to Stockley Bridge - a picturesque stone bridge spanning the stream. Just beyond the bridge, the left fork of the path is taken leading eventually to Esk Hause at 2490 feet - the pass about 400 m south west of the stone shelter. From Esk Hause, the path which remains easy to follow, heads up to the right then bends left and crosses a stony plateau. The route becomes progressively rougher the further you go and dips down slightly twice before a final steep ascent leads to the summit.
The Corridor Route is the other main route from Borrowdale and is the better of the two in my opinion being more varied and interesting. Follow the path up to Stockley Bridge as in the previous route but instead take the right fork of the path climbing up ahead to Sty Head Pass, the pass between Borrowdale and Wasdale Head. Turning left at the pass, a path then soon leads away to the right across steep looking ground. It traverses between the crags and past the gully of Piers Ghyll before climbing up to Lingmell Col. There is one short easy scramble near Piers Ghyll but no other difficulty. A stony path now winds its way up from the col to Scafell Pike up to the left.
For the walker setting off from Langdale - easy access from Ambleside and Windermere - an easy but long route heads along the valley of Mickleden to the infamous Rossett Gill path. Climbing Rossett Gill is not difficult but very loose and rough and is unlikely to rank among the favorites of Lakeland fellwalkers. The worst can be bypassed by a series of paths up the slopes to the left of the main eroded route. After Rossett Gill a wide constructed - and usually busy path leads through some wonderful high country to the shelter below Esk Hause where the main route from Borrowdale is joined.
From Eskdale to the south a much less used route ventures into the remote country of Upper Eskdale to reach Samsons Stones - several huge boulders scattered on the valley floor beneath Scafell's Cam Spout Crag. The path ascends the steep mountainside to Mickledore which is the ridge separating Scafell Pike from Scafell. From Mickledore the route to the Pike turns roughly north up more rough ground to the summit. There is no walkers route directly up to the neighboring peak of Scafell from Mickledore. The Eskdale route does not have any technical difficulties but is not for totally inexperienced walkers doing their first outing in the Fells. This side of the mountain is much more remote and you will encounter far fewer people. It is my favorite route to Scafell Pike.
Finally 2 routes ascend from what is arguably England's finest mountain valley - Wasdale Head. The most direct way up Scafell Pike leaves Wasdale Head from near the campsite and ascends Brown Tongue to the natural stony amphitheatre of Hollowstones below the rock walls of Scafell Crag and Pikes Crag. You can head up to Lingmell Col from here and join the upper part of the Corridor Route from Borrowdale but while Lingmell Col is a good spot, this misses out the best of both routes. Instead ascend to Mickledore by an easy scramble and bear left past Pulpit Rock to the summit. This will make up for the trudge up Brown Tongue which is neither Wasdale's nor Scafell Pike's finest feature.
A better route from Wasdale is to follow the Sty Head path to that pass and join the corridor route from Borrowdale thus reaching Lingmell Col by a longer but more interesting path.
Finally that promised word about the weather. Do not be fooled by the modest altitude of Scafell Pike. Sprinkling Tarn on the Borrowdale side of the mountain has the dubious honour of being officially the wettest place in England which isn't a particularly dry place to start with. Add to that that England's highest mountain is one of the first big objects in the path of the prevailing west and south west winds. Yes this part of the Lake District has some weather patterns to rival New Zealand's Southern Alps and likely as not you will see all four seasons in a day - often in an hour! Don't let that put you off though, it's all part of the fun - take clothes that will keep you warm and dry and enjoy a great day in the hills.
Author of A Long Walk in the Alps Pete Buckley is a regular visitor to the Lakeland Fells and runs the mountain walking website easywayup.com where more information can be found on the English Lake District and other mountain regions.
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