   |
Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 11mls (17.5km) |
| Ascent: | 5,409ft (1,648m) |
| Time: | 9½hrs |
| Grade: |  |
Route outline for walk c453:
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.
Points of Interest/Notes on this walk:
Wasdale Head is a tiny hamlet of agricultural fields and dwellings that claims to be home of the highest mountain in England (Scafell Pike), the deepest lake (Wast Water), the smallest church (Church of St Olaf) and the biggest liar (Will Ritson). There is an excellent National Trust Campsite and a fine pub - the Wasdale Inn - which claims to be the birthplace of British rock climbing. There is also a large free parking area for visitors.
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.
Peaks, Summits and Tops reached on this walk:
 6 English Mountains |
 5 Wainwrights |
 7 English Nuttalls |
 0 English Deweys |
 0 Wainwright Outlying Fells |
 1 Marilyn |
 0 Bridgets |
Peak Bagging Statistics for this walk:
The highest point of this walk is Scafell Pike at 978m (3210ft). Scafell Pike is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (1st highest in England, 8th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 1).
Scafell Pike is also known as an English Nuttall (1st highest in England, 8th highest in England & Wales) and an English Marilyn (1st highest in England, 138th highest in the UK).
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. 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.
Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Sca Fell at 964m (3163ft). Sca Fell is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (2nd highest in England, 10th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 2).
Sca Fell is also known as an English Nuttall (2nd highest in England, 11th highest in England & Wales).
You will also reach the summit of Symonds Knott at 959m (3147ft). Symonds Knott is also known as an English Nuttall (3rd highest in England, 13th highest in England & Wales).
Along the way you will also bag:
- Broad Crag at 935m (3069ft). Broad Crag is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (4th England, 15th Eng & Wal) and an English Nuttall (5th highest in England, 17th highest in England & Wales).
- Ill Crag at 931m (3054ft). Ill Crag is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (5th England, 16th Eng & Wal) and an English Nuttall (6th highest in England, 18th highest in England & Wales).
- Great End at 910m (2987ft). Great End is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (7th highest in England, 22nd highest in England & Wales), a Wainwright (No. 5) and an English Nuttall (9th highest in England, 25th highest in England & Wales).
- Lingmell at 807m (2648ft). Lingmell is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (37th highest in England, 70th highest in England & Wales), a Wainwright (No. 35) and an English Nuttall (44th highest in England, 85th highest in England & Wales).
- Slight Side at 762m (2501ft). Slight Side is classified as a Wainwright (No. 58)
You can find more walks near this one 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):
Some Photos and Pictures from Walk c453 The Scafell Mountains from Wasdale Head, Wast Water
In no particular order . . .
Skiddaw and Derwent Water (in distance) with Seathwaite Fell and Sprinkling Tarn (foreground) from Great End (Scafell Massif)
Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable and Lingmell (right) and Scafell Pike (far right) from Wast Water
Looking down Greta Gill to Wasdale from Great End with Red Pike (Wasdale), Little Scoat Fell, Kirk Fell and Great Gable beyond
Crinkle Crags (Crinkle Crags (South Top), Crinkle Crags (Long Top), & Gunson Knott), Bow Fell (Bowfell), Esk Pike & The Langdale Pikes from Loughrigg
Wasdale Head with Pillar beyond from the lower slopes of Lingmell & Scafell Pike
Gunson Knott, Crinkle Crags (Long Top) and Crinkle Crags (South Top) from Slight Side
Yewbarrow (left), Kirk Fell (partially hidden), Great Gable (centre) Lingmell, Scafell Pike (partially hidden) and Illgill Head (right) from across Wast Water
. . . load all 184 walk photos from Walk c453 The Scafell Mountains from Wasdale Head, Wast Water
Send us your photographs and pictures from your walks and hikes
We would love to see your photographs and pictures from walk c453 The Scafell Mountains from Wasdale Head, Wast Water. Send them in to us as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name and where the picture was taken to:
and we shall do our best to publish them.
(Guide Resolution = 300dpi. At least = 660 pixels (wide) x 440 pixels (high).)
You can also submit photos from walk c453 The Scafell Mountains from Wasdale Head, Wast Water via our Facebook Page.
NB. Please indicate where each photo was taken.
To contribute to go4awalk.com or to contact us about anything at all - see Talk To Us. For help see Help.
go4awalk.com and go4awalk.co.uk are registered trademarks of TMDH Limited.
Copyright © 2000-2025 TMDH Limited. All rights reserved.
Copyright Terms & Conditions Privacy Statement
A - Z Walks Home Log On/Accounts Photo Gallery Walk Ideas and Collections Fell Facts Hill Skills Walking Questions and Answers Your Stories News Competitions Product Reviews/Gear Tests Walking Gear Guides Peaks and Mountains Peak Bagging Find New Walking Friends Camping GPS Waypoints for Walking Contents Walk Search Talk To Us go4awalk.com Help Free Example Walks Newsletter
