Esk Pike routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 3 measured routes up Esk Pike, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Esk Pike routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Esk Pike route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Esk Pike route

Great Langdale via Rossett Gill and Esk Hause

Walk up Mickleden, climb Rossett Gill, pass Angle Tarn and reach Esk Hause before the rocky final climb. It starts from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. 7.2 km one way with 840 m of ascent. About 2h 50m to the summit and 4h 15m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Seathwaite via Grains Gill

Climb Grains Gill to Esk Hause, then follow a rough path south-east to the summit. It starts from Seathwaite (roadside parking, Borrowdale). 5.5 km one way with 750 m of ascent. About 2h 20m to the summit and 3h 25m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Seatoller National Trust car park. It starts from Seatoller National Trust car park. 8.5 km one way with 800 m of ascent. About 3h 0m to the summit and 4h 45m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Esk Pike route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Great Langdale via Rossett Gill and Esk Hause, Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.

Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Esk Pike today and the Esk Pike 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Esk Pike routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Esk Pike, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Esk Pike

What is the easiest route up Esk Pike?

From Seathwaite in Borrowdale, climb Grains Gill to Esk Hause and take the path south-east to the top.

How much time does each Esk Pike route take?

Great Langdale via Rossett Gill and Esk Hause: about 2h 50m up and 4h 15m there and back. Seathwaite via Grains Gill: about 2h 20m up and 3h 25m there and back. Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause: about 3h 0m up and 4h 45m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Esk Pike route?

Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.