Distance 14.88 km, Time 5.45 h, Total Ascent 1021 m
Imperial |
MetricWainwright Pictorial Guide: The Southern Fells
INDY SAYS: After Esk Hause there was a lot of difficult scrambling on boulders. The summit was busy! I liked Grains Gill and exploring and swimming in the different tarns. Lots of water on this walk
Join us as we climb the highest peak in England - Scafell Pike! Starting from Seathwaite via Grains Gill, Indy swims in Sprinkling Tarn and Styhead Tarn
Start point, map and route information at bottom of page
After yesterday's warm up, we decide to tackle The Big One.
The weather forecast is acceptable - cloud cover, not much rain expected. Weather is expected to deteriorate in the next few days, so we take our chance.
For more info on our route, see bottom of the page.
Roadside at Seathwaite already filling up
Indy wants to get cracking
We rapidly arrive at Stockley Bridge...
it has been more or less flat to here
Rushing water in Grains Gill
On a warmer day this crystal clear pool would be enticing
We hike up past these cascading waterfalls
We have started the climb proper now - Come on !
This is Esk Hause where we have our first break
Pretty good going to this point
But now the walk gets more tricky as paths are soon replaced by boulder fields
Our first view of the summit of Scafell Pike. Unfortunately we have to get over that lump on the right first and down the other side before the final climb
It's not a path so much as a rocky scramble
where you aim for a distant point by any route you can find
These two aren't bothered
We arrive at the summit - Indy, the highest dog in England!
The summit construction
and famous trig point
Clouds are drifting in from all directions
curtailing our views. Wastwater in the distance
We hope that these clouds move on, otherwise descent will be tricky
Occasional breaks in the cloud give us some dramatic views
We take a break here - well, it's our Everest!
Looking back, people arriving at the summit
A partial view of Styhead Tarn - we shall see Sprinkling Tarn first
After Esk Hause we approach Sprinkling Tarn, the source of the Derwent
Sprinkling Tarn
Time for a quick break and a swim, then
onwards to Styhead Tarn
All tarns are different to Indy, and each must be explored
Looking behind toward Scafell in the direction of the Corridor Route
The sun briefly pops out as we descend alongside Styhead Gill
Sunshine on the valley below
We can nearly see our start point now
And here we are back at Stockley Bridge
Where we relax for a while, the hike is nearly finished
Scafell Pike
There are many routes to the Pike, the shortest being from Wasdale - that start point is a long way from us.
Starting in Seathwaite, many take the 'Corridor Route' - it is a little shorter and more direct, but you have to negotiate some ridge walking and the infamous Bad Step. It is more than likely that we could have managed the step, but I decide not to risk it. There are quite a few accidents along that stretch.
For that reason we ascend via Grains Gill to Esk Hause, then take a there-and-back approach to the Pike, before diverting on the descent via Sprinkling and Styhead Tarns. This variation makes the hike a little longer.
Start:
1) "Honister rambler" bus from Keswick gets as close as Seatoller (about 2km)
2) Limited car parking at Seathwaite along road [NY 23562 12311], also at farm
Route:
Distance 14.88 km, Time 5.45 h, Total Ascent 1021 m
Route maps from Ordnance Survey are scaled 1:25000 unless mentioned otherwise.
Km, hike time and metres of ascent as supplied by OS. Planned route
Click here for info
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