Scafell Pike routes from Wasdale and more, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 5 measured routes up Scafell Pike, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Scafell Pike routes from Wasdale and more, 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.

Scafell 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 Scafell Pike route

Wasdale Head via Brown Tongue

The path follows Lingmell Gill and climbs the steep pitched path of Brown Tongue, then crosses boulders via Lingmell Col to the summit. It starts from Wasdale Head (National Trust car park). 5.2 km one way with 930 m of ascent. About 2h 35m to the summit and 3h 40m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Seathwaite via the Corridor Route

You climb to Styhead Tarn and follow the Corridor Route across the flank of Great End and Lingmell, with a short rocky step near Piers Gill. It starts from Seathwaite, Borrowdale. 7.8 km one way with 908 m of ascent. About 3h 5m to the summit and 4h 40m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Great Langdale via Esk Hause

A long route up Mickleden and Rossett Gill to Angle Tarn and Esk Hause, then over the boulder ridge past Broad Crag. It starts from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. 9.3 km one way. Grade: Hard.

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. 9.9 km one way with 950 m of ascent. About 3h 35m to the summit and 5h 35m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and the Corridor Route

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Seatoller National Trust car park. It starts from Seatoller National Trust car park. 10.0 km one way with 920 m of ascent. About 3h 30m to the summit and 5h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Scafell Pike route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Great Langdale via Esk Hause, Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause, Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and the Corridor Route. 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 Scafell Pike today and the Scafell Pike 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Scafell 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 Scafell 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 Scafell Pike

What is the easiest route up Scafell Pike?

The route from Wasdale Head via Brown Tongue and Lingmell Col is the shortest and most direct. It is steep and rocky, so allow for rough ground near the top.

Which Scafell Pike route starts from Wasdale?

Wasdale Head via Brown Tongue starts from Wasdale Head (National Trust car park): 5.2 km one way, 930 m of ascent.

How much time does each Scafell Pike route take?

Wasdale Head via Brown Tongue: about 2h 35m up and 3h 40m there and back. Seathwaite via the Corridor Route: about 3h 5m up and 4h 40m there and back. Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause: about 3h 35m up and 5h 35m there and back. Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and the Corridor Route: about 3h 30m up and 5h 30m 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 Scafell Pike route?

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