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Walking Scafell Pike

Sca fell via Lord's Rake and Scafell Pike is a glorious challenging walk. I find this route to the highest point in England has many great moments. There is so much to enjoy including Stockley Beck, Stockley Bridge, Styhead Tarn, Round How, Pulpit Rock, Lord's Rake, the views to Wast Water (my favourite lake), Sca Fell, Foxes Tarn, Mickledore, Broad Stand, The  Pike itself, Broad Crag, Great End, Esk Hause and the walk back to Seathwaite which provides superb views of the Borrowdale valley.

The walk is not overly long at 10 miles but it is strenuous. There is over 4900 feet of climbing to do!  Don’t get confused, sometimes you go up, sometimes you go down and it all adds up! The incredible views are some of  the best England has to offer and of course the successful completion of the climb is extremely  satisfying. Just prayer  for good weather when you do this walk to appreciate it all for there is no doubt that the walk is so much better when you can see the fantastic this great walk has to offer.

I have done this walk a number of  times but the weather on a special day in 1998 was as good as it gets. A cloudless sky and very warm (a little too warm in fact) but it all made for a day to remember.  The walk was a tough one as I chose to tackle both Sca Fell and The Pike. The Scafell ascent was done by scrambling down from Mickledore to Lord's Rake then back up the Rake to the Sca Fell plateau. Then I had a scramble down Foxes Tarn to contend with and another scramble back up to Mickledore. These climbs took a fair bit of  time and despite an early start  I finished in the gloamin. If you attempt this expedition and you choose to follow this exciting route be  prepared for a full day out on the fells - it's tough.

There are various ways to tackle the Scafell peaks and on this occasion I chose to start from Seathwaite. The start lulls you into a false sense of ease as the first mile is a very easy stroll to Stockley Bridge. Along this stretch I am always aware of  the sound to my right and I invariably turn to look at  the crystal clear water cascading over the rocks of Grains Gill. It is a beautiful sight and it augurs well for the day ahead. Stopping for a moment on the bridge I enjoyed the sights and sounds around me before facing the first challenge of the day. The next half mile was the first exerting climb, the first of many.. The ascent is from around 500 feet to 1300 feet in no time at all although it doesn't look too hard when you are doing it. I promise the unwary walker though, you will feel it by now.

At 1300 feet you resume a level path to Styhead Tarn, a place that can be tranquil in clement conditions but not a place to dwell if the weather has closed in. This day it was a wonderful stroll in the sunshine. It is from here that  the first views of the Scafell peaks come into view, an inspiration to move onwards. Shortly after leaving Styhead Tarn I took the path turning  90 degrees to the left and then a couple of hundred yards  turning 90 degrees to the right to tackle the Corridor Route that  lead me to Mickledore. The Corridor Route is rocky in places and at one point there is a steep scramble down a rocky ledge where you are required to use your hands as well as your legs.

Adjacent to Lingmell you reach a junction on the Corridor Route where straight on leads to Scafell Pike (see Scafell OS Maps for those who are interested) and the right fork takes a path down to Hollow Stones and then Lingmell Gill which flows into the western end of Wast Water. Taking right fork for a while until it started to lose height I then traversed the contours of Pikes Crag until I reached Pulpit Rock with Mickledore dead ahead and just below me. I dropped down to the Mickledore ridge that links Scafell with Scafell Pike. I knew I had reached it by the large rescue box halfway along the ridge. The next challenge I faced was the scramble down the edge of Mickledore where it abuts Broad Stand to the beginning of Lord's Rake.

Lord's Rake is one of my  favourites, it is a steep gully and a tough hurdle to overcome as scree baulks your steps and slows progress. The end result is worth the effort, truly fantastic as you step out of the Rake and by walking a little to your right you get the most exhilarating birds eye view of Wast Water (my favourite view of my favourite lake). Here I dwelt for a while before progressing onto Sca Fell itself.  Hitting the top at a lofty 3162 feet I moved on, the Pike awaited. Crossing to the right of Broadstand and dropping down to Foxes Tarn I continued past this small tarn down the gully until I reached a path that took me back up to Mickledore with Broad Stand on my  left. The descent was tough but there is no other way to get back to Mickledore.

From Mickledore I moved straight up to the Pike. Now the deed was done, 3210 feet, the highest point in England had been reached and weather permitted me to take stock of my achievement and enjoy a food break and a cigar (then I was a smoker - now reformed). I could have spent hours sitting there but it was getting late in the day and so, with regret, I commenced my decent.

There are several ways to get down depending on how you feel at the top. The best route back to Seathwaite is by leaving Scafell Pike in a north easterly direction down to a gully and then directly up to Broad Crag. You can scramble to the rocky top if you like or round the top to your right and continue in the direction of Great End. There are opportunities galore to peak bag here for Great End stands at a proud 2985 feet.

If you choose to bag Great End you will need to backtrack to the path where it forks off due east to Esk Hause. Whatever direction you have taken off Scafell Pike you will need to be here eventually. From Esk Hause where paths cross you must walk north east down to a shelter where another path crosses. Here the walk is continued by heading north west towards Sprinkling Tarn and Sty Head. Leave the path by taking a right turn just before Sprinkling Tarn and head back to Stockley Bridge by following Grains Gill downstream. From the bridge you simply retrace your earlier steps back to the start. And once you finish the walk scream with delight.

On this day it was getting a bit late so I took the shortest and most direct route home. Sprinkling Tarn reflected a hazy moon as I strolled ( really I staggered) by on the decent back to Stockley Bridge and ultimately the car.

As I drove through Rosthwaite the lights twinkled as I passed The Royal Oak and the Scafell Hotel, the thought of a refreshing pint of ale was unbearable but I had a 120 miles to drive home. With regret I saw the lights disappear behind me and I faced the journey back over the Pennines to my east coast roots.  A wonderful day, a special one to remember in my dotage.

I think I'll try it in the winter next time - it’s a different mountain all together in the snow!

About the Author

Roger Turner is a veteran walker with over 40 years experience walking in the Lake District. He recommends Above and Beyond if looking to purchase the latest OS Maps at the best rates available.

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