Scafell Pike
978m (3210ft)
The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
Scafell Pike is the highest point in the county of Cumbria, the highest point in The Lake District National Park and the highest point in England. It was also the highest point in the old county of Cumberland.
Scafell Pike means 'the highest point of 'The Pikes of Sca Fell'. This was the collective term for all the lumps and bumps on the top of the Sca Fell Massif (namely Sca Fell Pike, Sca Fell, Symonds Knott, Broad Crag, Ill Crag and Great End) when it was donated to The National Trust by Lord Leconfield in 1919. Sca Fell Pike became Scafell Pike (without the space) due to an error by the Ordnance Survey and the name stuck.' and is pronounced 'Though Scafell Pike is usually pronounced 'Skar Fell Pyke', the Lake District locals pronounce it 'SKOR-fall Pyke' with the emphasis on the first syllable. Indeed, many older texts spell it 'Skawfell Pike'.
The summit of Scafell Pike is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point.
In good weather you can see mountains in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man from the summit of Scafell Pike so try and go in on a clear day.
At an elevation of 832m (2,731ft), Broad Crag Tarn is the highest body of standing water in England. It can be found approximately 420 m south west of the summit of Scafell Pike.
You can find Scafell Pike & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Scafell Pike and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Scafell Pike and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
*Walk & bag all 30 Wainwrights in The Southern Fells area of The Lake District in just 11 easy-to-follow circular walks.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks. Click here for more information.
NB: Whether you print off a copy on to paper or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers Maps will prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal!
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 6.25ml (10km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,187ft (971m) |
| Time: | 5½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - Lingmell Gill - Brown Tongue - Hollow Stones - Mickledore - Scafell Pike - Mickledore - Lingmell Beck - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7.5ml (12km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,218ft (981m) |
| Time: | 6 hrs |
| Grade: | (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - Lingmell Gill - Brown Tongue - Hollow Stones - Mickledore - Scafell Pike - The Corridor Route - Sty Head - Lingmell Beck - Gable Beck Bridge - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7.5ml (12km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,195ft (1,279m) |
| Time: | 7 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - (National Trust Campsite) - Wast Water - Lingmell - Corridor Route - Scafell Pike - Mickledore - Foxes Tarn - Symonds Knott - Sca Fell - Lingmell Gill - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.5ml (13.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,289ft (1,020m) |
| Time: | 6½ hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Seathwaite (Borrowdale) - Stockley Bridge - Grains Gill - Ruddy Gill - Sprinkling Tarn - Esk Hause - Scafell Pike - Esk Hause - Grains Gill - Stockley Bridge - Seathwaite (Borrowdale)
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9ml (14.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,696ft (1,126m) |
| Time: | 7 hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - Wast Water - Lingmell - Lingmell Col - Scafell Pike - Broad Crag - Ill Crag - Great End - Esk Hause - Sty Head - Lingmell Beck - Gable Beck Bridge - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9ml (14.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,236ft (986m) |
| Time: | 6.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Seathwaite (Borrowdale) - Grains Gill - Stockley Bridge - Styhead Gill - Styhead Tarn - Sty Head - The Corridor Route - Skew Gill - Greta Gill - Piers Gill - Scafell Pike - The Corridor Route - Sty Head - Stockley Bridge - Seathwaite (Borrowdale)
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9.5ml (15km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,477ft (1,060m) |
| Time: | 7 hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Seathwaite (Borrowdale) - Grains Gill - Styhead Gill - Styhead Tarn - Corridor Route - Scafell Pike - Broad Crag - Ill Crag - Great End - Esk Hause - Grains Gill - Seathwaite (Borrowdale)
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9.75ml (15.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 5,140ft (1,567m) |
| Time: | 8.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - (National Trust Campsite) - Wast Water - Lingmell - Middleboot Knotts - Round How (Scafell) - Great End - Ill Crag - Broad Crag - Scafell Pike - Mickledore - Foxes Tarn - Symonds Knott - Sca Fell - Wast Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11ml (17.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 5,409ft (1,648m) |
| Time: | 9½ hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Wasdale Head - (National Trust Campsite) - Wast Water - Lingmell - Corridor Route - Great End - Ill Crag - Broad Crag - Scafell Pike - Mickledore - Foxes Tarn - Symonds Knott - Sca Fell - Slight Side - Broad Tongue - Hardrigg Gill - Wasdale Head - Wast Water.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11.25ml (18km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,883ft (1,183m) |
