Pike of Stickle routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

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

Pike of Stickle 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.

Pike of Stickle 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 Pike of Stickle route

Stickle Gill and Stickle Tarn walking paths

A hard mountain walk to the summit from New Dungeon Ghyll car park. It starts from New Dungeon Ghyll car park. 3.5 km one way with 700 m of ascent. About 1h 50m to the summit and 2h 35m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. It starts from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. 3.5 km one way with 650 m of ascent. About 1h 45m to the summit and 2h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

New Dungeon Ghyll via Loft Crag

Climb beside Dungeon Ghyll to the plateau near Loft Crag, then scramble up the rocky summit cone. It starts from Stickle Ghyll car park, New Dungeon Ghyll. 3.2 km one way with 634 m of ascent. About 1h 40m to the summit and 2h 20m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.

Pike of Stickle route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Stickle Gill and Stickle Tarn walking paths, Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes. 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 Pike of Stickle today and the Pike of Stickle 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Pike of Stickle 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 Pike of Stickle, 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 Pike of Stickle

What is the easiest route up Pike of Stickle?

Stickle Gill and Stickle Tarn walking paths has the easiest grade of the 3 routes listed here (Hard).

How much time does each Pike of Stickle route take?

Stickle Gill and Stickle Tarn walking paths: about 1h 50m up and 2h 35m there and back. Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes: about 1h 45m up and 2h 30m there and back. New Dungeon Ghyll via Loft Crag: about 1h 40m up and 2h 20m 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 Pike of Stickle route?

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