Walk The Eskdale Skyline from Wha House Farm, Eskdale
Stenuous high level route across England's highest mountains
This 14 mile, Grade 9 (Very Hard), easy-to-follow, hand-crafted walk, complete with GPS Waypoints, starts at Eskdale in the Lake District & will take you about 9 hrs to complete.
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Detailed walk route map PDF | |
Vital Statistics: | ||
| Walk No.: | c110 | |
| Length: | 14 miles (22.5km) | |
| Ascent: | 6009 ft (1832m) | |
| Time: | 9 hours | |
| Grade: |  | |
| Walk Type: | High Mountains | |
| Gear Needed: | Full mountain gear including boots, warm layers, waterproofs, food & water, and good weather | |
Route outline for this walk:
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
Points of Interest/Notes on this walk:
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:
 7 English Mountains |
 6 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).
- Bow Fell (Bowfell) at 902m (2960ft). Bow Fell (Bowfell) is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (8th highest in England, 24th highest in England & Wales), a Wainwright (No. 6) and an English Nuttall (10th highest in England, 27th highest in England & Wales).
- Esk Pike at 885m (2904ft). Esk Pike is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (13th highest in England, 33rd highest in England & Wales), a Wainwright (No. 11) and an English Nuttall (16th highest in England, 38th highest in England & Wales).
- Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) at 866m (2841ft). Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) is known as an English Nuttall (20th highest in England, 45th highest in England & Wales).
- Slight Side at 762m (2501ft). Slight Side is classified as a Wainwright (No. 58)
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
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 Eskdale Skyline from Wha House Farm, Eskdale
In no particular order . . .
Looking down the Great Slab below Bow Fell (Bowfell) to Great Landdale and the Langdale Pikes
Snow on Esk Pike (left), Bow Fell (Bowfell) and Crinkle Crags (right) from the summit of Scafell Pike
The Scafell Massif - Slight Side, Sca Fell, Symonds Knott, Mickledore, Scafell Pike and Ill Crag - from the summit of Bow Fell (Bowfell)
The Langdale Pikes (left), Rossett Pike (foreground left) and Esk Pike (right) from Esk Hause
Harter Fell (Eskdale) (centre left), Cam Spout Crag and Slight Side (centre right) with Eskdale below from Ill Crag summit
Harter Fell (Eskdale) (back), Hard Knott and The Lingcove Valley from Bow Fell (Bowfell) summit cairn
A grand view overlooking the valley of upper Wasdale from Esk Hause with Pillar, Kirk Fell, Great Gable and Green Gable taking centre stage
Esk Pike, Bow Fell (Bowfell), Gunson Knott , Crinkle Crags (Long Top) and Crinkle Crags (South Top) from Scafell Pike
My son on his first boys mountain climb up Scafell Pike with his Dad and Grandad
Rossett Crag, Black Crags, Mart Crag, Pike of Stickle, The Langdale Pikes, Mickleden and Great Langdale from The Climbers' Traverse below Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Lingmell (left) and Kirk Fell in sunlight from near Dropping Crag below Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike (far left), Ill Crag and the shoulder of Great End (far right) from Esk Hause
Sca Fell (centre left), Mickledore, Scafell Pike and Ill Crag from Three Tarns
Me looking up the West Wall Traverse between Sca Fell and Scafell Pike
Great Gable (back), Lingmell, the shoulder of Scafell Pike and Mickeldore from Symonds Knott
Scafell Pike (right) and Sca Fell (left) with Mickledore (centre) from Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Skiddaw and Derwent Water (in distance) with Seathwaite Fell and Sprinkling Tarn (foreground) from Great End (Scafell Massif)
Looking towards the Isle of Man (Sellafield rather spoils the view) from Sca Fell
A moody looking Great Gable from Great End's north ridge close to Custs Gully
Rossett Pike and Black Crags from the top of Great Slab below Bow Fell (Bowfell)
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
Crinkle Crags (Crinkle Crags (South Top), Crinkle Crags (Long Top), & Gunson Knott), Bow Fell (Bowfell), Esk Pike & The Langdale Pikes from Loughrigg
Cambridge Crag and Bowfell Buttress from The Climbers' Traverse below Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Red Pike (Wasdale) and Little Scoat Fell (left), Mosedale, Pillar and Kirk Fell (centre) and Great Gable (right) from the summit of Scafell Pike
Bow Fell (Bowfell) from the Three Tarns col between Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Lone fell walker on Scafell Pike with Symonds Knott and Sca Fell (left), Wast Water and Seatallen (right) beyond
*Bow Fell (Bowfell), Crinkle Crags (Long Top), Gunson Knott and Crinkle Crags (South Top) from Mickledore (between Scafell Pike and Sca Fell)
Bowfell Buttress (left), Great Langdale and The Langdale Pikes (with Harrison Stickle prominent) from the col between Bow Fell (Bowfell) and Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top)
Looking south west towards Hard Knott, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Lingcove Bridge and Eskdale from the summit of Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Little Stand (foreground), Pike of Blisco (Pike o' Blisco) (left), Wetherlam and The Old Man of Coniston (right) from Slight Side
The Scafell Massif - Sca Fell, Symonds Knott, Mickledore, Scafell Pike, Ill Crag & Great End - with Bow Fell (Bowfell) in the right foreground from the summit of Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top)
Heading for The Band from the Three Tarns col between Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Ill Crag (left) Broad Crag (centre) and Scafell Pike (right) from Great End (Scafell Massif)
Looking down Greta Gill to Wasdale from Great End with Red Pike (Wasdale), Little Scoat Fell, Kirk Fell and Great Gable beyond
Great Gable peeping up through the clouds during a cloud inversion from Scafell Pike
Gunson Knott, Crinkle Crags (Long Top) and Crinkle Crags (South Top) from Slight Side
Three Tarns (or two tarns and a puddle) with Shelter Crags, Gunson Knott and Crinkle Crags beyond from Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Bow Fell (Bowfell) (North Top) and Esk Pike from the shelter on Esk Hause
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.
The Scafell Massiff from Bowfell - with Sca Fell to the left, Mickledore in the centre and Scafell Pike to the right
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