“The gulfs of Borrodaile!—My soul delights
In these drear deserts. Now methinks a sense
Of something mightier than the common world
Runs trembling through the heart. A spirit born
Of mountain solitudes and sights sublime,
Of earth and sky, and the wild-wandering air,
Is present here.”
- Bryan Waller Procter
If you’re a southerner like me, it’s easy to forget that we have real mountains in England. Big, proper mountains. And at 978 metres, Scafell Pike is the biggest of them all. Located deep in the Lake District in Cumbria, it’s part of the Scafell massif mountain range, or as I like to say, the Scafell Massive, which you will also join if you complete this most excellent hike.
From the top of the tallest mountain must also come the best views: here you can gaze upon the glory of the Lake District and far beyond. The Lake District itself is England’s largest national park, and is chock full of majestic valleys, rocky crags, gorgeous waterfalls, ancient woodland, and of course some terrific lakes. It’s also the wettest part of the country, leading Bill Bryson to describe it thus:
“The Lake District, when it is fine, and it usually is at least that, is surely the most beautiful place on earth.”
And yet, a 1 star Google review offers that “in New Zealand this would be a hill”. Indeed that is true, but as we all tell ourselves, size isn’t everything; especially when the landscape here is worthy of a Fellowship quest from Lord of the Rings. It’s especially impressive to an Essex boy like me who grew up in terrain so flat that a hill is deemed a mountain and anything much bigger than a speed bump is deemed a hill.
I don't often get the chance to visit the Lake District, but this autumn I had the chance to stop by and had enough time for one good hike. I know I could have chosen from many of the other mountains to climb, but climbing the biggest one has a certain appeal, and so the decision was made. If you also don’t often get the chance to visit this incredible part of the country, then I urgently suggest that you do so, as a reminder that England is made up of more than fields and beaches and Milton Keynes. Of all the places to visit here, I can recommend this one highly as an adventure worthy of the time taken to get there. And if you live near the Lake District then you already know that every trip is worth it!
There are several commonly used routes for the ascent of Scafell Pike. The Wasdale route is quickest, busiest, and supposedly the least scenic when compared to the other two. It is the route usually taken by people that are either attempting a quick summit as part of the Three Peaks Challenge or being hungover. On the other hand, the Eskdale and Langdale routes are longer and more difficult: the latter was described by Alfred Wainwright as for ‘strong walkers and supermen only’. The Borrowdale route is a Goldilocks option: beautiful scenery, not so busy, but still easily achievable in a day. The Borrowdale route is the one I recommend to you here.
ROUTE INFO
Time: 8-9 hours
Terrain: Tough stuff. Vast stretches of small boulders which are easy to trip over. Some scrabbly climbs, and wet ground if you’re unlucky. Sturdy footwear is a must: wear trainers at your peril. You might like to take a nice sturdy staff with you, or perhaps some hiking poles. And no matter what the forecast says, pack something to protect from wind and rain because the weather does what it wants up there
How to get there: Park at Seathwaite - there are free laybys, or if those are full you can pay to park in the campsite. For public transport: get a train to Keswick, then catch a bus to Seatoller, which is a 25 minute walk up the road
Directions: My route on OS Maps here. Or you can use this one on Alltrails for a slightly more sensible route
Refreshments: None. There ain’t no burger vans on this mountain. At the start point there are toilets at the farm, as well as showers and a water tap which you can use if you pay to park. Otherwise the closest stop for refreshment is the Glaramara Hotel at the top of the road, a 25 minute walk away. Prepare accordingly: take plenty of water and as much food as you need
Notes: Intermittent phone signal until you get to the top. If you are using a map on your phone then best to download in advance, either via Google Maps or if you have a navigation app like OSMaps. Use one with GPS to be safe so you don't lose your way. Even with a map it is easy to get lost so for god’s sake don’t set off without one!
Also if swimming is your thing then make sure to bring swimmers and towel, as there are ample places for a scenic dip
THE ROUTE
Before setting off, let’s look at some of the words you will encounter on your map of the area:
Dale = valley
Fell = mountain
Pike = peak
Force = waterfall
Tarn = lake
Gill = ravine/mountain stream
Most of these words originate in Old Norse, brought to Britain by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago. It’s pretty cool that in this wild, rugged corner of the country, these ancient words have stuck in the landscape and even the settlements to the extent that we still live with them today. Keep some of that Viking spirit in your mind as you make the journey into the dale, up the fell and onto the pike.
