Great Langdale via Esk Hause up Scafell Pike: route map, distance and time
978 m · Lake District
Scafell Pike is England's highest mountain, a bouldery summit above Wasdale and Borrowdale climbed by paths from Wasdale Head, Seathwaite and Great Langdale.
A long route up Mickleden and Rossett Gill to Angle Tarn and Esk Hause, then over the boulder ridge past Broad Crag.
Great Langdale via Esk Hause starts at about 97 m and gains 970 m over 9.2 km to 962 m on the track. The first 3 km are the easy part, averaging 2%. The steepest kilometre is the one ending at 9.2 km, which climbs 69 m at an average of 28%. That last pull ends at the summit. About 21% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5, so expect hands-on-knees going and a slow descent.
Great Langdale via Esk Hause at a glance
| Distance | 9.3 km one way, to the top |
|---|---|
| Climb on the track | 970 m up, 108 m down on the way |
| Start and top of the track | 97 m to 962 m (summit 978 m) |
| Steepest 500 m | About 27%, from 3.6 km |
| Steeper than 1 in 5 | 21% of the way |
| Grade | Hard |
| Start | Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park |
| Start grid reference | NY 286 061 |
| Summit grid reference | NY 215 072 |
| Parking | Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park |
Great Langdale via Esk Hause map
The track from the start (green) to the summit (blue), with a marker at each kilometre.
Height profile and getting to the start
Near the start
- Old Dungeon Ghyll Climbers Bar0.1 km
- Sticklebarn0.9 km
- Walker's Bar1.0 km
- Public toilets0.9 km
- Great Langdale Campsite0.3 km
From OpenStreetMap, within 2 km. Check opening times before you rely on them.
Download the Great Langdale via Esk Hause GPX
Ascent only: plan your way down. A planning track, not checked on the ground; it doesn't show safe scrambling moves. Track data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), heights from a terrain model.
Great Langdale via Esk Hause kilometre by kilometre
Height, climb and average gradient for each kilometre of the track, with a grid reference at the end of each one to check your position on the map.
| At | Height | Climb | Gradient | Grid ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 119 m | +22 m | 2% | NY 276 061 |
| 2 km | 129 m | +10 m | 1% | NY 268 066 |
| 3 km | 169 m | +40 m | 4% | NY 261 073 |
| 4 km | 372 m | +203 m | 20% steep | NY 252 072 |
| 5 km | 585 m | +213 m | 21% steep | NY 248 074 |
| 6 km | 640 m | +55 m | 6% | NY 241 080 |
| 7 km | 757 m | +117 m | 12% | NY 232 081 |
| 8 km | 880 m | +122 m | 12% | NY 224 078 |
| 9 km | 893 m | +13 m | 1% | NY 216 073 |
| 9.2 km | 962 m | +69 m | 28% steep | NY 215 072 |
How long Great Langdale via Esk Hause takes
| Pace | To the top | There and back |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk 6 km/h, 8 min per 100 m up | 2h 50m | 4h 25m |
| Steady (Naismith) 5 km/h, 10 min per 100 m up | 3h 30m | 5h 20m |
| Relaxed 4 km/h, 12 min per 100 m up | 4h 15m | 6h 35m |
Times leave out stops. Coming down the same way, the table counts the ascent once; steep descents on rough ground can be as slow as the climb.
Scafell Pike summit weather for this route
-
Good Today Sunday 18 October
Partly cloudy, up to 5°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -5°C, summit wind 17 mph gusting 21 mph, 0% chance of rain. Rated Good. Sunrise 07:47, sunset 18:08.
-
Marginal Tomorrow Monday 19 October
Dense drizzle, up to 7°C at the summit, feeling as cold as -3°C, summit wind 39 mph gusting 49 mph, 51% chance of rain. Rated Marginal. Sunrise 07:49, sunset 18:06.
Best day of the next seven for Great Langdale via Esk Hause: Sunday 18 October, with summit gusts around 21 mph and a 0% chance of rain.
Cloud inversion tomorrow morning: 8% (Low), best around 04:00. 7-day inversion outlook.
Hour-by-hour Scafell Pike forecast · 14-day forecast · Is it safe to climb Scafell Pike?
