The Scafell Pike routes and Scafell Pike camping
Table of Contents
Are you ready for your complete guide to climbing the highest mountain in England? This is a list of the top Scafell Pike routes to take up this epic mountain in the Lake District National Park. You will learn how to get up the mountain from places like Langdale and Wasdale. You may also be interested in doing the Scafell Pike camping whilst you’re on this epic mountain. I have top tips for camping on Scafell Pike.
I have climbed many mountains in the Lake District such as the Helvellyn walk, and Scafell Pike is up there with Hellvellyn as my favourite climbs in the Lake District. I have also done the popular Snowdon in Wales and I have to say. Scafell Pike offers better views for those that do dare to climb up this monster of a mountain.
Let’s have a look what’s included in this blog post for you;
- How long to climb Scafell Pike
- Is it easy to walk up Scafell Pike
- The Scafell Pike routes
- Camping on Scafell Pike
- Scafell Pike facts
- Final thoughts
How long to climb Scafell Pike?
The Scafell pike routes will take you between 5 – 9 hours depending on the level of your fitness. It took us 8 hours as we took a longer route coming back down the mountain and walked a total of 18.5 miles in 8 hours.
There are runners that run up the mountain and complete it in less time. But obviously, this is an absolute graft for most. Just walking up Scafell Pike is a big accomplishment and achievement.
Personally, the best route is from Langdale but this is one of the longest routes up there. But, you will pick which one you prefer by the end of this post.
Is it easy to walk up Scafell Pike?
To put it simply, No! I wouldn’t class it as a stroll in the park by any stretch. However, there are easier and more difficult routes up Scafell Pike. So, it just depends on with path you take and how quickly you want to hike. Also, I would check the Scafell Pike weather forecast. You don’t want to be walking up there if the rain is going to coming down hard. Same goes for the sunshine. It’s a hot and sweaty one in the heat.
We walked up to the Scafell Mountain when the temperature was roughly 20 degrees and we were dripping with sweat. But it was fun of course.
So, to answer your question is it easy to walk up Scafell Pike? It can easier if you plan the hike out before you go and just pick the easiest passage up the mountain.
The best Scafell Pike routes to take
Below is a list of Scafell Pike hiking routes to take. Each one is different, however, you can be sure that you will see incredible views on whichever of the paths you decide to take up the mountain.
On a clear day on Scafell Pike, you can see for miles and the mountain ranges are spectacular. You will need a good camera on whichever of the routes you walk on.
Anyway, here is a table of the best hikes up Scafell Pike:
| Route Up Scafell Pike | Parking Post Code | Ascent | Walking Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardknott Eskdale to Scafell Pike | CA19 1TG (for Boot) or continue up Hardkott Pass for GR NY211 011 | Roughly 1050 metres | 5 – 9 hours | 18 Kilometres (round trip) |
| Langdale to Scafell Pike | LA22 9JY | Roughly 1150 metres | 3 – 5 hours | 18 Kilometres (round trip) |
| Seathwaite or Borrowdale to Scafell Pike, which is known as Corridor Route | CA12 5XJ | Roughly 1000 metres | 6 – 9 hours | 15 Kilometres (round trip) |
| Wasdale To Scafell Pike | CA20 1EX (Wasdale Head) | Roughly 920 metres | 3 – 5 hours | 8.5 Kilometres (round trip) |
Camping on Scafell Pike
You can camp on Scafell Pike if you want, which is an awesome experience! However, there are a few things to think about before camping on Scafell Pike. For example, you wouldn’t want to head up here camping in the peak of winter. Some might dare, but it wouldn’t be much fun
Anyway, let’s look at a few things to consider before embarking on your camping adventure;
- The weather can change very fast up there. Even though the sun may be shining, the weather can flip and storms can hit the mountain very fast. So, if you’re going to go up. Just make sure you a well-prepared.
- There is a place that’s a popular campsite on Scafell Pike called Angle Tarn which is overlooked, Anging Knotts. This is not an official campsite. However, we did see plenty of campers here and tents set up. To be fair, it is a breathtaking location to camp for the night! To get here, you will have to hike from Langdale up Scafell Pike for roughly 2 hours.
- Make sure to take a first-aid kit with you whilst camping. You never know what trouble you may get into up there! I slipped near the top, but I was fine. Others might not be so lucky.
- Be sure to take plenty of food and snacks with you up there.
- There is plenty of fresh flowing rivers on Scafell so don’t worry about running out of water. This is the best ice-cold water you will taste. So refreshing.
- Make sure you tell someone where you’re planning on camping for the night.
Check out my Vango Banshee 200 review and ultralight backpacking gear list guides.
List of Scafell Pike facts
Here is a list of Scafell Pike facts that you might find interesting;
- Wastwater is the deepest lake in England is located at the foot of Scafell Pike and is a crazily 258 FT deep!
- It is believed that Scafell Pike was created well over 400 million years ago! This mountain is ancient.
- Scafell Pike is part of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group of igneous rock formations.
- The Wasdale route is the quickest route up Scafell Pike. So, if you don’t want to spend many hours on the mountain. Then use this route.
- Why is Scaffel Pike called Scafell Pike? The original name of this mountain was “The Pikes of Sca Fell”. The change of the name was because of an error on an Ordnance Survey map and it’s been called that ever since
Final thoughts
There we have it! Your complete guide to the Scafell Pike routes up this epic mountain that’s on every hiker walking bucket list.
This is not the easiest climb in the Lake District. However, you can be certain that it is one of the best.
If I was you, I would try and do this climb in summer. This way you will most likely have amazing weather and be able to appreciate the views from the very tip of Scafell Pike.
You should check out the Surf Snowdonia Adventure Park