Scafell Pike is the tallest mountain in England – but even if it were just another ordinary Lakeland fell, it would still be a rewarding and beautiful hike, with some excellent views and opportunities for varied terrain. Routes for hiking up Scafell Pike vary from steep but relatively straightforward to those requiring more skill and experience, with some low-grade scrambling.

Planning

Planning is the most important part of any mountain hike – and that’s exactly what this Merlin Maps Topic is here to help with.

Weather is usually the place to start. Whatever the experience level of the group, if the weather is bad you need to plan a shorter walk than on a beautiful summery day. One particular thing to note when hiking up Scafell Pike is the wind: it is the tallest point around, and the cairn on top provides limited shelter – so if there’s a lot of wind its worth considering lower-level walks. The Mountain Weather Information Service (mwis.org.uk) is particularly good.

The next big thing to consider is group ability: hiking up a mountain is no mean feat, and some of the routes for hiking up Scafell Pike are both long and steep. You need to pick a route that you and your whole group is going to be able to do safely. We’ve collected four of the most common direct routes below, with maps and descriptions, so be sure to pick the one you feel suits you best.

Routes

The most common routes to the top, named by their start points, are below. The easiest and shortest is the route from Wasdale Head, while the others involve longer walks and steeper climbs.

Wasdale Head

If you’re here for the experience of being on top of the world, but want to get the hike over with, this is the route for you. At only a few kilometres from the car park (or National Trust campsite) to the summit, you can be up and back in a matter of hours (allow four or five).

Seathwaite

The route from Seathwaite uses a path known as the Corridor Route. The Corridor Route is one of the great classics of Scafell Pike: a relatively easy path, as well as being beautifully scenic (but busy!). At just over 6.5 km each way, the Seathwaite route for hiking up Scafell Pike will take a little bit longer than going from Wasdale Head – allow five or six hours. If you’d like to extend the route slightly – and not descend the same way as you climb – have a look at this route via Great End and Broad Crag.

Great Langdale

The beautiful and picturesque Great Langdale is the soul of Lakeland hiking, and home to the wonderful National Trust campsite. The ascent of Scafell Pike from Langdale, though, is a little bit longer than the others listed here: over 9 km each way, at nearly 20 km in total, it will take most hikers a full day (allow 7-8 hours including breaks).

Wha House

Another relatively long route (9 km each way), Wha House also makes a good starting point for hiking up Scafell Pike. The route climbs up the lovely Eskdale and saves the best till last, with the surprisingly steep climb from Mickeldore to the summit kept for the very end.

Safety

It’s really important to have a basic level of skill before going out and about on the hills. You need to be aware of a few basic things:

• Calling for Help: If you need mountain rescue, dial 999, ask for the police, then Mountain Rescue. If you ask for an ambulance they’ll try to send an ambulance (up the mountain – and it won’t work. Ambulances prefer roads).
• Navigation: Always carry a paper map and compass, and make sure you know how to use it. There’s a guide here if you’re looking to learn or refresh your skills.
• Warmth: It will be colder on the summit than in the valley, so make sure you’ve got extra layers. The old half-joke that if you’re wearing all of the layers you packed (at any point on the hike) then you were underprepared is a useful guide.
• Food and Water: Depending on the route you choose you may be fine without snacks – but do take some water. Hiking uphill is thirsty work!