Before you go, also check: MWIS Lake District forecast · Met Office mountain forecast · Weatherline fell top conditions.
What to take today
- An insulated jacket, hat and warm gloves: it feels like -5°C on top.
- A waterproof jacket. It can rain on the tops in any forecast.
- Microspikes for icy paths. In snow, an ice axe and crampons and the skills to use them.
- Map and compass, and the skills to use them. A phone is a backup, not a plan.
- A head torch, food, water, a charged phone and a small first aid kit.
About Scafell Pike
Scafell Pike is England's highest mountain, a bouldery summit above Wasdale and Borrowdale climbed by paths from Wasdale Head, Seathwaite and Great Langdale. More about Scafell Pike, with the live forecast.
On the lists: Wainwright, Furth, Hewitt, Nuttall, Marilyn, Birkett.
Extend the walk: tops near the summit
- Broad Crag (935 m), 0.5 km north-east
- Ill Crag (931 m), 0.8 km east
- Symonds Knott (959 m), 0.9 km south-west
- Round How (741 m), 0.9 km north
- Middleboot Knotts (703 m), 0.9 km north
- Scafell (964 m), 1.1 km south-west
Challenges that include Scafell Pike
- National Three Peaks · 3
- Lake District 3000ers · 4
- 10 Peaks (England – Lake District) · 10
- Lake District 24 Peaks Challenge · 24
- Bob Graham Round · 42
- Furths · 34
- Hewitts · 523
- Nuttalls · 442
- Wainwrights · 214
- County Tops · 88
- Marilyns · 1,555
More walks from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park
Routes in Peakify's guides that start within 500 m of this one, for another day from the same car park.
- Great Langdale via Rossett Gill up Allen Crags
- Old Dungeon Ghyll via The Band up Bowfell
- Climbers' Traverse up Bowfell
- Great Langdale via Red Tarn up Cold Pike
- Old Dungeon Ghyll via Oxendale and Red Tarn up Crinkle Crags - Long Top
- Langdale via The Band and Three Tarns up Crinkle Crags - Long Top
- Great Langdale via Rossett Gill and Esk Hause up Esk Pike
- Langdale via Rossett Ghyll and Angle Tarn up Glaramara
- Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes up Harrison Stickle
- Mickleden via Stake Pass up High Raise
- Old Dungeon Ghyll and the Langdale Pikes up Loft Crag
- Great Langdale via Red Tarn up Pike of Blisco
Other routes up Scafell Pike
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time up | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasdale Head via Brown Tongue | 5.2 km one way | 930 m | 2h 35m | Moderate |
| Seathwaite via the Corridor Route | 7.8 km one way | 908 m | 3h 5m | Moderate |
| Seatoller via Stockley Bridge, Grains Gill and Esk Hause | 9.9 km one way | 950 m | 3h 35m | Hard |
| Seatoller via Stockley Bridge and the Corridor Route | 10.0 km one way | 920 m | 3h 30m | Hard |
In an emergency
Call 999, ask for the police and then mountain rescue. Give your location (the start is at NY 286 061, the summit at NY 215 072), what happened and how many are in your group. If you have no signal for a call, a text to 999 works once you have registered your phone with emergencySMS: text "register" to 999 before you go.
Great Langdale via Esk Hause: questions and answers
How far is Great Langdale via Esk Hause?
Great Langdale via Esk Hause is 9.3 km one way to the summit of Scafell Pike. There and back by the same way is about 18.6 km.
How steep is Great Langdale via Esk Hause?
The steepest 500 m averages about 27%, starting 3.6 km from the start, and 21% of the way is steeper than 1 in 5. Great Langdale via Esk Hause climbs 970 m in all on the track.
Where do you park for Great Langdale via Esk Hause?
Great Langdale via Esk Hause starts from Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park. The grid reference is NY 286 061. Old Dungeon Ghyll National Trust car park
Is Great Langdale via Esk Hause suitable for beginners?
Not as a first mountain. Peakify grades it Hard: steep, rough ground where a slip matters. Build up on an easier route first, such as Wasdale Head via Brown Tongue.
Is there a GPX for Great Langdale via Esk Hause?
Yes. Download it from this page. It is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.