From the campsite at Seathwaite, follow the path up into the dale (valley). You begin on nice flat ground, which is good not only for warming up the legs but also to gawp at the magnificent fells rising up around you without tripping over. Don’t worry, it’s only going to get better. Follow the path until you reach Stockley Bridge over Grains Gill (your first ravine of the day) at which point take the west path to Styhead Tarn. Soon you will encounter Taylorgill Force, a majestic waterfall crashing down amongst proud trees and lush greenery.
BONUS - If you’re following my GPS route then you will notice that we didn’t go this way but instead approached the waterfall from the other side of the stream, following what the map said were paths but in reality were long stretches of wet boggy ground. It was time-consuming to navigate but did result in a particularly good view of the force, which was well enjoyed with a coffee.
Passing by the waterfall and the nice mossy patch of woodland with it, continue your ascent up the dale, following the path alongside Styhead Gill. The rushing water is truly enchanting: you can spend a lot of time looking at the stream and the pools that make great swimming spots.
Let’s have another poem, this time from famous Lake District geek William Wordsworth, about a rill (which is different from a gill - a rill is a tiny stream, unlike the big ones found in ravines)
A LITTLE UNPRETENDING RILL
There is a little unpretending rill
Of limpid water, humbler fair than aught
That ever among Men or Naiads sought
Notice of name! – It quivers down the hill,
Furrowing its shallow way with dubious will;
Yet to my mind this scanty Stream is brought
Oftener than Ganges or the Nile; a thought
Of private recollection sweet and still!
Months perish with their moons; year treads on year;
But, faithful Emma! thou with me canst say
That while ten thousand pleasures disappear,
And flies their memory fast almost as they;
The immortal Spirit of one happy day
Lingers beside that Rill, in vision clear.
- William Wordsworth
As you continue up this path further into the bosom of the mountains, it seems as if the mountains close in behind you, severing you from civilisation. Eventually you will reach Styhead Tarn: a remote, sombre lake surrounded by towering fells and not much else. This is a great place to stop and rest, letting your body and mind settle with the peaceful water: unless you have already used up all your rest time stopping to look at things on the way up, like I did, in which case steal a minute for a long hard glance before pressing on.
Just up from the tarn is Sty Head: a great meeting place of paths, marked on your map by an entanglement of dashed lines leading off in all directions. From here you can get to Wasdale, Great Langdale, Eskdale and Borrowdale (the way you came). For these reasons, it is not the place to take a wrong turn, so choose your path wisely. Even with GPS on your map it can be tough to figure this out, so make sure you head south along the Corridor Route, under the shadow of Great End.
The Corridor Route is often described as one of the most excellent sections of walk in the Lake District. I’m not really sure where the name comes from because it’s more of a razor thin rock path carved into the shelf of the mountain. You progress steadily up and along, surrounded by jaw-dropping vistas of mountains with broad smudges of colour where the fell sides have slipped. It feels like you really are on the side of the mountain rather than on a path looking at one. If you weren’t already feeling like you were in Middle Earth then you surely will be now.
Take care with your footing here, as it’s easy to put a foot wrong while staring at the unbelievably gorgeous scenery all around you. There’s a bit where you have to scramble, called the Bad Step, which is nothing too difficult but treacherous all the same. Don’t tarry here but do enjoy the intrepid feeling of being a rugged adventurer that climbs up and down sheer rock on the face of a mighty mountain. Now I’m getting Mission Impossible in Middle Earth vibes.
Eventually you will come to a fork where your map will present you with two routes. We chose the one going south, which looked like a direct route: indeed it was as we found ourselves scrambling up a steep slope of boulders and scree. If you want a gentler route, I would choose the route going west, but personally I thought the scramble was quite fun and not something you get to do every day so choose whichever way you fancy!
You will soon find yourself near the summit, but your ascent isn’t over yet. The last stretch to the top sees all paths disappear to be replaced by vast fields of barren rocks and tricksy boulders that will threaten to trip you up at any time: described by Alfred Wainwright as “an uneasy pavement” which I think is a bit of an understatement. You may also have to contend with thick fog clouds that appear and disappear at will to throw you off course. It is likely that you will see other people on the route to the summit so you can follow them: or if not, guide yourself by the beacons of rocks that mark the route. Now this is more like Mount Doom, except instead of Mordor it’s Cumbria and instead of volcano it’s weapons-grade drizzle.
