Walk The Scafell Massif from Wasdale Head, Wast Water
England's highest & 2nd highest mountains
This 9¾ mile, Grade 8 (Hard), easy-to-follow, hand-crafted walk, complete with GPS Waypoints, starts at Wasdale Head in the Lake District & will take you about 8¾ hrs to complete.
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Detailed walk route map PDF | |
Vital Statistics: | ||
| Walk No.: | c271 | |
| Length: | 9¾ miles (15.5km) | |
| Ascent: | 5140 ft (1567m) | |
| Time: | 8¾ hours | |
| Grade: |  | |
| Start: | Wasdale Head* | |
| Walk Type: | High Mountains | |
| Gear Needed: | Full mountain gear including boots, warm layers, waterproofs, food & water, and good weather | |
Route outline for this walk:
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.
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 |
 4 Wainwrights |
 9 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) (Highest in England, 8th highest in England & Wales) and a Wainwright (No. 1).
Scafell Pike is also known as an English Nuttall (Highest in England, 8th highest in England & Wales) and an English Marilyn (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.'
For most people, Scafell Pike is usually pronounced 'Skar Fell Pyke', but the true Lake District locals pronounce it 'SKOR-fall Pyke' with the emphasis on the first syllable. Indeed, many older texts spell it as '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 and tick-off:
- 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).
- Round How (Scafell) at 741m (2432ft). Round How (Scafell) is known as an English Nuttall (90th highest in England, 155th highest in England & Wales).
- Middleboot Knotts at 703m (2307ft). Middleboot Knotts is known as an English Nuttall (129th highest in England, 214th highest in England & Wales).
| Grid Ref: | NY182750 |
| Sat Nav (Dec): | 54.45609,-3.26320* |
| Sat Nav (DMS): | 54°27'21.912"N 3°15'47.515"W* |
| What3words: | spelling.cold.alongside |
| Postcode: | CA20 1EX† |
| Car Park Fee: | £7.00 to park for 2 hours £8.50 to park for 4 hours £10.00 to park all day Free for National Trust Members Note: The machine only accepts coins |
| Car Park: | Large gravelled car park with 100 spaces |
| Location: | At the north eastern end of Wast Water, along narrow roads about 5 miles east of the A595 at Gosforth |
| Local Bus: | The Wasdale Explorer is a free Shuttle Bus that operates on Weekends and Bank Holidays during the summer months, providing access to Wasdale Head from Ravenglass train station via Muncaster Castle, Gosforth and Nether Wasdale. There are designated stops, but drivers may stop elsewhere if safe to do so. Dogs are allowed on the bus, but not on the seats. For more details, see Wasdale Shuttlebus |
| Alternative Car Parks: | There is a smaller, grass car park further north near Lingmell House, beyond Down in the Dale Bridge. If both of these car parks are full you could try Overbeck Car Park |
| Alternative Car Parks: | The Wasdale Head Inn at the head of the valley serves food and drinks |
Other Walks from Wasdale Head
Be Adventure Smart
If walking in the Lake District (and anywhere else) please be adventure smart.
Ask yourself 5 questions before you set off:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Do I have the right GEAR for the day?
- Do I have enough FOOD & DRINK for the day?
- Do I have all the ESSENTIAL ITEMS for the day?
Note that there is no mobile phone or WiFi coverage in many parts of the Lake District
A dedicated GPS Device can be a good navigational aid, but only if you know how to use it properly. See The Myths and Truths about GPS for Walking and Hiking
* Link opens in Google Maps so you can get directions from your location.
† A rural postcode like this is notoriously hit-or-miss because it covers a large area of ground instead of just a few houses.
For more information about What3Words, see What3Words
For more information on plus codes, see Google Plus Codes
You can find this walk and other nearby walks on these unique Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
(worth a look if you're new to go4awalk.com & have never seen one of these before.)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (pink/magenta covers):
Some Photos and Pictures from Walk The Scafell Massif from Wasdale Head, Wast Water
In no particular order . . .
Me and my Dad, having a well earned rest at the top of Scafell Pike having completed all three peaks in the UK National Three Peaks Challenge.
Wasdale Head featuring Yewbarrow (left), Great Gable (centre), Lingmell (right) and the lower slopes of Scafell Pike (right) from across Wast Water
Britain's Favourite View - Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell, Great End, Sca Fell and the shoulder of Illgill Head (far right) from Wast Water
. . . load all 177 pictures & photos from this walk
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