{"id":36252,"date":"2024-04-12T19:34:14","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T17:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/6b609766-3e69-4636-94b4-3b7efd9c2ee7"},"modified":"2024-04-12T20:39:35","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T18:39:35","slug":"scafell-pike-walk-lake-district-how-to-scale-englands-highest-mountain","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/scafell-pike-walk-lake-district-how-to-scale-englands-highest-mountain\/","title":{"rendered":"Scafell Pike walk, Lake District: how to scale England’s highest mountain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Climb to the summit of Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, on this challenging 5-mile route in the Lake District National Park <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Friday, 12 April 2024 at 17:34 PM<\/p>

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In August 1802, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, searching for a way off the crag-bound summit of Scafell, inadvertently descended a route now called Broad Stand. Though it is probable that local shepherds earlier clambered over this weakness between the cliffs, the poet\u2019s descent is the first recorded rock climb in the Lake District. This is appropriate, because the accepted birth date of the sport occurred, after a further 80-year-plus gestation, on the mountains that define the amphitheatre of Wasdale Head.<\/p>

How high is Scafell Pike?<\/h2>

While Scafell is the more formidable peak, its twin, Scafell Pike, is the highest summit in England at 978\u00a0metres, and is easier to climb. The views from the top of England’s highest mountain are marvellous, stretching out across the Lake District<\/a> to the Irish Sea and the Isle of Man<\/a>.<\/p>

Here, we describe one of the best routes up Scafell Pike, a challenging 5-mile circuit beginning on the shores of Wast Water.<\/p>

Best walks in the Lake District National Park<\/h4>

Of all the national parks in Britain, the Lake District in North England is arguably the most celebrated \u2013 discover the area’s fells, rivers, waters and towns with our guide to the best walks in the Lake District National Park<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Langdale mountains reflect in the waters of Blea Tarn on a sunny day\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>

How long does it take to climb Scafell Pike?<\/h2>

The length if time it takes to climb Scafell Pike depends a lot on the route you decide to take. The route below will take arpund 4 hours – depending on fitness.<\/p>

Scafell Pike walk<\/h2>

5 miles\/8km | 4 hours | challenging | 973m ascent<\/em><\/p>

1. Wasdale Head<\/h4>

From the National Trust car park at Wasdale Head, take the footpath past Brackenclose mountain hut and along the north bank of the river. The track up Brown Tongue became worn over many years of heavy use and has now been repaired as part of the Fix the Fells project, undertaken by the National Park Authority and National Trust wardens and volunteers, at a cost of around \u00a31000 per metre. This leads to the boulder field of Hollow Stones, below the screes that fan down from Scafell Crag.<\/p>

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The walk up Scafell Pike begins on the shores of Wast Water\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

2. Mickledore<\/h4>

Tracks leading to Scafell Pike diverge from here. Carry on in the same direction beneath Scafell\u2019s huge Central Buttress and ascend the rough and steepening track, the hardest part of the walk, to the obvious col of Mickledore, between the two peaks.<\/p>

To the right of the saddle is Broad Stand, and at its base, the narrow cleft of Fat Man\u2019s Agony, which marks the conclusion of Coleridge\u2019s climb.<\/p>

Discover more Lake District walks<\/h4>