| Time: | 8 hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Great Langdale - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - The Cumbria Way - Mickleden Beck - Rossett Gill - Rossett Pike - Angle Tarn (Langdale) - Esk Hause - Scafell Pike - Ill Crag - Broad Crag - Great End - Esk Hause - Angle Tarn - Rossett Gill - Mickleden - Mickleden Beck - The Cumbria Way - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Great Langdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.5ml (20km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,684ft (1,428m) |
| Time: | 9.25hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Great Langdale - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - The Cumbria Way - Mickleden Beck - Mickleden - Rossett Beck - Rossett Pike - Angle Tarn (Langdale) - Esk Hause - Great End - Ill Crag - Broad Crag - Scafell Pike - Esk Hause - Esk Pike - Ore Gap - Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) - Bow Fell (Bowfell) - Bowfell Buttress - Cambridge Crag - Flat Crag - Climbers' Traverse (optional) - Three Tarns - The Band - Oxendale - Stool End Farm - The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Great Langdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 13.75ml (22km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,982ft (1,519m) |
| Time: | 10 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Eskdale - Wha House Farm - Hare Crag - Quagrigg Moss - Slight Side - Sca Fell - Symonds Knott - Scafell Pike - Broad Crag - Ill Crag - Great End - Esk Hause - Lingcove Bridge - Great Moss - Eskdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 14ml (22.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 6,009ft (1,832m) |
| Time: | 9 hrs |
| Grade: | (Very Hard) |
Route Summary:
Eskdale - Wha House Farm - Hare Crag - Quagrigg Moss - Slight Side - Sca Fell - Symonds Knott - Mickledore - Scafell Pike - Broad Crag - Ill Crag - Great End - Esk Hause - Esk Pike - Ore Gap - Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) - Bow Fell (Bowfell) - Bowfell Buttress - Cambridge Crag - Flat Crag - Climbers' Traverse (optional) - Three Tarns - Great Moss - Brotherikeld - Eskdale
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Scafell Pike
Andrew Francis-Lang has walked up Scafell Pike [from/via/route] Wasdale via Brown Tongue
Hazel Gilbert climbed Scafell Pike on June 24th, 2008 [with] Lawrence
David Peebles bagged Scafell Pike on February 26th, 2023 [from/via/route] Wasdale Nation Trust Carpark [with] Solo [weather] Poor Weather
Jason Mcmillan hiked Scafell Pike on April 28th, 2023 [from/via/route] Lingmell, Scafell Pike & Scafell
David Higginbottom summited Scafell Pike on November 15th, 2018 [with] Carolyn [weather] Good
John Ramsbottom conquered Scafell Pike on January 7th, 2024 [from/via/route] Started at Wasdale Head car park [with] Lola [weather] sunshine cold & frosty, nice day - No pub this time . Being good
Christine Shepherd scaled Scafell Pike on August 19th, 1997 [from/via/route] Seathwaite via Grains Gill returning via Taylor Force. [with] Peter (my husband) [weather] Very hot & sunny with a heat haze. - I would definitely recommend the descent by Taylor Force Gill. (not for the faint hearted though) Have climbed Scafell on two other occasions. Easter 2003 with my daughter & 27.6.09, when I led a group from my church in Leeds to the summit. Finally climbed this fell on my own on 3.10.15. Climbed from Wasdale Head for the first time much easier than from Seathwaite. Climbed for a fifth time on 21.10.23 with Jenny & Ian.This was their first time on this summit.Great weather & views.We climbed Lingmell first & climbed Scafell Pike from Lingmell Col.
Philip Wilde walked up Scafell Pike during 2023 [from/via/route] Seathwaite via Corridor route [with] Son, Keir
James Hughes climbed Scafell Pike on June 15th, 2023 [from/via/route] Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Broad Crag, Ill Crag, Great End [with] Solo [weather] Beautiful day, clear, warm. blue skies & no wind. - Pearler of a day...
Geoff Hand bagged Scafell Pike on May 12th, 2023 [from/via/route] Recce of the Second half of Bob Graham Round leg 3. Set out from the NT Carpark at Wasdale Head. Went up Lingmell Beck to Sty Head then Esk Hause from there we went to 1great End, Ill Crag, Broad Crag. from there onto Scafell Pike, the down to Broad S & round to Foxes Tarn & Up Scafell. Then straight down to Wasdale Head [with] Ran Mackay, Alfi and Tess. [weather] Started cloudy & cleared into a beautiful sunny afternoon - It was the toughest day out in the fells I've had to date.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Scafell Pike
Snow capping Yewbarrow (left) Great Gable (centre) Lingmell and Scafell Pike surround Wast Water from near Overbeck Bridge, Wasdale
Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Mickledore and Sca Fell above Wast Water from near Middle Fell (Wasdale)
The Mosedale Horseshoe - Yewbarrow (mid-distance left), Red Pike (Wasdale) and Little Scoat Fell beyond, Pillar (right of centre) and the shoulder of Kirk Fell (mid-distance right) from Scafell Pike
From left to right: Slight Side and Sca Fell, Mickledore, Scafell Pike, Ill Crag and Great End, Esk Hause, Esk Pike, Bow Fell (Bowfell), Crinkle Crags (Long Top), Cold Pike, Little Stand and finally the shoulder of Grey Friar from the summit of Hard Knott
Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (centre in cloud), Lingmell and the shoulder or Scafell Pike (right) from across Wast Water
Buzz, Sharky and Yorkie on top of Lingmell before climbing Scafell Pike to round off the day
. . . see all 138 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of Scafell Pike
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