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

Peakify lists 2 measured routes up Red Pike, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Red 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.

Red 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 Red Pike route

Wasdale Head via Dore Head

Climb from the valley to Dore Head between Yewbarrow and Red Pike, then follow the ridge north to the summit. It starts from Wasdale Head (National Trust car park). 3.9 km one way with 742 m of ascent. About 2h 0m to the summit and 2h 50m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Overbeck western walking paths via Dore Head

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Overbeck Bridge National Trust car park. It starts from Overbeck Bridge National Trust car park. 4.8 km one way with 760 m of ascent. About 2h 15m to the summit and 3h 10m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Red Pike route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Overbeck western walking paths via Dore Head. 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 Red Pike today and the Red Pike 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Red 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 Red 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 Red Pike

What is the easiest route up Red Pike?

Wasdale Head via Dore Head has the easiest grade of the 2 routes listed here (Moderate).

How much time does each Red Pike route take?

Wasdale Head via Dore Head: about 2h 0m up and 2h 50m there and back. Overbeck western walking paths via Dore Head: about 2h 15m up and 3h 10m 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 Red Pike route?

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