Whatever your conditions, just press on, knowing that the top is nearly there, and before you know it: a large bastion of rocks appears, capping the summit and - gasp! the apex of your hike. As you approach, if you are lucky enough to have a clear day, the world falls away before you to reveal miles and miles of rugged England as far as the eye can see. You have reached the top of Scafell Pike, the tallest mountain in England, you bloody legend. And no it doesn’t matter that the other mountains are nearly as tall as this one - this is the tallest of the mountains and you just climbed it, which deserves a slap on the back at least.
At the summit we joined a very British queue to get to the very top bit for the obligatory series of photos to prove that we had made it up there. Then we got out of the biting wind to have a hearty pasta lunch that we had lugged up with us, expertly paired with some Speyside whisky. We cracked open a Thatcher’s Cloudy Lemon for some calorie refreshment but it proved to be quite horrible (strange as they are usually a great festival drink) so it was given as an offering to the spirit of mountain to thank us for safe passage across the rocks and the same to all those that followed us.
While we’re up here, let’s talk about Alfred Wainwright.
A NOTE ON ALFRED WAINWRIGHT
A cool dude who loved the Lake District so much that he wrote extensively about it, including 214 of his favourite fells: with illustrations! It took up seven books, which were released to the public are now so famous today that these 214 fells are called Wainwrights in his honour. That’s pretty cool. Nowadays people take it on themselves to ‘bag’ Wainwrights, that is to say try and summit as many of them as they can, or all 214 of them for a real challenge. If this is your first Wainwright, then congratulations! It feels a bit like being given your first football sticker at school (or other exciting collectible) hopefully enticing you to dive in and collect more.
To get an idea of why Alfred loved this part of the world, here’s his thoughts:
“Why does a man climb mountains? Why has he forced his tired and sweating body up here when he might instead have been sitting at his ease in a deckchair at the seaside, looking at girls in bikinis, or fast asleep, or sucking ice-cream, according to his fancy. On the face of it the thing doesn’t make sense.
Yet more and more people are turning to the hills; they find something in these wild places that can be found nowhere else. It may be solace for some, satisfaction for others: the joy of exercising muscles that modern ways of living have cramped, perhaps; or a balm for jangled nerves in the solitude and silence of the peaks; or escape from the clamour and tumult of everyday existence. It may have something to do with man’s subconscious search for beauty, growing keener as so much in the world grows uglier. It may be a need to re-adjust his sights, to get out of his narrow groove and climb above it to see wider horizons and truer perspectives. In a few cases, it may even be a curiosity inspired by A Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides. Or it may be, and for most walkers it will be, quite simply, a deep love of the hills, a love that has grown over the years, whatever motive first took them there: a feeling that these hills are friends, tried and trusted friends, always there when needed.”
DESCENT
Once you are done goggling at the view at the top, gather your wits & bits and prepare to make the descent down the mountain. The return route is a different way, and slightly easier: easily found in the clearness of day but difficult to pick out if it gets foggy. You may wish for a giant eagle to just carry you back across the boulder fields and all the way back to the start point, but then you’d miss out on the incredible scenery and views all the way back to Derwentwater, the big lake in the distance. On the way back down, pass beneath Broad Crag and Ill Crag, continuing over the lunar-like boulder fields until they begin to clear and a solid path becomes visible once more.
BONUS - Make sure to nip slightly off route to ascend Great End, a peak northeast of Scafell Pike, and in addition to more mind blowing views, you’ll have bagged yourself another Wainwright! Well done, only 212 left to go.
With a path now clearly in sight, proceed north at Esk Hause.
BONUS - At a stream crossing you will meet a fork in the path. Your route back to the start point is down alongside Ruddy Gill, but if you have time you can make a detour back towards Sty Head to visit Sprinkling Tarn, a small but spectacular lake overlooking the mountains and a great spot for a swim.
Otherwise, continue back down the path alongside the rock-hewn ravine of Ruddy Gill. You’ll be treated to rushing cascades and waterfalls with clear inviting pools, some of which are also a great shout for a dip if you’re feeling hot and bothered on your descent. All the while you will have commanding views down the dale and all the way to Derwentwater in the distance. Continue down this path and re-cross the stream at Stockley Bridge, and before long you’ll be back at the start point, with a few achievements and memories under your belt.
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