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

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

Nethermost 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.

Nethermost 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 Nethermost Pike route

Wythburn

Climb the steep, pitched path from Thirlmere to the ridge, then walk south to the flat summit. It starts from Wythburn church car park. 3.4 km one way with 700 m of ascent. About 1h 50m to the summit and 2h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Grasmere via Grisedale Tarn

Climb Tongue Gill to Grisedale Tarn, take the zigzags up Dollywaggon Pike and follow the ridge north. It starts from Mill Bridge, north of Grasmere. 6.0 km one way with 991 m of ascent. About 2h 50m to the summit and 4h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Swirls via the Helvellyn summit ridge

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Swirls car park, Thirlmere. It starts from Swirls car park, Thirlmere. 4.9 km one way with 760 m of ascent. About 2h 15m to the summit and 3h 15m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Nethermost Pike route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Wythburn, Swirls via the Helvellyn summit ridge. 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 Nethermost Pike today and the Nethermost Pike 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Nethermost 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 Nethermost 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 Nethermost Pike

What is the easiest route up Nethermost Pike?

From Wythburn by Thirlmere, climb the path to the ridge and walk south to the summit.

How much time does each Nethermost Pike route take?

Wythburn: about 1h 50m up and 2h 30m there and back. Grasmere via Grisedale Tarn: about 2h 50m up and 4h 5m there and back. Swirls via the Helvellyn summit ridge: about 2h 15m up and 3h 15m 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 Nethermost Pike route?

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